2016 West Virginia Football Signees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/Last School *Jacquez Adams CB 5-11 160 Reisterstown, Md./Milford Toyous Avery S 5-11 194 Covington, Ga./Coffeyville CC Elijah Battle CB 6-0 185 Linden, N.J./Dodge City CC Chase Behrndt OL 6-4 295 Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette *Jacob Buccigrossi OL 6-4 295 , Pa./North Hills Justin Crawford RB 6-0 200 Columbus, Ga./NW Mississippi CC Mike Daniels CB 5-11 205 Miami, Fla./Globe Tech CC *Reese Donahue DL 6-5 245 Milton, W.Va./Cabell Midland Brendan Ferns LB 6-3 220 St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville Adam Hensley LB 6-3 220 Centerville, Ohio/Centerville Jake Long CB 6-0 180 Columbus, Ohio/Hamilton Township Sean Mahone CB 5-10 200 Liberty Township, Ohio/Lakota West *Kennedy McKoy RB 6-2 195 Clemmons, N.C./North Davidson Martell Pettaway RB 5-9 200 Detroit, Mich./ Martin Luther King *Jeffery Pooler DL 6-4 290 Dayton, Ohio/Dunbar Zach Sandwisch LB 6-2 210 Woodville, Ohio/Central Catholic *Cody Saunders QB 6-2 205 Panama City Beach, Fla./Arnold Josh Sills OL 6-6 315 Sarahsville, Ohio/Meadowbrook *Marcus Simms WR 6-1 175 Olney, Md./Sherwood Craig Smith OL 6-6 310 West Palm Beach, Fla./Tyler JC Steven Smothers WR 5-9 154 Reisterstown, Md./Franklin Jovanni Stewart S 5-10 190 Katy, Texas/Katy *Logan Thimons LB 6-2 220 Sarver, Pa./Freeport Area Senior *Dylan Tonkery S 6-0 195 Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport Trevon Wesco TE 6-4 275 Gerrardstown, W.Va./Lackawanna Kyzir White S 6-3 210 Macungie, Pa./Lackawanna College Jonn Young K/P 6-0 200 Advance, N.C./Davie

*-Enrolled in January 2016 Jacquez Adams, CB, 5-11, 160, Reisterstown, Md./Milford Academy Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2016 … originally signed with West Virginia out of high school in 2015 … played one for Coach Bill Chaplick at Milford Academy (New Berlin, N.Y.) … fi nished 2015 with six receptions for 189 yards and three in four games … added 51 rushing yards and one pass … previously played for Coach Anthony Burgos at Franklin High … two-time Maryland Class 3A/4A First- Team All-State performer … led Franklin High to a 13-1 record and a 7-0 mark in the region as a senior … team captured the Maryland Class 3A state championship with a 35-21 victory over Damascus … four-year career totals were 4,810 yards passing and 51 touchdowns, 1,932 yards rushing and 27 scores … totaled 6,740 total yards for his career; also played free safety and had 22 career tackles … completed 108-of-175 passes for 1,539 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior … 2014 rushing totals were 916 yards and 12 touchdowns … led Franklin to the 2013 Class 3A state championship, passing for 2,836 yards and 30 touchdowns, while rushing for 885 yards and 14 scores … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Atlantic Region Ranking … No. 6 player in prep school according to Rivals … twin brother, Jordan, redshirted at WVU in 2015.

Toyous Avery, S, 5-11, 194, Covington, Ga./Coffeyville CC Played one year for Coach Aaron Flores at Coffeyville CC (Coffeyville, Kan.) … redshirted fi rst year at Coffeyville … helped team to an 8-3 record in 2015 and No. 14 national ranking … played in 11 games and fi nished with 69 tackles, including 39 solo stops, 5.5 tackles for loss, two forced , a recovery, fi ve pass breakups and a team-high fi ve … named All-Kansas Jayhawk Conference Second Team … No. 6 in the Jayhawk CC Conference in interceptions and fumble recoveries … season-high 10 tackles at Highland CC and Dodge City CC … had season highs of two interceptions at Iowa Western CC and two tackles for loss at Highland CC … played for Coach Terrance Banks at Newton High in Covington, Ga. … fi nished with 34 tackles, including 21 solo stops, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery and a pass breakup as a senior … No. 12-rated safety nationally according to 247Sports, No. 45 in Georgia … three-star recruit according to 247Sports … two-star recruit according to Rivals and Scout … also offered by Colorado, Colorado State, Missouri and Kansas.

Elijah Battle, CB, 6-0, 185, Linden, N.J./Dodge City Community College Played two seasons for Coach Gary Thomas at Dodge City CC (Dodge City, Kan.) … helped team to a 9-3 record in 2015 and an appearance in the Salt City Bowl … played in all 12 games, fi nishing the 2015 season with 50 tackles, including 38 solo tackles … also had 11 pass breakups, two tackles for loss, one and one fumble recovery … made 44 tackles with 29 solo stops in 2014, adding eight pass breakups and one interception … 2015 All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Honorable Mention … previously attended Barringer High (Newark, N.J.), where he fi nished the 2013 season with 72 tackles and eight sacks … three-star recruit according to Scout and 247Sports … also offered by Arizona, Arizona State, Houston, Minnesota and Nebraska.

