Last Minute Update on WVU Football Recruiting
By Ken Durbin
December 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen looks on during the fourth quarter of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against the Syracuse Orange at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
With a mere six days until Natioanal Signing Day, HailWV takes a quick look at West Virginia University’s 2013 football recruiting class.
According to ESPN.com, the Mountaineers recruiting class stands at 19 verbal commitments and 4 early enrollees. The class is loaded with much needed defensive talent but still address holes at the skill positions on offense. Using ESPN.com’s rating systems, the projected Mountaineers class includes 7 4-star athletes, 15 3-star athletes, and one unranked player. That is good enough to be the 31st ranked class by ESPN.com
The Mountaineers class has been in flux with a few former commits decommiting and pledging rival schools. Most notable of the group of defectors is De’Asian Richardson, a 4-star defensive tackle that switched from the Mountaineers to Louisville.
ESPN also shows longtime WVU commit and post graduate linebacker Sam Lebbie is no longer a firm verbal commitment. ESPN has his decision split between West Virginia and Purdue.
But it is not all bad news for the Mountaineers, WVU has projectedly picked up verbal commitments from 4-star wide receiver Shelton Gibson and 3-star tackle Grant Lingafelter.
Here is the breakdown of the projected Mountaineers recruiting class:
- QB: one 3-star
- RB: one 4-star and three 3-stars
- WR: one 4-star and three 3-stars
- OL: three 3-stars and one unranked
- DL: one 3-star
- LB: three 4-stars and three 3-stars
- DB: one 4-star and one 3-star
- ATH: one 3-star
Of course this recruiting class, like all verbal commitment classes, are in constant flux. Outside of the four junior college players that enrolled for spring classes, the remaining scholarships for this recruiting class are still open. Expect for some of the current class to change their commitments before Wednesday and for a couple of high profile players to opt for the Mountaineers.
Hopefully Dana Holgorsen can finish strong with only six days left to finalize the recruiting class.