Orlando Sentinel photo
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two-way lineman Alec Shriner of Oviedo, Fla., committed to West Virginia, where coaches project him at nose guard.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder, who became the 12th commitment for West Virginia’s 2015 class, plays at the same high school that produced 2014 signee Tyree Owens.
Shriner has not received a star rating from Rivals but holds offers from South Florida, Navy, UMass, Florida International and Florida Atlantic.
“Shriner has the size and lateral quickness to play nose guard although many schools had targeted him for offensive line,” said Rivals senior writer Keenan Cummings, who originally reported the commitment via WVSports.com. “He won MVP at last year’s WVU camp and has a background in wrestling, which helps him with leverage in the trenches.”
Rivals.com photo
West Virginia’s interest in Shriner clearly seems to be on the defensive side, considering the recruiting attention he received from Joe DeForest, Tom Bradley and Tony Gibson.
He’s the first interior defensive line commitment for the Mountaineers in this class. Morgantown High School tight end Stone Wolfley, committed since July 2013, is a three-star prospect who’s projected to move to defensive end in college.
West Virginia’s current two-deep along the three defensive line positions includes two seniors (Dontrill Hyman and Shaquille Riddick), two juniors (Kyle Rose and Eric Kinsey) and two sophomores (Christian Brown and Darrien Howard). So there’s a strong drive to replenish.
“You’ll see some more defensive linemen in this class,” Cummings said. “It’s an area that needs to be recruited every year.”
Among other defensive line targets, West Virginia remains in strong contention for three-star prospect Reuben Jones (6-4, 225) of Lakeland, Fla., who holds offers from Illinois, Duke, Iowa State, Wake Forest and Marshall.
The Mountaineers are up against Virginia, Maryland, Boston College and UConn for three-star Channing Hames (6-5,250) of Arlington, Va., while battling higher-profile programs for several four-star prospects—nose guards Neville Gallimore (6-3, 303) of St. Catherines, Ontario, and Tim Settle (6-2, 307) of Manassas, Va., and defensive end Darius Fullwood (6-4, 229) of Olney, Md.
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Comments
WVU FAN
The Programs recruiting is better these days, if only we can get these kids in to buying to the school and believing they can win a national championship .... We must win in the trenches first and foremost ... hold on the football and pick up positive yardage on every play. Go and get the football when it is in the air and laying loose on the ground... attack ...Attack...TODAY WE FIGHT!!!!
Let's GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!Mountaineeeeeeeers!!!!!
( lets break out the terrible towels for all the home games)
June 18, 2014 at 11:01 am |
Rick55
Happy to have young men like this. Despite the negativity we still out recruit these other schools and will on occasion out recruit the big boys. You take what you can get, try develop them into winners and then as we improve the recruiting will fall into place. It's unrealistic to expect us to out recruit everyone.
June 18, 2014 at 10:21 am |
Gary
Amen Sam. You gotta believe.
June 18, 2014 at 10:09 am |
FNP
Ask any coach out there if they pay attention to "stars" beside of a kids name. They don't care about the hype because they know its about what you do on the field. There have been plenty of 4 and 5 star kids flop in their college careers. And there have been plenty of kids who are unknown or carry a 2 star rating who are sitting in the NFL right now.
June 18, 2014 at 9:54 am |
Capt. Obvious
Yet the teams with the best jimmies and joes (Bama, Auburn, FSU, OU, UT, LSU) win the national championships while we "developers" with x's and o's keep hoping for a better day.
June 18, 2014 at 12:08 pm |
FNP
Saban, Miles, Stoops, Brown, ect are all proven coaching talent.
June 18, 2014 at 2:04 pm |
jay zoom
(SAM) you have either been into the sauce or reading to many comic books. anyway welcome Alec
June 18, 2014 at 9:39 am |
Sam
Listen, we beat BAMA (which we will, MARK IT DOWN), then the rest of our schedule is downhill from there. If you choose not to believe then we don't need you as a fan.
June 18, 2014 at 9:44 am |
Jason
Wow. Let us know when you come back to reality.
June 18, 2014 at 11:11 pm |
Sam
All you negative Nelly's are really going to be surprised when WVU is playing for a national title this year. MARK IT DOWN!!! In Luck we trust!!!
June 18, 2014 at 9:00 am |
Jim Jones
I agree...kool aid anyone?
June 18, 2014 at 12:32 pm |
John
Welcome Alec to WVU. Hope you have found what you are looking for both academically and athletically.
June 18, 2014 at 7:49 am |
Realist
One thing Is certain, with or without Dana at the helm in 2015 wvu will be a I-AA force to be reckoned with.
June 18, 2014 at 6:55 am |
Steve
All of Mountaineer nation welcomes you Alec to WVU and congratulates you for joining the top 20 ranked recruiting class in the country!!!