Chase Behrndt, OL, 6-4, 295, Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette Pronounced Parent with a B … played for Coach Boyd Mannes at Lafayette High … played guard, , defensive tackle and … two-time All-State Class 6A First-Team by Missouri Media … two-time All-State Class 6A First-Team by Missouri Football Coaches’ Association … an All-State Honorable-Mention selection as a sophomore … as a senior, helped lead Lafayette to a 7-4 record and the third round of the state playoffs … as a junior, helped lead Lafayette to a 6-6 record and the third round of the state playoffs … ranked No. 45 offensive guard nationally, No. 2 offensive guard in Missouri by Scout … ranked No. 55 offensive guard nationally, No. 11 overall in Missouri by 247Sports … ranked No. 58 offensive guard nationally, No. 10 overall in Missouri and No. 163 regionally by ESPN.com … three-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Midwest Region Ranking … two-time All-American heavyweight wrestler, including advancing to the state championship round as a junior … also offered by Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Pitt, San Diego State and Syracuse. Jacob Buccigrossi, OL, 6-4, 295, Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills HS Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2016 … three-year starter for Coach Pat Carey at North Hills High … played one game in 2015 before suffering a season-ending injury … Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Preseason Fabulous 22 (2015) … WPIAL All-Northern Eight Conference First Team (2014) … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-East Region Ranking … No. 3 guard in Pennsylvania, No. 8 guard regionally and No. 56 guard nationally according to Scout … No. 36 player in Pennsylvania according to 247sports … No. 25 player in Pennsylvania and No. 77 OT nationally according to ESPN … also offered by Arizona, Northwestern and Virginia.

Justin Crawford, RB, 6-1, 190, Columbus, Ga./Northwest Mississippi CC Played for Coach Jack Wright at Northwest Mississippi Community College … led Northwest to its fi rst national championship since 1992 … 2015 Spalding NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year … two-time NJCAA All-American, all-region and All-MACJC First-Team selection … two-year career totals at Northwest CC show 3,161 yards rushing, an average of 6.7 yards per rush and 30 touchdowns … had 41 receptions for 700 yards and six scores … averaged more than 20 carries per game for his career and is the school’s all-time leading rusher … averaged more than 220 all-purpose yards per game in two-year career … as a sophomore, rushed for 1,610 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per carry and 16 touchdowns, to go along with 29 receptions for 394 yards and six TD’s … rushed for a school record 338 yards and four touchdowns against Coahoma … totaled more than 200 yards rushing in three other games … MACJC Player of the Week on multiple occasions … as a freshman, totaled 1,551 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns … his 1,551 yards led the state of Mississippi and was fourth overall in JC … fi nished with 12 receptions for 306 yards … three-star recruit by 247 Sports, Rivals, Scout and ESPN … 247Sports ranks him as the No. 34 best prospect in junior college, No. 3 running back and No. 6 JC prospect in Mississippi … member of the Rivals Top 100 as their No. 34 top junior college prospect … participated in the 2014 Nike Football Training Camp … played his junior and senior seasons of high school football for Coach Jeff Battles at Hardaway High in Columbus, Ga. … took snaps as a quarterback, running back, receiver, safety and was the team’s starting during his career at Hardaway … team’s offensive player of the year as a senior, having 825 yards rushing, averaging 8.6 yards per carry and seven touchdowns … participated in track and was the Georgia High School State 5A long jump champion (22’ 19”) … basketball standout at Hardaway, averaging more than 12.0 points per game as a senior … Scout ranked him as the nation’s No. 42 best running back coming out of high school … played freshman and sophomore seasons at Gainesville High in Florida … also offered by Arkansas, Georgia, Louisville, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Florida.

