West Virginia Football Recruiting: Five Undecided Recruits Interested in the Mountaineers on Signing Day
By Ken Durbin
December 1, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen (left) observes the game along side Mountaineers offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson (center) and running backs coach Robert Gillespie (right) during the third quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at Milan Puskar Stadium. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 59-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Happy National Signing Day Eve to Mountaineer Nation!
This time tomorrow, we will know for certain who are the future studs of the West Virginia Mountaineer football program. While there has been some volatility as of late in the recruiting haul, there is still time for coach Dana Holgorsen to solidify a top 25 recruiting class.
With one day left until the class of 2013 is set, here are five of the nation’s best talents that WVU is still in the running for:
1. Sam Lebbie 4-star ESPN/NR Scout, OLB, Hyattsville, MD
Lebbie originally commited to the Mountaineers as part of the 2012 recruiting class. He was not ready for college, so took a year to attend the Atlanta Sports Academy this past season. The talented OLB was firmly commited to the Mountaineers up until the past couple weeks when the Purdue Boilermakers got involved.
WVU has a wealth of linebacker recruits on the line for the 2013 class and it appears as though Lebbie is hesitant to join the mix. Even with the latest waivering, many expect Lebbie to sign with West Virginia, but the late push by Purdue could be enough to sway Lebbie away from Morgantown.
2. Marquion Lane 4-star ESPN/3-star Scout, ATH/WR, DeLand, FL
Lane recently took his official visit to Morgantown this past week as the Mountaineers are trying to make a late push for the talented athlete. The big 6’2″ projected wide receiver would be a big get for WVU who is in desperate need of top talent on the outside with the recent departures of Austin, Bailey, and Woods.
Lane holds offers from other big programs such as Arizona, Florida State, and Nebraska amongst others. The recent visit by Lane can only serve to help the Mountaineers in their pursuit of the top recruit.
3. Mario Alford 4-star ESPN/3-star Scout, ATH/RB, Milledgeville, GA
Alford, a top Junior College prospect has been holding with his commitment to Arizona since late October according to ESPN. Scout lists his commitment status as still open with West Virginia right in the mix.
Since bowl season, the West Virginia coaches have been hitting the Junior College circuit looking for talented, experienced players. WVU has been looking to shake free certain JUCO commits, Alford included. While Alford has not indicated that he might decommit from the Wildcats, there is some hope that he might be a late switch for the Mountaineers.
4. Jeremy Tyler 3-star ESPN/3-star Scout, S, Lithonia, GA
Jeremy Tyler has not tipped his hand as to which school is the leader for his services next season. Depending on which recruiting service you look at, there are varying reports as to Tyler’s interest in the Mountaineers. According to Scout, Tyler appears to be highly interested in West Virginia but also has a lot of interest in SEC schools like Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.
While playing in the SEC may seem glamorous, there is nothing glamorous about being a punching bag for the top league in the country. Hopefully Tyler will realize that his best shot at being part of a winner will be with the Mountaineers in the Big XII.
5. Jermaine Grace 4-star ESPN/3-star Scout, OLB, Miramar, FL
West Virginia’s recruiting stronghold in South Florida has traditionally been Miramar. Both Geno Smith and Stedman Bailey came to Morgantown out of the Miami area school. Grace is looking hard at schools like Louisville, Florida, and Tennessee.
This is really the longest shot of all for the Mountaineers on National Signing Day. West Virginia has really not been a factor as of late for Grace, but Mountaineer fans can hold out hope that alumnus Damon Cogdell can convince Grace to give WVU one last look.
We can hope, but do not expect Grace to opt for Morgantown.
HailWV and Saturday Blitz of the fansided network will be following commitments tomorrow, so be sure to check in often for the latest in recruiting news.