WVU Football: Darius Stills – National Signing Day
By Phil Poling
WVU Football added a stalwart to their defensive line for years to come today. With National Signing Day finally here, Darius Stills is officially a Mountaineer.
The 6’3″, 280 lbs. defensive tackle from Fairmont, W.Va. is a 3-star recruit on 247sports.com. Only 28 miles separate Stills’ hometown from Morgantown, making his unofficial visit count reach six. On Jan. 22, Stills had an official visit at the university and got a feel for his new gear.
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Tony Gibson tracked after Stills’ pretty hard during the recruiting process, and for good reason; WVU played a handful of seniors on the defensive line last year. Noble Nwachukwu was a preseason All-Big 12 nominee and recorded 40 total tackles (7.5 for loss) and four sacks, while Christian Brown had 34 tackles (4.5 for loss) and two sacks. With their departures, Stills could be thrust into an early role within Gibson’s 3-3-5 stack.
Watch Darius Stills’ Highlights
During his senior campaign, Stills totaled 85 tackles (24 for loss), nine sacks (15 QB hurries) and even batted down three passes. Versatility is huge in Gibson’s defense, and Stills brings a ton of it to the table. He’s also not a stranger to big games, having played in a AA state championship game this past season at Wheeling Island Stadium.
Along with Stills, WVU adds three defensive linemen to the roster with their 2017 recruiting class; Jalen Harvey and Ezekiel Rose from JuCo, and Lamonte McDougle from Deerfield Beach, Fla. who committed Monday.
Stills’ father, Gary, played football for the Mountaineers from 1996 through 1998. In 27 career games, he tallied 159 tackles and 26 sacks. No pressure though, kid. Write your own story. Darius could get an opportunity to contribute early with his combination of size and speed. Assuming he has a good summer in the weight room, I expect Darius Stills to contribute in some capacity right away.