Mike Daniels, CB, 5-11, 205, Miami, Fla./Globe Tech CC Played for Coach Cameron Chadwick at Globe Tech CC (NY) … named NJCAA All-American Second Team … helped lead Globe Tech to an 8-3 record as a sophomore, a No. 19 fi nal regular season ranking and an appearance in the Graphic Edge Bowl in Cedar Rapids, Iowa … played in 11 games as a sophomore, fi nishing with seven interceptions, returning them for 162 yards and two touchdowns … had 37 tackles, including 21 solo stops and one blocked kick … fi nished with a season-high 11 tackles against Lackawanna and Navy Prep … had two interceptions at Dean College, returning one for a touchdown … had two interceptions against ASA College, returning one for a touchdown … was a as a freshman, playing in four games and fi nishing with eight catches for 156 yards, averaging 19.5 yards per catch and a touchdown … played for Coach Nate Hudson at South Dade High in Miami … three-star rating by Rivals … also offered by Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Purdue. Reese Donahue, DL, 6-5, 245, Milton, W.Va./Cabell Midland HS Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2016 … two-year starter for Coach Luke Salmons at Cabell Midland High … fi rst player in West Virginia history to win the 2015 Stydahar Award (state’s top lineman) and the 2015 Huff Award (state’s best defensive player) … West Virginia All-State Class AAA Defensive Captain (2015) … two- time West Virginia All-State Class AAA First Team (2014-15) … USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA West Virginia Defensive Player of the Year (2015) … USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA West Virginia First Team (2015) … The Herald-Dispatch All-Tri-State Defensive Player of the Year (2015) … two-time The Herald-Dispatch All-Tri-State First Team (2014-15) … helped team to a 22-3 record and an appearance in the semifi nals of the 2015 state playoffs … had 167 career tackles, including 99 solo stops, 46 TFLs, 27 sacks and 31 quarterback hurries … made 97 tackles, including 53 solo tackles, in 2015 with 25 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and three forced fumbles … made eight or more tackles in eight games; had at least one TFL in 11 games … had 74 tackles with 25 tackles for loss and 16 sacks in 2014 … two-time All-Mountain State Athletic Conference First Team (2014-15) … played in the Blue-Gray All-American Bowl (2015) … MVP of Football Camp and Top Gun Camp (2014) … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Atlantic Region Ranking … No. 1 player in West Virginia according to Rivals and Scout … No. 2 player in West Virginia according to ESPN … No. 3 player in West Virginia according to 247Sports … No. 6 defensive end in the East Region according to Scout … No. 69 defensive lineman national ranking according to Scout … also offered by Cornell and Purdue.

Brendan Ferns, LB, 6-3, 220, St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville Played for Coach Brett McLean at St. Clairsville High … as a senior, led team to a 9-3 record, 4-1 conference mark and the second round of the state playoffs … strong athlete who also excelled at running back … senior stats showed 118 tackles, 10 TFLs, two sacks, fi ve pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in leading the St. Clairsville defense … offensive stats as a senior showed 1,066 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry … also recorded 27 receptions for 600 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 22.2 yards per catch … U.S. Army All-American Bowl (2016) … USA Today American Family Insurance All-USA Ohio First Team (2015) … Big 22 Player of the Year (2015) … AP All-Ohio Division IV Defensive Player of the Year (2015) … AP All-Ohio Division IV First Team (2015) … AP All-Ohio Division V First Team (2014) … AP All-Eastern Division IV District Defensive Player of the Year (2015) … AP All-Eastern Division IV District First Team (2015) … AP All-Eastern Division V District Defensive Player of the Year (2014) … AP All-Eastern Division V District First Team (2014) … captain of the Times Leader All-District Defensive unit … two-time All-Buckeye 8 Athletic League South All-Star First Team (2014-15) … ranked No. 232 on the Rivals250 … ranked No. 145 on the ESPN300 … ranked No. 106 on the Scout300 … four-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and MaxPreps … 247Sports rates him as the No. 7 best linebacker prospect in the nation and No. 6 overall prospect in Ohio … Scout rates him at No. 7 best linebacker nationally, No. 12 best prospect in the region and No. 6 best recruit in Ohio … Rivals’ recruit of No. 11 overall in the state, No. 16 nationally at linebacker and a member of the Rivals 250 club … PrepStar Top 150 … helped team to a 11-2 overall record and a 5-0 conference mark as a junior … received more than 31 collegiate scholarship offers, including Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford and Wisconsin.

Adam Hensley, LB, 6-3, 220, Centerville, Ohio/Centerville Two-year starter for Coach Rodney Roberts at Centerville Senior High … fi nished 2015 with 77 totals, including 32 solo stops, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception … made 10 or more tackles in three games, including a season-high 14 against Beavercreek … registered 57 tackles with 29 solo tackles and three sacks in 2014 … two-time AP All-Ohio Division I Honorable Mention (2014-15) … two-time AP All-Southwest Division I District First Team (2014-15) … two-time All-Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division First Team (2014-15) … TriStateFootball.com All-TSF Second Team (2015) … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Midwest Region Ranking … No. 34 player in Ohio and No. 47 outside linebacker nationally according to Rivals … No. 3 inside linebacker in Ohio, No. 8 inside linebacker regionally and No. 41 inside linebacker nationally according to Scout … No. 60 player in Ohio and No. 55 inside linebacker nationally according to 247Sports … No. 49 player in Ohio and No. 41 inside linebacker nationally according to ESPN … also offered by Connecticut, Illinois and Northwestern. Jake Long, CB, 6-0, 180, Columbus, Ohio/Hamilton Township Played one season for Coach Nathan Hillerich at Hamilton Township High … helped team to an 8-3 record and a berth in the state playoffs … made 28 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 2015 … played in the 2016 Semper Fidelis All-American Game … AP All-Ohio Division III First Team (2015) … AP All-Central Division III District Defensive Player of the Year (2015) … AP All-Central Division III District First Team (2015) … All-Mid-State League First Team (2015) … previously played at Paul Blazer High (Ashland, Ky.) … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Midwest Region Ranking … No. 46 player in Ohio and No. 65 cornerback nationally according to Rivals … No. 6 cornerback in Ohio and No. 18 cornerback regionally according to Scout … No. 74 player in Ohio according to 247Sports … No. 55 player in Ohio and No. 88 cornerback nationally according to ESPN … also offered by Purdue and Virginia.

