MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Just when it seemed West Virginia’s 2014 recruiting class couldn’t possibly accommodate another offensive lineman, the Mountaineers received a commitment from junior college tackle Sylvester Townes on Monday.
The 6-foot-6, 285-pounder from Coahoma (Miss.) Community College is a three-star prospect, according to Rivals. He becomes the sixth offensive line commitment in a class projected to bring in 19 signees.
With four seniors and two juniors on the current offensive line two-deep, West Virginia clearly is putting a priority on restocking. (Last February’s 26-member class, by comparison, included only four offensive linemen.)
“I know we’ve heard this before, but I would be very surprised if anymore offensive linemen are added to this class,” said Rivals writer Keenan Cummings of WVSports.com. “West Virginia has needs (on the line) and six is a lot, but that should put a close on offensive line recruiting for this class.”
Townes, who plans to enroll in January, becomes the 14th commitment overall for and the 10th on the offensive side. He chose the Mountaineers over offers from Texas Tech, South Florida and Kentucky, and Oklahoma State has shown interest also.
“I think you’ll see him get every opportunity to see the field early and jump into one of those spots at tackle next season, because of what West Virginia is losing at those spots,” Cummings said.
“He is long, lean and has great feet. He moves very well for his frame and does a good job using his arms to keep defenders at bay. Explosive at the point of attack, Townes is a quality run blocker and pass protector. While he could stand to put on some weight, his size and athletic ability make him a quality pickup.”