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
j hicks
To the Marshall fans that post here running down WVU I would ask you a question, Does Marshall play anyone in the top 50? WOW! I would be ashamed to try to run down a school that is playing 7 or 8 top 15 teams each year. If Marshall gets any easier they will be playing High School teams.
June 20, 2014 at 12:46 am | Report comment
VaultHunter
And unless I have missed something recruiting and revenue is higher than its ever been since joining a REAL conference.
I could be wrong but I believe that's what it takes to build a REAL program.
No more weak programs on our schedule.
I am curious how would we fare with a schedule like Marshall's though??
June 18, 2014 at 9:00 pm | Report comment
Geoff
How about you let the grown ups focus on WVU & be quiet about marshall. This has nothing to do with that school down South.
June 18, 2014 at 11:35 pm | Report comment
VaultHunter
I have a request.
To the kids arguing about WVU and Marshall please be quite and let the grown-ups who are WVU fans and wish to comment on WVU related articles do so in peace.
Thanks in advance.
June 18, 2014 at 8:54 pm | Report comment
Webb
You may want to learn how to spell quiet there you big grown up you!!!
Exactly what is being quite?
Thanks in advance....
June 19, 2014 at 1:25 pm | Report comment
( BIG DADDY )
Welcome to MOUNTAINEER LAND
Always remember once you become a MOUNTAINEER alway's a MOUNTAINEER !! We need young men like yourself to get to the next level.
And the Defensive side of the ball is where we need to get it done !! i wish you nothing but Good Times in MORGANTOWN
June 18, 2014 at 4:20 pm | Report comment
Diaspora
Well, that is, unless you are Eron Harris, Terry Henderson, and a host of other pass-throughs that we're once Mountaineers but no longer.
June 19, 2014 at 3:03 pm | Report comment
David
Well the kid's smart. If Navy wanted him you can be sure he will have no academic issues.
June 18, 2014 at 12:57 pm | Report comment
Rich Rod
How is the West Virginia football team like a possum?
-They play dead at home and get killed on the road
June 18, 2014 at 12:43 pm | Report comment
Ole Sasquatch
Come back?
June 20, 2014 at 3:56 pm | Report comment
richard
according to 247sports.........this kid is a 3 star rank. thats what they rank him and i believe they are a respected recruiting service.
June 18, 2014 at 11:11 am | Report comment
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 | Report comment
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 | Report comment
Gary
Amen Sam. You gotta believe.
June 18, 2014 at 10:09 am | Report comment
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 | Report comment
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 | Report comment
FNP
Saban, Miles, Stoops, Brown, ect are all proven coaching talent.
June 18, 2014 at 2:04 pm | Report comment
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 | Report comment
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 | Report comment
Jason
Wow. Let us know when you come back to reality.
June 18, 2014 at 11:11 pm | Report comment
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 | Report comment
Jim Jones
I agree...kool aid anyone?
June 18, 2014 at 12:32 pm | Report comment
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 | Report comment
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 | Report comment