Sean Mahone, CB, 5-10, 200, Liberty Township, Ohio/Lakota West Two-year starter for Coach Larry Cox at Lakota West High … made 43 tackles with two interceptions and two pass breakups in 2015 … fi nished the 2014 season with 51 tackles and three interceptions … played in the 2016 Semper Fidelis All-American Game … AP All-Ohio Division I Honorable Mention (2015) … AP All-Southwest Division I District First Team (2015) … AP All-Southwest Division I District Honorable Mention (2014) … two-time All-Greater Miami Conference First Team (2014-15) … All-Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association Division I First Team (2015) … Cincinnati Enquirer Division I Fall All-Star (2015) … Cincinnati Enquirer Division I Fall All-Star Honorable Mention (2014) … Journal-News All-Area First Team (2015) … Journal-News All-Area Second Team (2015) … TriStateFootball.com All-TSF Second Team (2015) … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Midwest Region Ranking … No. 39 player in Ohio and No. 61 cornerback nationally according to Rivals … No. 3 cornerback in Ohio, No. 7 cornerback regionally and No. 61 cornerback nationally according to Scout … No. 43 player in Ohio and No. 91 cornerback nationally according to 247Sports … No. 66 player in Ohio according to ESPN … also offered by Cincinnati, Kentucky, Marshall, Northwestern, Purdue and Virginia.

Kennedy McKoy, RB, 6-2, 195, Clemmons, N.C./North Davidson HS Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2016 … three-year starter for Coach Mark Holcomb at North Davidson High … three-time Winston-Salem Journal All-Northwest Team (2013-15) … Davidson County Offensive Player of the Year (2014) … helped team to a 33-7 record from 2013-15 and the state quarterfi nals in 2015 … rushed for 1,871 yards and 24 touchdowns on 310 attempts in 2015 … also had 43 receptions for 683 yards and seven touchdowns … ran for 2,061 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2014 … established school records for single-season rushing yards (2,061), career rushing yards (5,331 yards), single-season touchdowns (27) and career touchdowns … three-time All-Davidson County First Team (2013-15) … Central Piedmont Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year (2015) … three-time All-Central Piedmont Class 4A Team (2013-15) … played in the 2015 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Atlantic Region Ranking … No. 31 player in North Carolina according to Rivals … No. 10 running back in North Carolina and No. 42 running back regionally according to Scout … No. 21 player in North Carolina and No. 26 running back nationally according to 247Sports … No. 33 player in North Carolina and No. 57 running back nationally according to ESPN … also offered by Boston College, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest. Martell Pettaway, RB, 5-9, 202, Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King Played his senior season for Coach Dale Harvell at Martin Luther King High in Detroit … played in the 2016 Semper Fidelis All-American Game … led team to a 14-0 record and the state championship … team captured a 40-38 championship victory over Lowell on a last second Hail Mary pass … rushed for 1,629 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior … career saw him average more than 150 yards rushing per game … before transferring to MLK, played sophomore and junior seasons at St. Clair Shores South Lake High … rushed for more than 1,300 yards as a junior with 15 touchdowns, averaging 8.6 yards per carry with a long run of 80 yards … as a sophomore, rushed for more than 1,400 yards with 14 scores and a long run of 96 yards … three-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports … ranked No. 8 best prospect in the state, No. 30 in the region and No. 19 overall at his position by ESPN … 247Sports ranks him No. 26 overall at running back and No. 14 best prospect in Michigan … Rivals rank is No. 17 nationally at position and No. 12 overall best prospect in the state … No. 1 running back in Michigan, No. 11 running back in the Midwest Region and No. 46 running back nationally according to Scout … PrepStar All-Midwest Region Ranking … also offered by Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota.

Jeffery Pooler, DL, 6-4, 290, Dayton, Ohio/Dunbar HS Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2016 ... played for Coach Darren Powell at Dunbar High … AP All-Ohio Division IV Honorable Mention (2015) … fi rst Team Division III-IV All-Area Team (2015) … Southwest Ohio - American Defensive Player of the Year (2015) … second Team All-Greater Catholic League (2014) … Scout Southwest Ohio Super 25 Team … as a senior, he fi nished with 82 tackles, including eight sacks, fi ve forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries … as a junior, he registered 67 tackles, including two sacks and two forced fumbles … three-star recruit according to ESPN and PrepStar … two-star recruit according to Rivals and Scout … PrepStar All-Midwest Region Ranking … No. 77 player in Ohio according to 247sports … No. 67 player in Ohio and No. 96 defensive tackle nationally according to ESPN … also offered by Louisville, Maryland and Tennessee.

