DeWayne Murray stays on WVU football radar

The WVU football team wants to retain its footprint in the Pittsburgh-area. The Mountaineers remain on the active hunt to fill out its recruiting class for 2017 and a suburban Pittsburgh athlete might be the answer it needs.

DeWayne Murray out of Steel Valley High School on the east side of Pittsburgh is a rising recruit and is still mulling his options. He certainly has Division I talent and he’s been scouted by a lot of schools on this side of the country.

Related Story: Joshua Moore picks up WVU football offer

Murray is a two-way player and could stand out at either running back or linebacker at the next level. His body type fits either position and his on-field skills measure up at running back or linebacker, too. Murray stands at 5-foot-10 and weighs in at 185 pounds.

According to a recent Pittsburgh Post Gazette story, Murray remains undecided in his college choice, but has it narrowed down to Cincinnati and WVU, mainly, with a handful of Mid-American Conference schools in the mix. On his ESPN recruiting page, where Murray is unranked, Old Dominion is offered as a potential destination.

Murray is not the only Division I-type prospect on the Steel Valley team. He is joined by Paris Ford, who recently transferred over from Seton La Salle. Ford is heading to Pitt to play at the next level. The tandem could make Steel Valley one of the teams to watch out for in the WPIAL. 

More from Hail WV

• Every West Virginia potential March Madness venue in 2023 NCAA Tournament
• West Virginia March Madness Schedule: When do the Mountaineers play next? (Updated March 12)
• West Virginia vs. Kansas prediction and odds for Saturday, February 25 (Take Mountaineers as underdogs)
• WVU Football Recruiting: Mountaineers make Malik Hartford’s short list
• Previewing WVU basketball against Oklahoma State

As Murray picks out a school, he’ll also pick out a position. He does seem to be recruited heavily as a running back. If he lands with the WVU football team, he can get advice from Rushel Shell, another Pittsburgh-area talent who is with the Mountaineers. Shell will be wrapping up a, hopefully, successful career with the WVU football team by the time Murray arrives on campus. Shell had an indirect path to West Virginia, while Murray’s can be more direct.

With Shell gone after this season, there will be five running backs on the roster. Shell, a redshirt senior, is the only potential graduate after this season. There will be a competition for an open spot, as there is for the primary backup for this season.

True freshman Kennedy McKoy has made an early impression with the WVU football in the spring. He could see great playing time immediately. Murray could get that same treatment a year from now.

With Tony Gibson as the main recruiter for the Pittsburgh-region, there is a good chance Murray ends up with West Virginia.