June 17, 2014 at 10:41 pm |
TruthTeller
Ranking don't mean crap!!! Its what this team does on the field that matters. People who create rankings are people who have never stepped on a field of anything and have never played one contact sport in their pathetic lives.
Rankings have the value of negative zero!!!
June 17, 2014 at 10:02 pm |
Yogi Wahoo
Gomer Teller...you speak truth yet the hate message and the generalization that all rating service people have never set foot on a field...but do you count your waterboy status as stepping out on the field? From your math skills you speak of having, just wondering if you ever considered either Rhodes Scholar Tutoring or Jeopardy?
June 17, 2014 at 11:04 pm |
Steve
Truth teller with you being a Marshall fan I can understand why you would say ranking don't mean crap especially when their currently ranked 88th.
Looks like another sad recruiting class for MU!
June 17, 2014 at 10:43 pm |
Ben
Wvu is ranked 20 in the nation in recruiting and 2 in the Big 12
June 17, 2014 at 9:45 pm |
Wv trucker
Also ranked 78th in some other pole.
June 17, 2014 at 9:58 pm |
Steve
As a Marshall fan why do you post on articles about WVU? Is MU that irrelevant or are you just that jealous that MU is stuck in the worst conference in all of college football and is considered a have not?
June 17, 2014 at 10:49 pm |
Jason
I am a Marshall fan and I read WVU football and wrestling articles and WV high school football and wrestling articles even though I live in Maryland. Just because you are a Marshall fan, doesn't automatically mean you dislike WVU (actually, I think most Marshall fans pretty much only really dislike many of the WVU fans, not necessarily WVU teams specifically, if WVU fans would get a grip with their sense of arrogance, there are a lot if Marshall fans that would probably pull for WVU....yes, Marshall program has been down for years and during that time WVU enjoyed their golden years, but doc has turned the program around and WVU isn't producing at the level many fans have become used to, such as during the rich rod years, the MU fans that actually take jabs at WVU fans are the ones that had to listen to constant mouth from friends etc that are WVU fans during that decade or so, well, this year, regardless of schedule, Marshall is getting national attention and WVU is getting thrown under the bus nationally as an afterthought, and that is very tough for WVU fans to deal with, I understand, but it is what it is right now.)
June 18, 2014 at 12:09 am |
Jason
@mitch, yeah. I can see your point to some extent. But to add to that, I think WVU fans started to feel threatened, WVU was the only kid on the block, then nobody thought MU would do anything at the D1 level, then from the stretch if the last year in 1-aa with the natl. Championship through the first three years in 1-a MU went something like 50-4 with the 1999 team going undefeated and finishing the season ranked in top 10. MU had some very good teams through the Pennington and Leftwich years, I personally would have enjoyed seeing MU and WVU play during those years (other than the 1 game in 97, which was a really good game). WVU golden years came right afterwards in the rich rod era, and MU was way down for a decade. It happens in college sports unless you are one of a handful of programs that have the location and resources to constantly reload (ohio state, Alabama, etc). Not talking smack at all, trying to be objective, WVU will have a very tough time in the big 12, a lot of factors working against them. They will make more money, but the geography and recruiting will always be an uphill battle. Time will tell if it was the right move or not. Good luck.
June 18, 2014 at 11:09 pm |
Jason
@steve: I follow all sports WV related. (actually grew up a WVU fan, now I keep an eye on WVU, but am generally indifferent if they win or lose)
June 18, 2014 at 10:59 pm |
Mitch
Jason,
Maybe it wasn't like this where you live, but some of us have a different memory of the source of the divide between our 2 fan bases.
I remember most WVU fans CHEERING for Marshall during the 1980's and most of the 1990's, until MU moved up to Div.-1 in the late 90's.
Too many MU fans gained an immediate sense of entitlement, and started getting extremely swollen up with themselves (we've seen this type of behavior in other mid-majors who suddenly experience some D-1 success for the first time, like USF, Louisville).
Surely you remember all the chest-thumping and mouth from Bob Pruett toward us. All that bad blood started from the Marshall end....not us.
June 18, 2014 at 12:08 pm |
Steve
Jason--my question was for wv trucker, but you basically answered it the way that he and other Marshall fans like you would. You guys read and post on WVU articles because WVU is considered relevant whether they are up or down. I can understand why more and more Marshall fans have been trolling these articles as it boils down to the fact that WVU had their first bad season since 2001. It seems like you guys are getting your shots in while you can. You better enjoy it now. In 2015 MU will have to find a replacement for their multi year starting QB just like WVU had to for the 2013 season (and actually still doing). They could be in store for a rough year until they find a suitable replacement that can run their offense. In any case you won't see a post from me taking cheap shots at MU because they are irrelevant and I don't read or post on MU articles.
Have a nice day!
