Rutgers freshman Mohamed Sanu was too old to play football in his senior year of high school, so he opted to attend college for the spring semester where he was able to work out with the football team.

But that was as a defensive back assigned to cover pass routes. But in the final three days of camp, the Scarlet Knight coaching staff decided to give Sanu a try at running pass routes instead.

"Mohamed's a good athlete," said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. "He's been a big part of our offense, and he's certainly earned his touches."

Sanu has caught 41 passes, one of which was a touchdown. He has also ran the ball 36 times for 258 yards and three scores. If that weren't enough, Sanu has thrown a 38-yard touchdown pass this year.

"He was a high school quarterback," Schiano said. "His package will continue to grow as he gets more and more comfortable."

Schiano has used Sanu to take direct snaps from the center, saying it makes mathematical sense when confronting the opposing defense.

"When a quarterback hands the ball off, he's no longer a threat," Schiano said. "It's 11 against 10."

West Virginia University coach Bill Stewart likened the freshman to another player the Mountaineers had seen just a week ago.

"He's a big man. He's fast and tough," Stewart said. "He's an H-back kind of guy. He isn't a tight end, but he's not a flanker. He reminds me of Pitt's No. 2 (Dorin Dickerson). He is that kind of athlete and much like our Will Johnson."

WVU, 8-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big East Conference, will have its hands full with the young player when it tangles with Rutgers at noon Saturday on the road. The game will be televised by ESPN.

The Mountaineers hope to counter Sanu's effectiveness with defensive back Robert Sands, who was named the Defensive Player of the Week in the conference for his performance in the 19-16 win over then No. 8 Pitt. Sands had seven tackles, broke up three passes and most importantly, pulled down a huge fourth quarter interception to thwart a Panther drive.

"This guy is getting it, absorbing more and more," Stewart said of Sands, who leads the conference with five interceptions. "He is playing like a veteran, and he's really just a young sophomore."