Zach Sandwisch, LB, 6-2, 210, Woodville, Ohio/Central Catholic Two-year starter for Coach Greg Dempsey at Central Catholic High … helped team to a 12-3 record in 2015 and a trip to the state championship … USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA Ohio Second Team (2015) … AP All-Ohio Division III Defensive Player of the Year (2015) … AP All-Ohio Division III First Team (2015) … AP All-Northwest District Division III Defensive Player of the Year (2015) … AP All-Northwest District Division III First Team (2015) … all-Three Rivers Athletic Conference First Team (2015) … all-Three Rivers Athletic Conference Honorable Mention (2014) … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Midwest Region Ranking … No. 28 player in Ohio and No. 25 inside linebacker nationally according to Rivals … No. 2 inside linebacker in Ohio, No. 6 inside linebacker regionally and No. 29 inside linebacker nationally according to Scout … No. 30 player in Ohio and No. 48 inside linebacker nationally according to 247Sports … No. 54 player in Ohio and No. 79 inside linebacker nationally according to ESPN … also offered by Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. Cody Saunders, QB, 6-2, 205, Panama City Beach, Fla./Arnold HS Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2015 … three-year starter for Coach Josh Wright at Arnold High … Florida All-State Class 5A Honorable Mention (2015) … fi nished high school career with 4,753 passing yards, completing 345-of-601 passes with 37 touchdowns … also rushed for 2,230 yards on 345 carries with 24 touchdowns … completed 165-of-259 passes for 2,005 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2015 … only quarterback in Florida with 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a season … rushed for 1,003 yards on 165 carries with 13 touchdowns … had one game with more than 300 yards passing, four games with more than 200 yards passing and six games with more than 100 yards rushing … rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the season-opener against Florida State University HS … went 20-of-25 for 301 passing yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 182 yards and four touchdowns against Fort Walton Beach HS … threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-28 passing against Milton HS … starting quarterback in the 2015 FACA North/South Florida All-Star Game … FloridaHSFootball.com All-Panhandle Honorable Mention (2014) … PrepStar All-Southeast Region … four-star recruit according to ESPN and PrepStar … three-star recruit according to Scout and 247Sports … No. 16 quarterback nationally according to ESPN … No. 6 quarterback in Florida, No. 17 quarterback in the South Region and No. 54 quarterback nationally by Scout … also offered by South Florida

Josh Sills, OL, 6-6, 315, Byesville, Ohio/Meadowbrook Two-year starter for Coach Jeff Twiddy at Meadowbrook High … helped team to a 9-2 record in 2015 and a berth in the state playoffs … paved the way for the offense to average 36.3 points per game, 222.3 passing yards per game, 160.9 rushing yards per game and 27 rushing touchdowns in 2015 … also handled kicking and punting duties, averaging 41.9 yards per punt ... connected on two-of-two fi eld goal attempts with a long of 43 yards and had 18 touchbacks on kickoffs ... set the season extra point record with 27 and also the career mark with 69 made ... AP All-Ohio Division IV First Team (2015) … AP All-Ohio Division IV Honorable Mention (2014) … selected to play in the North-South All-Star Game (2016) … two-time AP All-East Division IV District First Team (2014-15) … East Central Ohio League Gray Division Offensive Lineman of the Year (2015) … two-time All-East Central Ohio League Gray Division First Team (2014-15) … East Central Ohio League Gray Division Defensive Lineman of the Year (2014) … three-star according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-Midwest Region Ranking … No. 32 player in Ohio and No. 35 guard nationally according to Rivals … No. 4 guard in Ohio, No. 18 guard regionally and No. 72 guard nationally according to Scout … No. 54 player in Ohio and No. 59 guard nationally according to 247Sports … No. 34 player in Ohio, No. 69 guard nationally and No. 97 player regionally according to ESPN … also offered by Cincinnati and Michigan.

Marcus Simms, WR, 6-1, 175, Olney, Md./Sherwood HS Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2016 … two-year starter and team captain for Coach Chris Grier at Sherwood High … Maryland Consensus All-State First Team (2015) … Maryland Big School All-State First Team (2015) … Maryland Big School All-State Honorable Mention (2014) … USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA Maryland Second Team (2015) … helped team to a 10-2 record in 2015, falling in the state quarterfi nals … recorded 43 receptions for 1,020 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2015 … hauled in 36 receptions for 712 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014 … The Washington Post All-Met First Team (2015) … Montgomery County Class 4A Player of the Year (2015) … all-Montgomery County First Team (2015) … four-star recruit according to ESPN and PrepStar … three-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout and 247Sports … PrepStar All-Atlantic Region Ranking … No. 23 player in Maryland according to Rivals … No. 4 wide receiver in Maryland; No. 11 wide receiver regionally and No. 88 nationally according to Scout … No. 15 player in Maryland; No. 77 wide receiver nationally according to 247Sports … No. 12 player in Maryland; No. 45 player regionally; No. 77 wide receiver nationally according to ESPN … also offered by Boston College, Maryland, Pitt, Rutgers and Wake Forest. Craig Smith, OL, 6-6, 310, Palm Royal, Fla./Tyler Junior College Played for Coach Danny Palmer at Tyler JC (Tyler, Texas) … named NJCAA All-American First Team … helped lead Tyler to a 7-3 record, the semifi nals of the conference tournament and a fi nal ranking of No. 16 … member of the offensive line that blocked for Tyler to average 47.8 points per game, No. 5 nationally and 534.5 yards per game, No. 3 … selected All-Southwest Junior All-Conference First Team … earned All-Region XIV honors as a sophomore … played for Coach Rob Baumgarn at Ridgewater College (Minn.) as a freshman … all-Minnesota College Athletic Conference All-Division First Team … played for Coach Willie Bueno at Royal Palm Beach High … earned all-county second-team honors as a senior … played in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game … selected to play in the Palm Beach County Treasure Coast All-Star Game … ESPN’s top recruits West Palm Beach … played in Palm Beach All-Stars vs. Atlanta All-Stars … No. 14 rated offensive tackle by 247Sports … three-star rating by 247Sports … two-star rating by Rivals … also offered by Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, UAB, UCF and USF.

