2007 WVU Football Signees

MORGANTOWN, W.VA. (February 7, 2007) -- These student- athletes have signed national letters-of-intent to play football at West Virginia University, head coach Rich Rodriguez announced today.

Name Pos Ht Wt Hometown/School Don Barclay OL 6-4 285 Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley HS Asa Chapman DL 6-5 360 Orange, Va./Fork Union MA Sidney Glover DB 5-11 215 Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding HS Gino Gradkowski OL 6-2 280 Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-LaSalle HS Andrew Harris WR 6-2 185 St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Petersburg Catholic Vincent Harris LB 6-2 210 Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle HS Brandon Hogan Ath 6-0 175 Manassas, Va./Osbourn HS Will Johnson Ath 6-2 200 Dayton, Ohio/Centerville HS Terence Kerns RB 6-1 230 Frederick, Md./Thomas Johnson HS Derek Knight DB 6-0 195 Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS Ellis Lankster DB 5-10 200 Mobile, Ala./Jones Co. JC Junius Lewis DL 6-2 250 Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown HS Charles Matthews WR 5-10 170 Solon, Ohio/Solon HS Julian Miller DE 6-5 220 Columbus, Ohio/Beechcroft HS Evan Rodriguez DB 6-3 210 North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen HS Charlie Russell QB 6-3 210 Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown HS Jock Sanders Ath 5-8 185 St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Petersburg Catholic P.J. Shirdan DB 6-1 190 Drexel Hill, Pa./Msgr. Bonner HS Archie Sims LB 6-0 215 Laurel, Miss./Jones Co. JC Eain Smith DB 6-0 190 Miramar, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna Prep Chad Snodgrass OL 6-3 290 Cross Lanes, W.Va./Nitro HS Bradley Starks QB 6-4 190 Unionville, Va./Orange Co. HS Keith Tandy DB 5-11 185 Hopkinsville, Ky./Christian Co. HS Kendall Washington DB 6-4 195 Canton, Ohio/St. Thomas Aquinas HS Tony Wood DB 6-0 180 Blakeslee, Pa./Lackawanna JC

Bio Capsules:

Don Barclay: Impressive offensive lineman from Seneca Valley (Pa.) High ... second team all-Quad North for Coach Ron Butschle ... 45 tackles, 3 sacks as a senior ... 8 sacks as a junior ... also played basketball ... son of Don and Dana Barclay ... his uncle Al Pisula was a WVU letterman in the 1970s ... will major in business Asa Chapman: Mammoth defensive lineman who prepped at Fork Union Military Academy ... 94 tackles, 9 sacks for Coach John Shuman ... played for Coach John Kayajanian at Orange County (Va.) High, earning first team all-district and all- region and second team all-state honors ... an all-district basketball standout ... state qualifier in the shot put ... son of Marlo Chapman ... will enroll in general studies

Sidney Glover: Hard hitting safety who enrolled in January ... all-state and all- district defender for Coach Thom McDaniels at Warren G. Harding High ... recorded 130 tackles, 3 interceptions and 8 touchdowns as a senior, helping the Raiders to the playoffs and a 10-3 record ... also a track letterman ... son of Sidney and Deidri Glover ... wants to study pre-pharmacy

Gino Gradkowski: First team all-Pennsylvania lineman for Coach Greg Perry at Pittsburgh’s Seton LaSalle High ... three-year all-Century Conference ... Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 22 and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 as a junior and senior ... Big 33 game ... also a basketball letterman ... son of Deborah and Bruce Gradkowski ... brother Bruce is with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... cousin Carmen Connolly is a Mountaineer receiver ... plans to major in mathematics

Andrew Harris: Talented wide receiver from St. Petersburg (Fla.) Catholic ... three-year starter for Coach Dan Mancuso with more than 2,400 receiving yards ... all-Suncoast and second team all-state ... Pinellas County receiver of the year ... also a basketball letterman ... grandson of Ira Harris ... will major in sport management

