MORGANTOWN, W.Va — Last season, the West Virginia defense played above expectations, finishing second in the Big 12 despite a near-total overhaul. The Mountaineers face a similar task in 2017. With eight starters graduating, including all three starting defensive linemen, coach Dana Holgorsen and his staff loaded up on defensive depth for national signing day. “I think with this class, it was D-line and safeties,” Holgorsen said. “We lost all those good senior D-linemen, so that’s why we went out and targeted it. Safety-wise, I think our starters are going to be as good as anywhere in the country with Dravon (Askew-Henry) and Kyzir (White) and Toyous (Avery) finishing the season as good as he did. We just don’t have anything behind them.” West Virginia’s incoming class has four defensive linemen, including a pair of junior college transfers in Ezekiel Rose and Jalen Harvey. They could compete for spots on the rotation right away. In the secondary, Holgorsen brought in six safeties, including Ligonier Valley’s Collin Smith. Western Pennsylvania products Kenny Robinson (Imani Christian) and Exree Loe (Greater Johnstown) were also added to bolster the secondary. Those position groups make up nearly half of the 21 players in the Mountaineers’ signing class that was announced Wednesday. WVU’s haul is light on highly rated talent in the offensive skill positions, but includes three wide receivers and two running backs, including 5-foot-6, 168-pound Tevin Bush, who Holgorsen said could contribute in the backfield and as a pass-catcher. A quarterback is notably absent from the group, but Holgorsen said in his news conference that he is pressing on with bringing in players for next season, and could wind up recruiting a quarterback. “We’re not done yet,” Holgorsen said. “We have three (quarterbacks) that can play … three that are going to take a lot of reps in the spring, three who are going to compete. We’re good there, but you’ve got to keep adding to that room. We have some flexibility with some numbers to be able to continue to add what we need.” Eight signees come from junior colleges, an area that has provided talent for West Virginia recently. Seven of those area already enrolled and on campus. It’s for that reason Holgorsen, who said he prefers a quiet, drama-free signing day to one filled with drama and hat stunts, is finding himself envisioning a future where the furor around this day comes to an end. New signing periods are being added, and Holgorsen has been taking advantage of them – only 11 of WVU’s 21 recruits signed Wednesday. “There’s been a lot of talk about early signing periods, and I think this day is honestly going to kind of go away a little bit,” Holgorsen said. “We’re kind of trending in that direction as we speak.” David Statman is a freelance writer.   Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.