MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia’s 2019 signing class is far from a finished product, but in one sense it’s a peach.
Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen announced the addition of 16 new players to the roster on Wednesday, which marked the opening of the early signing period. The early signing period closes Friday, and is followed by the traditional Feb. 6 signing day.
Nearly one-third of West Virginia’s current signees – five players – are from Georgia. It’s no accident.
“That’s been a high priority of ours; we’ve really focused on Georgia these last few years,” Holgorsen said. “I spent all three weeks pretty much down in Georgia in December, and it’s outstanding football down there. We’re going to continue to work hard at getting guys from that area.”
Cornerbacks coach Doug Belk is WVU’s conduit to the Peach State. He is a native of Valdosta, Ga. and started his coaching career there at Division II Valdosta State in 2011.
“Doug has a good relationship with a lot of people down there,” Holgorsen said.
Over the past decade, Georgia ranks fourth in the country in total number of signees with Power 5 schools and is first per capita with an average of 2.41 Power 5 signees for every 100,000 residents.
“It’s just really good football,” Holgorsen said. “I think it’s as well-coached of a football state as I’ve seen. They have great talent, they have great population, and they play really good football.”
WVU has struck gold in the state in the past, bringing in future NFL standouts Bruce Irvin and Pacman Jones. This year the Mountaineers added 4-star cornerback Dreshun Miller (Kennesaw via Eastern Arizona CC), 3-star linebacker Jared Bartlett (Suwanee), 3-star cornerback Nicktroy Fortune (Roswell), 3-star receiver Winston Wright (Pooler) and 3-star running back Tony Mathis (Cedartown).
Holgorsen likes that WVU is focusing more on Georgia after placing an emphasis on Texas early in his career.
“It makes sense for us,” Holgorsen said. “I wish I would have stumbled on it and focused on it earlier, but it’s been good for us.”
Holgorsen has seven scholarships left to fill before next season. Two spots in this year’s class went to transfers who are already enrolled at WVU – linebacker VanDarius Cowan (Alabama) and receiver Isaiah Esdale (Eastern Arizona CC).
West Virginia’s class is currently ranked 54th in the country and seventh in the Big 12 by Rivals. However, that ranking is subject to change by a fairly wide margin in February. The only two schools with as few as 16 signees that are ranked ahead of the Mountaineers nationally are Ohio State and Miami. The six Big 12 schools ranked ahead of West Virginia all signed at least 19 players on Wednesday.
A quarterback will be especially helpful in boosting West Virginia’s ranking, and seeking a transfer at that position is perhaps Holgorsen’s top priority this offseason. Jack Allison and Trey Lowe are the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.
“I think you all can figure out what we’ve been successful with, with quarterbacks, and what we will continue to try to look for in quarterbacks,” Holgorsen said. “We will obviously try to bring somebody in in the summer.”
NOTE: Holgorsen said that three players will enroll at WVU in January. They are Miller, defensive lineman Taijh Alston (Copiah-Lincoln CC) and cornerback Kerry Martin (Charleston, W.Va.). Martin, the lone in-state signee, graduated early from Capital High.
“If you have the ability to be able to come in early, that just gets you so much work in the spring semester,” Holgorsen said. “Pretty much all of them will be here in June, but that extra six months or whatever is valuable.”
WVU football Class of 2019 signees
Brandon Yates, OL (Las Vegas via Middletown, Del.)
Nicktroy Fortune, CB (Roswell, Ga.)
Winston Wright, WR (Pooler, Ga.)
Dreshun Miller, DB (Kennesaw, Ga./Eastern Arizona CC)
Parker Moorer, OL (Charlotte, N.C.)
Ali Jennings, WR (Highland Springs, Va.)
Terence Doston, WR (Tampa, Fla.)
Tony Mathis, RB (Cedartown, Ga.)
Jared Bartlett, LB (Suwanee, Ga.)
Kerry Martin Jr., CB (Charleston, W.Va.)
Taijh Alston, DL (Vass, N.C./Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Tykee Smith, S (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Osita Smith, S (Bowie, Md.)
Kolton McGhee, K/P (Altoona, Pa.)
Jalen Thornton, DE (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Donovan Beaver, OL (Spotsylvania, Va.)