Vincent Harris: All-Ohio defender for Coach Tom Grippa at Cincinnati’s LaSalle High ... second leading rusher in the Greater Catholic League with 811 yards and 5 scores ... also the second leading punter with a 39.5 average ... earned all-GCL honors as a linebacker and running back ... East-West all-star game in Orlando ... district track champion in the 4x200 relay ... also a basketball letterman ... son of Kerri Harris ... will major in sport management

Brandon Hogan: Talented athlete from Osbourn (Va.) High ... offensive player of the year for Coach Steve Schultze’s 14-0 state champions ... passed for 2,539 yards (32 TD) and rushed for 1,735 yards (26 TD) as a senior ... also had a punt return for a score ... two-year record of 24-2 ... first team all-Cedar Run, all- region, all-metro and all-state ... also a track letterman ... guardian is Karen Morris ... will enroll in general studies

Will Johnson: All-district and all-GWOC conference linebacker from Dayton ... team captain for Coach Ron Ullery at Centerville High ... team MVP and Sonny Unger Award ... Dayton Daily News player of the week ... Big 33 game ... a regional track qualifier at 100m, and district and regional champ on the 4x4 relay ... also a basketball letterman ... son of Wilma Gilmore ... wants to major in business

Terence Kerns: All-Maryland tailback from Thomas Johnson High in Frederick ... rushed for 1,703 yards and 26 TD as a senior ... MVAL conference player of the year for Coach Ben Wright ... career totals of 2,702 yards, 39 TD ... Golden 11 team ... state sprint champion at 200m ... regional and county 100m champion ... son of Tammy Thompson ... will enroll in general studies

Derek Knight: Safety prospect from Detroit’s Renaissance High ... three-year all- city selection for Coach Antonio Watts ... two-year team captain who was part of two city championship teams ... all-state Dream Team ... Lansing State Journal Catch 22 ... three-time track athlete of the year ... an honor roll student ... son of Derek and Lisa Knight ... will major in business marketing Ellis Lankster: Juco All-America return man who enrolled in January ... standout corner from Jones County (Miss.) Junior College where he played for Coach Eddie Pierce ... NJCAA all-region ... school record 98-yard interception return for score ... blocked 4 field goals ... product of Mobile’s C.F. Vigor High, where he played for Coach Kerry Stevenson ... son of Bill and Sayinka Jackson ... an athletic coaching education major

Junius Lewis: All-West Virginia defensive lineman from Morgantown High ... helped Coach John Bowers’ Mohigans to a 38-3 record and two state titles ... three-time all-NCAC conference ... three-year starter with 256 tackles and 20 career sacks ... son of Junius and Rebecca Lewis ... father was a WVU basketball letterman ... will major in business

Charles Matthews: Athletic wide receiver from Solon (Ohio) High ... all-Western Reserve conference and all-district for Coach Jim McQuaide ... second team AP all- Northeast Ohio ... 25 catches for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns ... 22 returns for 398 yards and a score ... Cleveland Plain Dealer charity all-star game MVP ... also a track letterman ... an honor roll student ... son of Charles and Jacquelyn Matthews ... will be a business major

Julian Miller: All-Ohio defensive end from Columbus’ Beechcroft High ... team MVP for Coach Tom Dunlap who led Beechcroft to the City League championship ... City League North MVP and central Ohio Super 25 ... first team all-district, all-city, all-Agonis and all-metro ... Big 33 game ... team captain in football, basketball and track ... son of Kevin and Kelli Miller ... will major in sport management

Evan Rodriguez: First team all-New Jersey safety from North Bergen High ... all- conference and all-county as a quarterback and safety ... team captain for Coach Vince Ascolese ... Hudson County defensive player of the year while leading the Bruins to the playoffs ... also a basketball letterman ... son of Frances Rodriguez ... will major in athletic coaching education