Steven Smothers, WR, 5-11, 150, Reisterstown, Md./Franklin Played for Coach Anthony Burgos at Franklin High … two-time Maryland Consensus All-State First Team (2014-15) … two-time Maryland Big School All-State First Team (2014-15) … selected for Under Armour All-Star Game … three-time All-Baltimore Metro First Team … helped team to a 10-2 record as a senior and advance to the regional fi nals of the state playoffs … triple threat as a receiver, returner and rusher … fi nished career with more than 2,700 yards receiving, 44 touchdowns receiving, 65 total touchdowns and 20.3 yards per catch … registered 1,164 all-purpose yards as a senior … also rushed for 192 yards and three scores in fi nal season … senior season totaled 556 yards receiving, 15 touchdowns receiving, averaged 17.4 yards per catch and had 19 total touchdowns … MaxPreps named him the Franklin Player of the Year … prior to senior season, had three-year statistical totals of 2,190 yards and 46 touchdowns … junior season totals showed 696 yards receiving, 143 rushing, 437 returns yards and 22 total touchdowns … four-year career all-purpose totals stand at 987 yards as a freshman, 1,816 as a sophomore, 1,440 as a junior and 1,164 yards in his fi nal season … for his career, averaged 23.1 yards on punt returns and 21.5 yards on kickoff returns … four-star recruit by Rivals and member of its 250 group … Scout ranks him as the No. 27 best wide receiver prospect nationally, No. 3 receiver in the East and No. 1 receiver in state of Maryland … MaxPreps ranks him as No. 30 best recruit in Maryland … PrepStar All-American … also excelled in track … also offered by Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee.

Jovanni Stewart, S, 5-10, 190, Katy, Texas/Katy Three-year starter for Coach Gary Joseph at Katy High … helped lead Katy to a 16-0 record and eighth straight 6A DII state title … team was ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps and USA Today computer rankings … part of a defense that allowed 3.9 points per game for the season … as a senior, he fi nished with 101 tackles, 10 sacks, eight forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three blocked kicks, 10 pass breakups and scored fi ve touchdowns … two-time All-District 19-6A selection … two-star rating by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports … also offered by Air Force, Army, Navy, UTSA and UTEP. Logan Thimons, LB, 6-2, 220, Sarver, Pa./Freeport Area Senior HS Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2016 … three-year starter for Coach John Gaillot at Freeport Area Senior High … Pennsylvania Class 2A All-State First Team (2015) … Pennsylvania Football News Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year … Pennsylvania Football News Class 2A All-State First Team (2015) … USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA Pennsylvania First Team (2015) … helped team to a 10-2 record in 2015 and the WPIAL quarterfi nals … had 401 career tackles, including 204 solo stops, 77 TFLs, 23 sacks and 13 forced fumbles … set the single-season record for tackles (161), TFLs (33) and sacks (15.5) in 2015 … made 10 or more tackles in 10 games, including 24 tackles and fi ve TFLs vs. West Shamokin (9/25) … had 122 tackles with 24 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2014 … registered 97 tackles with 20 tackles for loss and one sack in 2013 … Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrifi c 25 (2015) … Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 (2015) … Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Preseason Fabulous 22 (2015) … three-time WPIAL All-Allegheny Conference First Team (2013-15) … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar All-East Region Ranking … No. 28 player in Pennsylvania according to Rivals … No. 1 inside linebacker in Pennsylvania, No. 4 inside linebacker regionally and No. 24 inside linebacker nationally according to Scout … No. 34 player in Pennsylvania according to 247Sports … No. 40 player in Pennsylvania according to ESPN.

Dylan Tonkery, S, 6-0, 195, Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport HS Enrolled at West Virginia in January 2016 … three-year starter for Coach Josh Nicewarmer at Bridgeport High … two-time West Virginia All-State Class AA First Team (2014-15) … USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA West Virginia First Team (2015) … helped team to three state championships and a 39-2-1 record … started three years at safety and recorded 72 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and two interceptions … had 34 tackles with fi ve tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in 2015 … started at running back for two seasons, recording 3,401 yards on 378 carries with 40 touchdowns … ran for 1,534 yards on 152 carries, averaging 10.1 yards per carry, with 19 touchdowns in 2015 … ran for 200 or more yards in two games and 100 or more yards in eight games … two-time All-Harrison County First Team (2014-15) … all-Harrison County Second Team (2013) … all-Big Ten First Team (2015) … all-Big Ten Second Team (2014) … three-star recruit according to Scout … two-star rating by PrepStar … PrepStar All-Atlantic Region Ranking … No. 2 player in West Virginia according to Rivals … No. 4 player in West Virginia according to 247Sports and ESPN … No. 1 safety in West Virginia, No. 8 safety in the East Region and No. 46 safety nationally according to Scout … Brother of former Mountaineer defensive standout, Wes Tonkery (2011-14).

