The Mountaineers, in recent seasons, have made a concerted effort to step up recruiting the Baltimore/Washington, DC areas. That effort have paid of handsomely of late.
"West Virginia has had some great success in Baltimore with Terence Garvin and Tavon Austin," Calvert Hall High School coach Donald Davis pointed out. Two of Calvert Hall’s star players–defensive back Da’Quan Davis and receiver Trevor Williams–have given WVU verbal commitments for the 2012 recruiting class.
"We’ve got a guy from a similar school in Terence Garvin who is a similar kid to Trevor who has had success at West Virginia," said Davis. "A lot things play a part in the recruitment of our kids to WVU."
Receiver Deontay McManus of Baltimore has also given WVU a verbal committment. He is coached by Lawrence Smith at Dunbar High School where Austin also went to school.
"When they all get up to West Virginia they fall in love with Morgantown," Smith said.
McManus was offered by the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Ohio State, Virginia and Clemson–among others. He chose the Mountaineers.
"West Virginia has had some great coaches come into (the area) to recruit," Smith said. "They do things right. They don’t just recruit a kid, they recruit the program.
"We have three other kids that West Virginia is high on. Those kids have offers from Purdue, Michigan State and others. Coach (Jeff) Casteel has talked to them. Coach (Daron) Roberts has been here.
"Our kids love West Virginia and they love the coaches," Smith said. "When they come out to Morgantown, that’s where they end up wanting to come."