Dorchester: ‘Good to have some closure’ on 2014 class

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia came away with a promising list of players in the 2014 class and did it without much drama.

“There wasn’t a lot of shock. I think the only one we were waiting on was Donte (Thomas-Williams) from North Carolina,” Ryan Dorchester, WVU’s recruiting coordinator told “Sportsline” crew.

Thomas-Williams, the four-star running back from Durham, N.C., declared WVU his frontrunner last month but was still was considering N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Florida, Notre Dame, Florida State and Syracuse. The powerful 6-foot, 220-pounder was rated by Rivals as the No. 21 running back in the nation.

“They all tell you ‘Coach, I’m coming, I’m coming,’ but you’re anxiety never really goes away until they announce it,” Dorchester said.

The staff submitted this class could fill some thin roster spots. “The offensive line and defensive secondary were two areas where we felt like we had to go out and get some guys and from a numbers standpoint,” Dorchester said. “We were able to add depth to those spots.”

The late addition of three-star Philadelphia offensive lineman Dontae Angus was a sizable haul, considering the 6-foot-6, 300-pounder had been committed to Florida.

“I think of all the signing day triumphs, it was probably the biggest triumph that we were able to get (Angus) in here on an official visit and that was Brian Mitchell doing his due diligence,” Dorchester said. “He went by the school and found out there was still a chance that we may be able to get in the game. At that point, it was full steam ahead.

“It’s hard to find guys that big—he’s got the biggest hands I’ve even seen on a human-being.”

What about the prospect of signing graduate transfers, as WVU did last year with Charles Sims and Clint Trickett?

“We don’t necessarily have any guys on the board right now that we are specifically targeting, but you never know what’s going to crop up,” Dorchester said. “Just like last year at this point and time, Clint Trickett’s name and Charles Sims’ name weren’t on the tips of anyone’s tongues and those two guys were pretty important to our team last year.”







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