MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia is back up to 15 committed players in its 2020 recruiting class after cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. announced on Wednesday that he will attend WVU.
Porter’s announcement coincided with his mother’s birthday.
https://twitter.com/darylpii/status/1204815625660575744?s=20
The early signing period is exactly one week away, with the first wave of recruits scheduled to sign their letters of intent on Dec. 18.
Porter is a 5-foot-10, 165-pound corner from American Heritage High in Plantation, Fla. He chose West Virginia over offers from Washington State, Utah, Minnesota and Big 12-rival TCU. He is rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals. Tight ends coach Travis Trickett served as his primary recruiter with assistance from defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae.
The Mountaineers would be hard-pressed to find a better breeding ground for an up-and-coming cornerback. American Heritage is coached by Patrick Surtain, a two-time former all-Pro cornerback for the Miami Dolphins. Surtain’s son, Pat Jr., was the top-rated corner in the country in 2018 and was a freshman all-American at Alabama last year.
Porter himself is the son of a former NFL player. Daryl Porter Sr. played safety for the Lions, Bills and Titans from 1997-2001 despite his own 5-foot-9 stature.
Porter will need to bulk up a bit to counter the physicality of Big 12 receivers, but his pedigree suggests he’ll be ahead of the curve in football IQ compared to a typical freshman.
Along with junior college commit Jackie Matthews, the Mountaineers now have replacements in place for departing senior corners Keith Washington and Hakeem Bailey.
Porter is West Virginia’s 15th commitment. The Mountaineers were temporarily down to 14 after moving on from running back Lamy Constant this past weekend.
West Virginia’s commitments for 2020:
Chris Mayo (Richland, N.J.) 6-5, 305 OL 4 stars
Garrett Greene (Tallahassee, Fla.) 6-0, 175 QB 4 stars
Daryl Porter Jr. (Plantation, Fla.) 5-10, 165 CB 3 stars
Sean Martin (Bluefield, W.Va.) 6-6, 260 DE 3 stars
Jackie Matthews (Gulf Coast CC/Pinson, Ala.) 6-0, 180 CB 3 stars
Quay Mays (NW Mississippi CC/Bradenton, Fla.) 6-2, 290 DT 3 stars
Taurus Simmons (Savannah, Ga.) 6-3, 210 OLB 3 stars
Zach Frazier (Fairmont, W.Va.) 6-2, 277 OL 3 stars
Jairo Faverus (Filton, England) 6-0, 190 CB 3 stars
David Okoli (Gaithersburg, Md.) 5-11, 176 CB 3 stars
Lanell Carr (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-3, 230 OLB 3 stars
Jacob Gamble (Iowa Western CC) 6-7, 325 OL 3 stars
Reese Smith (Danville, Ky.) 5-11, 175 WR 3 stars
Devell Washington (Bay City, Mich.) 6-4, 215 WR 3 stars
S.L. McCall (Iowa Western CC/Lake City, Fla.) 6-3, 200 OLB 3 stars
Charles Finley (Wayne, N.J.) 6-4, 215 TE 2 stars