Charlie Russell: All-West Virginia quarterback from Morgantown High ... helped Coach John Bowers’ Mohigans to a 38-3 record and two state titles ... first team all-NCAC conference ... accounted for more than 3,000 career yards and 45 scores ... played basketball as a freshman ... an honor roll student ... son of Richard and Cathy Russell ... will major in agricultural biochemistry

Jock Sanders: Three-year all-state runner/receiver from St. Petersburg (Fla.) Catholic High ... twice the team offensive MVP for Coach Dan Mancuso ... rushed for 1,600 yards, 19 TD as a junior and 1,200 yards, 24 TD as a senior ... three times all-area ... also a basketball letterman ... son of Latonya Sanders ... plans to study criminal justice

P.J. Shirdan: Athletic safety who played for Coach Jim Burner at Monsignor Bonner High in the Philadelphia Catholic League ... missed senior campaign with a knee injury ... 96 tackles, three interceptions and a safety as a junior ... honorable mention all-Catholic League ... also an all-state indoor and outdoor track performer ... son of Phillip and Taraya Shirdan ... plans to major in sport management

Archie Sims: Juco linebacker with impressive ability ... two-year starter for Coach Eddie Pierce at Jones County (Miss.) Junior College ... 69 stops to lead the Bobcats in tackles ... Leader-Call player of the year at West Jones (Miss.) High ... all-state and all-region ... son of Archie Lee and Marilyn Sims ... will enroll in general studies Eain Smith: all-Florida defender from Chaminade-Madonna Prep ... first team all- Broward for Coach Mark Guandolo ... recorded 45 tackles, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles as a senior ... 21-5 over two years with a state title ... all- state and all-South Florida ... also a track and basketball letterman ... son of Karmah Bennett ... will major in business

Chad Snodgrass: All-West Virginia lineman from Nitro High ... led Coach Scott Tinsley’s Wildcats to the state finals as a junior and the playoffs as a senior ... two-year finalist for Hunt Award as state’s top lineman ... also a basketball and track letterman ... an honor roll student ... son of David and Kathy Snodgrass ... will study nursing

Bradley Starks: All-state quarterback from Orange County (Va.) High ... central Virginia career passing leader with 6,331 yards, 70 TD ... district player of the year for Coach John Kayajanian ... also rushed for more than 2,500 career yards (36 TD) ... three times all-district and all-region ... all-state in basketball ... state qualifier in high jump and 4x100 relay ... son of Emmett and Karen Starks ... will enroll in general studies

Keith Tandy: All-Kentucky defensive prospect from Christian County High ... holds almost every school passing record with career totals of 8,609 yards and 90 touchdowns ... season record 32 TD ... 528 yards and 8 scores in a game ... 4 interceptions and more than 1,000 yards rushing as a senior ... first team all- district and all-conference for Coach Mike Whitaker ... also a baseball and basketball letterman ... president of Beta Club ... son of Joyce Jordan ... wants to study engineering

Kendall Washington: All-Ohio defender from Canton’s St. Thomas Aquinas High ... team captain for Coach Tim Tyrrell, recording 170 tackles, 12 sacks and 3 interceptions ... Division V defensive player of the year and all-northeast Ohio ... career receiving totals of 1,920 yards and 21 TD ... Big 33 game ... also a basketball and track letterman ... son of Davida and Randy Jones ... wants to major in criminal justice

Tony Wood: Corner who recorded three interceptions, 22 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles at Lackawanna College last season ... helped Coach Mark Duda’s team to a 10-0 record and the Northeast Conference championship ... honorable mention all-conference ... two-time all-area for Coach D’Angelo at Pleasant Valley (Pa.) High, leading the Bears to the Mountain Valley championship ... also a basketball and track letterman ... son of Mike and Ronnie Lee Brown ... plans to major in education

For more information, contact Shelly Poe (304) 293-2821