Trevon Wesco, TE, 6-5, 260, Gerrardstown, W.Va./Lackawanna College Played two seasons for Coach Mark Duda at Lackawanna College … missed the 2015 season due to injury … fi nished the 2014 season with fi ve receptions for 47 yards … an all-state football and basketball player at Musselman High … three-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, 247Sports and PrepStar … two-star recruit according to Scout … PrepStar Junior College All-American … No. 46 junior college player according to Rivals … No. 3 junior college tight end nationally according to ESPN … No. 7 junior college tight end nationally according to 247Sports … also offered by UCF.

Kyzir White, DB, 6-2, 210, Macungie, Pa./Lackawanna College Played two seasons for Coach Mark Duda at Lackawanna College … helped team to an 8-2 record in 2015 … fi nished the 2015 season with 37 tackles, two tackles for loss, four breakups, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries … made 34 tackles in 2014, adding two pass breakups, 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception … 2015 All-Northeast Football Conference First Team … 2014 All-Northeast Football Conference Third Team … previously played for Randy Cuthbert as a senior at Emmaus High and Coach Joe Bottiglieri his previous three years … four-star recruit according to ESPN, Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and PrepStar … PrepStar Junior College All-American … No. 19 junior college player according to Rivals … No. 20 on the ESPN JC50 … No. 27 junior college prospect according to Scout … No. 1 junior college safety national- ly according to ESPN … No. 12 junior college player nationally, No. 1 junior college safety nationally and No. 1 junior college Pennsylvania player according to 247Sports … also offered by Arizona, Arizona State, Illinois, Louisville, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pitt and USC … brother of former WVU All-American wide receiver Kevin White and current WVU wide receiver Ka’Raun White. Jonn Young, K, 6-0, 200, Advance, N.C./Davie Punter/kicker for Coach Holeman DeVore at Davie High … for his career, he hit 10-of-13 fi eld goal attempts and 64-of-73 extra point attempts, scoring 94 points … fi ve-star rating by Kohl’s Kicking Academy as a kicker … 4.5-star rating by Kohl’s Kicking Academy as a punter … fi ve-star rating by Kornblue Kicking … fi ve-star rating by Chris Sailer Kicking Academy … Kornblue Kicking “Fab 50” … Chris Sailer’s "TOP 12" … hit 5-of-5 fi eld goal attempts and 33-of-37 extra point attempts as a junior … 2013 NC Nike Fall Camp Champion … 2013 NC Nike Fall Camp Kickoff Champion … 2014 Vegas Spring Event Punt Finalist … 2014 Vegas Spring Event Field Goal Finalist … 2014 Underclassmen Event Field Goal Champion … 2014 FBU Ohio Punt Champion … 2014 FBU Ohio Camp MVP … 2015 Vegas XXVI Punt Finalist … 2016 Vegas XXVII Overall Punt Champion … Prepstar All-Atlantic Region Ranking … No. 1 kicker in North Carolina, No. 4 kicker in South Region and No. 7 kicker nationally according to Scout … No. 13 kicker nationally and No. 63 overall by 247Sports … No. 35 kicker nationally and No. 46 overall in North Carolina by ESPN.com … three-star rating by ESPN, Scout, 247Sports and Prepstar … two-star rating by Rivals. 2016 West Virginia Football Preferred Walk-ons

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/Last School Matt Bezjak TE 6-5 215 Loveland, Ohio/Loveland Mitch Chugunov WR 6-0 172 Skillman, N.J./Montgomery Elijah Drummond FB 6-1 215 Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport Nathan Green TE 6-6 240 Wellsburg, W.Va./Brooke Kyle Poland LS 6-1 215 Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Kody Shearer S 5-11 165 Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Evan Stire K 5-11 178 Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Carter Walburn LB 6-1 180 Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg Conner Watts WR 5-11 200 Hurricane, W.Va./Hurricane

