MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia has flipped Kansas offensive line commitment Mike Brown, a late-blooming prospect from Eastern Arizona Junior College.
At 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds, Brown is a three-to-play-two recruit who can fit at tackle or guard.
The Mountaineers received a simultaneous commitment Tuesday from Brown’s older brother Joe, a former Miami player who currently has only one year of eligibility remaining but hopes to have a second year reinstated by the NCAA.
They give West Virginia 25 commitments — and five offensive linemen — in the 2018 class that Rivals ranks 24th nationally.
Mike Brown had been committed to the Jayhawks for only nine days, but changed his mind when the brothers visited West Virginia this weekend. Texas also had expressed interest as school scramble to fill their recruiting classes in advance of the second signing period. His other verified offers include Oregon State, Fresno State, Nevada and New Mexico.
Mike Brown told WVSports.com he plans to sign in February and enroll this summer, at which point he’d become of the oldest players on the roster. Growing up in the Compton area of Los Angeles, he did not play football during high school and took a two-year mission trip before giving football a try at the juco level.
He recently told Rivals that Kansas coaches liked him “because I take every play serious … and I never take a play off.”
Describing himself as “a simple guy,” Mike Brown said he’s intent on: “All I do is go to church, go to school, and play football. I try my best to stay in the right direction.”
Joe Brown’s route to WVU has been circuitous. He started three games as a redshirt freshman at Miami in 2015, announced he was transferring to BYU in January 2016 and eventually began taking classes at Eastern Arizona Junior College.
“I felt like given the time period I have left to play football at this level the best decision for me would be to go to West Virginia because I believe they can help me develop into the player I need to be,” he told WVSports.com.
The Mountaineers lost two senior guards — three-year starter Kyle Bosch and part-time player Grant Lingafelter — from the last season’s offensive line, though junior left tackle Yodny Cajuste announced he will return for his final season.