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Freshman QB Rawlins leaving WVU

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Only five months after enrolling at West Virginia, dual-threat quarterback Chavas Rawlins plans to transfer.

Dual-threat quarterback Chavas Rawlins, an early enrollee at WVU since January, plans to transfer.

The 2013 signee out of Monessen, Pa., was a three-star Rivals recruit who entertained offers from numerous FBS schools, including Tennessee, Pitt, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Northwestern and Rutgers.

Rawlins’ high school coach Andy Pacak told MetroNews the departure of WVU quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital — who’s now at Texas A&M — left a void, though the rest of the Mountaineers staff “bent over backward” to help Rawlins.

“All of a sudden Jake wasn’t going to be there, and I think that had an impact,” said Pacak. “Chavas went down there and tried and gave it a shot, but he was missing that relationship. He developed some close relationships with other coaches during the recruiting period as well, and I think he’s looking for that type of relationship again.

“But Coach (Dana) Holgorsen and (Shannon) Dawson were great. They were always upfront with him and me. For Chavas, this isn’t a move based on the coaches, or West Virginia or the facilities or anything like that.”

Rawlins was the lone quarterback prospect WVU signed in February, though since he arrived on campus, the Mountaineers added Florida State transfer Clint Trickett and received a 2014 commitment from four-star dual-threat quarterback William Crest of Baltimore-Dunbar.

Positioned as the No. 3 quarterback behind junior Paul Millard and redshirt freshman Ford Childress, Rawlins did not play a snap in the Gold-Blue spring game.

At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, Rawlins shows sub-4.5 speed, making him an enticing prospect at receiver as well. But Pacak reiterated Rawlins remains focused on playing quarterback.

“If anything, his experience down there at West Virginia shows he does belong (at quarterback),” Pacak said. “It’s just about putting in the work and getting acclimated to the system. All in all, he had a good experience there, so I don’t think Chavas is looking to switch positions.”

Rawlins, who was likely headed for a redshirt season at WVU, will now simply spend next fall sitting out at another school under the NCAA’s transfer rule.

“At this point,” Pacak said, “his options are wide open.”







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