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Can West Virginia finish strong enough for a top-25 recruiting class?

Running back Rocky Reid (4) of Concord (N.C.) High is among the uncommitted targets on West Virginia’s board as national signing day approaches.

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Only one recruiting weekend stands between now and national signing day, leaving schools to haggle over last-minute additions who can make or break a class.

West Virginia’s most decorated class was the 2013 haul that Rivals ranked 25th, and the 2015 group that currently sits at No. 28 could challenge that benchmark. With 21 commitments, the Mountaineers hope to add at least three players and would make room for more if certain highly-touted prospects flip.

With an eye toward Feb. 4, it remains a target-rich environment for West Virginia. Here’s where the Mountaineers are directing their resources:

Three-star WR Gary Jennings (Stafford, Va.. Colonial Forge)
He visited Morgantown last weekend after visiting Notre Dame, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Virginia. While Jennings said the Badgers’ interest waned since Gary Andersen left and Paul Chryst took over, former Wisconsin assistant Chris Beatty has been hired at Virginia and is making a strong push to land Jennings.

“He’s the top outside receiver on the board for West Virginia,” said Rivals writer Keenan Cummings of WVSports.com. “It definitely looks like he will come down to Virginia or WVU.”

Four-star RB Mark Walton (Miami, Fla., Booker T Washington)
Though pledged to Miami since September, Walton hasn’t stopped taking his official visits. He was in Morgantown this past weekend, having also visited Georgia and Louisville. He’s projected to stick with the Hurricane who have a Damon Cogdell-type advantage—having hired Walton’s former high school coach Tim Harris.

“If he comes to WVU, it’s probably going to be a signing day announcement,” said Cummings. “My guess is he’ll probably stick with Miami, but the fact JaJuan Seider got him to come up here for a visit was huge.”

Four-star ATH Jordan Cronkite (Palmetto Bay, Fla., Westminster)
A Miami decommitment who no longer has the Hurricanes among his top five, Cronkite has been to Morgantown twice, including an official visit the weekend of the TCU game. While Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Louisville are in the mix, it appears West Virginia’s toughest competition will come from Florida, which hosted Cronkite this past weekend.

“What a luxury for Florida to get in on a guy only a month-and-a-half ago and be the perceived leader when West Virginia has been on him for a lot longer,” Cummings said.

The Mountaineers, who don’t have a running back committed for 2015, are making a big push to land either Cronkite or Walton.

Three-star RB Rocky Reid (Concord, N.C.)
After his eight-month commitment to Tennessee ended in December, Reid is down to West Virginia, Louisville and Wake Forest. The No. 24-ranked prospect in North Carolina is no scatback—not at 6-foot and 210 pounds—and projects to be a north-south pounder in college.

Reid and Nashville’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn are the primary fallback options should things not pan out with the Walton-Cronkite combo.

Four-star RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn (Nashville, Pearl-Cohn)
He was the No. 2 option at Notre Dame, until the Irish emerged as the leader for Dexter Williams of Orlando. In the meantime Vaughn is being wooed by Illinois and West Virginia. (The Mountaineers only recently extended an offer.) Vaughn previously visited Purdue and Louisville and held earlier offers from Nebraska, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Louisville and Ohio State.

Nashville running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn (14) is a four-star prospect who’s considering West Virginia and Illinois.

Two-star DT Kahlil Welsh (Jacksonville, Fla., Sandalwood)
Wake Forest could have problems hanging on to the 6-3, 263-pounder who committed in November. Welsh just completed a visit to WVU and is slated to be in Gainesville next weekend. In between, he may take a midweek visit to Missouri.

Recruiting analysts believe he’s Florida’s to lose though the Gators haven’t offered yet. If the Gators fill their defensive line needs elsewhere, West Virginia stands to benefit.

“Welsh’ has already had an in-home visit from Dana Holgorsen, which shows how serious West Virginia is about signing him,” Cummings said.

Four-star DB Jordan Whitehead (Monaca, Pa. Central Valley)
The nation’s No. 6-rated cornerback committed to Pitt over WVU in August but backed out on his plan to enroll in January after signing a grant-in-aid. While he publicly remains pledged to the Panthers’ new coaching staff, Whitehead was forthcoming about his relationship with Mountaineers defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. If any school has a chance to turn Whitehead late, it’s West Virginia.

“You take a kid like Walton or Whitehead no matter what,” Cummings said.

Three-star ATH Shaquery Wilson (Coral Gables, Fla.)
A Georgia commitment since July, the 6-foot-1, 189-pounder was told by the Bulldogs he projects as an SEC defensive back. But now he’s considering a late offer from West Virginia, which wants Wilson to play his preferred position of receiver.

He visited Morgantown last weekend and now plans a trip to Florida, which also offered recently.

What’s the best case for West Virginia?

“I think WVU has a chance at Shaq Wilson, a good chance at Jennings, and one of the two top running backs—Walton or Cronkite,” said Cummings. “They can probably add Kevin White’s brother Ka’raun from Lackawanna and they have a good chance at Welsh. That could make this a top-25 class.”

And the worst case?

“West Virginia’s playing with a lot of guys late who haven’t made decisions, so that’s risky,” he said. “There are scenarios where West Virginia could come out with only one of these guys.”





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