MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Rivals three-star cornerback/receiver Taymon Cooke, who committed to West Virginia in February but never signed, announced Tuesday that he plans to enroll at Marshall.
A 6-foot-1, 170-pound standout who flashed 4.4 speed at Graham High School in Bluefield, Va., Cooke also held offers from Michigan State, Virginia and Rutgers, but sources said his status as an academic partial qualifier modified his best option to signing with a Group of Five program or taking the junior college path.
According to Rivals writer Keenan Cummings, West Virginia had a contingency plan to blueshirt Cooke, meaning he could enroll on scholarship at the start of fall practice but could appear in a game next season.
He scored 41 touchdowns over his final two high school seasons, 28 as a senior when he earned all-state honors.
Marshall already has 29 signees in its 2018 class, which is ranked 69th by Rivals.
West Virginia’s 33rd-ranked class features 24 signees along with two graduate transfers, defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow and UCLA cornerback Denzel Fisher. The Mountaineers are still actively seeking at least one additional grad transfer and looking into the possibility of junior college recruits.