June 18, 2014 at 11:59 am |
Jason
@Brent - true...but the players do not make the schedule, they only play them. So the only measuring stick when comparing two teams that do not play is the national rankings....guess we will see where the chips fall at the end of the year. I understand WVU plays in the big 12 with some power programs, have fun with that. Honestly, nothing really against WVU program, but the market WVU is in with very little in state D1 talent to pull from, both WVU and MU have to go pull athletes from states like FL, GA, TX, etc. which all have multiple big time programs, which most of those kids want to stay close to home and play for the team they grew up watching, WVU and MU is at a disadvantage out of the gate. The major difference between say a top MAC school and Ohio State for example, doesnt always tend to be the starters, alot of those games are close to half time, but as the game wears on, and D linement, etc start to rotate in, there isnt much of a drop off from the starters to the back ups, etc...vs. smaller D1 schools, their underclassment and backups tend to still be "works in progress" developing, so the depth just is not there....for WVU, it was fine when they were playing Rutgers, but in the Big 12 you have to have depth at all positions or you will be exploited at some point during the game....and when you are playing teams like Oklahoma and Alabama week in and week out, depth is and will always be a major disadvantage for WVU playing the schedule they have. That being said, once in a decade or so, they will probably put together a team that will compete for the top of the league, but for the most part, they will more than likely hover around .500 in conf play year in and year out..BUT..they will still get a good payday from the profit sharing of just being in the Big 12.
June 18, 2014 at 11:26 am |
Jason
@BR - 1: I actually do not "like" to mention sentence structure, since you are being literal, I mentioned the usage of the word "to" vs. "too". I never criticize the grammar of anybody, I was just adding to the reflection of somebody else picking a mistake they their self made, I had no malice intended at all and therefore was throwing no rocks, if he didn't comment on himself, I wouldn't have mentioned it at all, and the MU education reference was made to be light hearted in reference to his WVU education 2: I understand this is a forum for comments and thoughts, no need for the Queens English sentence structure or grammar, I could not really care any less how people type their messages on here. 3: As for my post, I typed all that on my phone, while 1/2 asleep, with one eye opened, the point was to convey the point, not submit an English paper to be judged. 4: lighten up
June 18, 2014 at 11:16 am |
BR
Since you like to mention sentence structure and grammar MU Jason, please read YOUR post again.
I'm no English major, but I'd say a 150+ word sentence, with the vast majority of it in parentheses, is not exactly the Queen's English!
Which ever "Mike" you were trying to correct I'm sure got a good laugh over that rambling mess you call a post.
Sooooo........ you were not required to take any English classes as part of your expansive educational endeavors at Marshall I take it?
And I'm sure my posts have typo's and structural errors, but you need to watch that bag of rocks you're carrying Glass-House Jasie my boy!
June 18, 2014 at 6:27 am |
Brent
Give us the 234th ranked schedule in the country and 18 props and we would go undefeated. Unfortunately we have Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor all of which project in the top 15. Our "payday" game is Towson which finished runner up in the FCS national championship. Akron appears to be MU's only challenge this year.
June 18, 2014 at 6:08 am |
Mt.Man
It is concerning that so many of our recruits are selecting WVU over mid-major and lower-level football programs. We're in the Big 12 now, for goodness sakes. Can't Dana bring in more blue-chip recruits that someone other than South Florida wants?
June 17, 2014 at 9:32 pm |
Steve
He sure does mtn man...there are currently 3 4star recruits in this years clas as well as 3 in the last class. This class is ranked in the top 20. If this kid was offered a scholarship, he must be pretty good.
June 17, 2014 at 10:45 pm |
Mike
Some people,not real fans are never happy. One question for you Mt Man how many top schools recruited your sorry butt. My guess is your to lazy to get off the couch.
June 17, 2014 at 9:42 pm |
Mike
But I am educated enough to spell "you're" correctly. I guess that comes from my WVU degree. Where is your degree from?
June 17, 2014 at 9:54 pm |
Jason
Since you brought it up. It is "too", not "to" in the context you used it. (Marshall degree)
June 17, 2014 at 11:58 pm |
Steve
Hahahahahaha are you joking dude? You're gonna call someone out for supposedly misusing "to" and be wrong about it? Go smoke some meth you clown... WHATS THE WORD???? F*ck the HERD!
June 19, 2014 at 9:38 pm |
Jim
Jason, Mike is right. "Too" is quantative (adverb). The adverb "to" is a function word used to indicate function application, ie. to spell.
(WV elementary school lesson)
June 18, 2014 at 11:23 am |
Shat
So glad you two EXPERTS are on here commenting. Go recruit better, and quit leaving your crap here.
June 17, 2014 at 8:28 pm |
Tom
Agree with above funny Marshall turned him down. Haha
June 17, 2014 at 6:53 pm |
Big joe
Competing against all the big schools (yea right!)
June 17, 2014 at 6:50 pm |