In 2013, Donte Thomas-Williams was one of the most highly-sought after recruits out of North Carolina. In 2016, he has been kicked out of the WVU football program.
Already riding a spring suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, Thomas-Williams must have finally worn out his welcome as he was booted from the program on Monday.
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According to multiple outlets, Thomas-Williams was released for a violation of team rules.
The profile for Thomas-Williams has already been removed from the WVUsports.com website. Without Thomas-Williams and the early departure of Wendell Smallwood, there are only six running backs listed for the Mountaineers.
Starter Rushel Shell will be carrying the load for the team this season as depth still remains an issue. Other running backs include Deonte Glover, Brady Watson, Justin Crawford, Jashawn Banks and Kenndy McKoy.
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It will be up to at least one of those guys to help Shell provide a potent one-two (or three) punch for the WVU offense.
McKoy might just be that option the Mountaineers need to develop a solid running game for the 2016 season. In the Spring Game, he showed off his speed and quickness. As Shell can do a little bit of it all, McKoy will be a nice wild card for head coach Dana Holgorsen and new offensive coordinator Joe Wickline.
But that could have and should have been Thomas-Williams. After garnering ESPN 300 honors for his senior year of high school, Thomas-Williams ended up with more than 2,000 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns in his final high school season in North Carolina.
Thomas-Williams was a four-star recruit and the No. 12 running back in the country. He also had offers from Florida, Florida State, Clemson, Ohio State and Louisville, among others.
In the 2015 season, in which the WVU football team went 8-4, Thomas-Williams played in four games with 43 rushing yards on 14 attempts. He averaged 3.1 yards a carry with a long run of 12 yards.