Matt Bezjak, TE, 6-5, 215, Loveland, Ohio/Loveland Played for Coach Fred Cranford at Loveland HS ... two-year starter and three-year letterwinner ... all-Eastern Cincinnati Conference Honorable Mention ... fi nished with 10 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown Mitch Chugunov, WR, 6-0, 172, Skillman, N.J./Montgomery Played for Coach Zoran Milich at Montgomery HS ... as a senior, saw action in seven games, fi nishing with 49 catches for 638 yards and three touchdowns ... also had three carries for 31 yards with a long of 18 yards for his career, he fi nished with 133 catches for 1,786 yards and 15 touchdowns ... all-Conference First Team wide receiver ... brother, Chris, is a quarterback on the current West Virginia football team Elijah Drummond, FB, 6-1, 215, Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport Played for Coach Josh Nicewarner at Bridgeport HS ... named All-State 2A First Team linebacker by West Virginia Sportswriters Association ... helped team to three state championships and a 39-2-1 record ... as a senior, played in 14 games, fi nishing with 37 carries for 323 yards and six touchdowns ... had 77 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception Nathan Green, TE, 6-6, 240, Wellsburg, W.Va./Brooke Played for Coach Mac McLean at Brooke HS ... named All-State 3A Special Honorable Mention ... earned all-Conference honors (DE) ... helped Brooke fi nish 9-4 and advance to the third round of state playoffs Kyle Poland, LS, 6-1, 215, Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Played for Coach John Bowers at Morgantown HS ... started all 11 games at center and long snapper ... helped Morgantown to a 10-3 record, the Two River Conference Championship and the fi rst round of the state playoffs Kody Shearer, S, 5-11, 165, Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Played for Coach John Bowers at Morgantown HS ... named All-Conference Second Team ... had two intercep- tions, seven pass breakups and three fumble recoveries as a senior ... fi nished with 16 catches for 402 yards and seven touchdowns ... used as a cornerback and wide receiver ... named All-State 3A Second Team (DB) ... all-Two Rivers Conference Second Team Selection ... brother, Dan, lettered in football at WVU in 1987-88 Evan Stire, K, 5-11, 178, Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown Played for Coach John Bowers at Morgantown HS ... connected on all four fi eld goal attempts and 32-of-37 extra-point attempts ... helped Morgantown to a 10-3 record, the Two River Conference Championship and the fi rst round of the state playoffs ... four-star kicker rating by KCKicking ... starting goalkeeper on Morgantown soccer team; won two state championships Carter Walburn, LB, 6-2, 215, Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg Played for Coach David Walker at Martinsburg HS ... two-year starter at linebacker and quarterback ... injured during preseason and had to sit out the season ... named All-State 3A Special Honorable Mention ... as a junior, earned All-Conference First-Team honors, all-county fi rst team, all-district fi rst team, all-region fi rst team Conner Watts, WR, 5-11, 200, Hurricane, W.Va./Hurricane Played for Coach Jeremy Taylor at Hurricane HS ... played running back, wide receiver and defensive back ... named All-State 3A Honorable Mention in 2014 and 2015 ... earned 2015 All-Mountain State Athletic Conference First-Team honors ... had more than 1,100 offensive yards in 2015, despite missing games due to ankle injury Coach Dana Holgorsen Media Conference February 3, 2016

National Signing Day

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (February 3, 2016) - Coach Dana Holgorsen addressed members of the media on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.

Opening Statement We had a successful day today. I know everyone across the country is probably saying the same thing. For the first time since I have been, there wasn’t any surprises. Usually, there are a handful of surprises. I was pretty excited by the job that our staff did. Led by (director of player personnel) Ryan Dorchester in the back. How you doing Cleveland? He’s from Cleveland. He likes Cleveland quite a bit, so he has a new nickname. (Director of Player Personnel) Ryan (Dorchester) has done a great job. He has been with me for my entire time here. This was the smoothest it has ever been. Is this our seventh signing day? It is our sixth signing day. It went very smooth. I was very proud of (director of player personnel) Ryan (Dorchester) and the job that he’s done. (Recruiting coordinator) Casey Smithson, our recruiting coordinator, had a big hand in this as well. Obviously, the nine full-time coaches too. Seven of them have been here for a quite a while, and then the two new guys hit the ground running for the month of January. They were a big help as well. The staff did a great job.

I also want to commend our players. The one thing about recruiting that you all don’t get to see is the job that our players do on campus. When we bring all these guys here, our players play a big role in helping recruit these guys. Two weekends ago was the 30 inches of snow. We were in this building for eight hours on Friday night, and then we were in the building for about 12 hours on Saturday. We really couldn’t go anywhere else. Olivero’s opened on Saturday night, so we were able to go over there and eat. A lot of them were sitting in here watching Mountaineer basketball or eating pizza. Our players were around the guys the whole time, and we signed every one of those recruits that were in town last weekend. Then we had another seven or eight guys this past weekend that we needed to close with. Again, our players did a great job of selling our program. I think that goes to show the place that the program is in and the excitement level that the current players have toward the program and the staff here. They really did a great job of closing, and I am pretty excited about the class overall.

Eighteen of the guys signed today. There are nine guys who are currently enrolled. I wish that they were able to have their own little signing day, but the way that the signing periods are laid out, they don’t get an early signing day. I think that they should make an early signing day for high school guys. They should be allowed to sign with the mid-term junior college guys on the third Wednesday of December. At that point, they are going to know where they are at. They are going to know where they are going, so those nine could have signed. Then you can open it up to guys that have been committed for well over two years. They know where they are going to, so I wish that those guys were able to sign in December as well. It would have saved them a lot of hassle, and it would have saved us some money. I don’t make those decisions. The NCAA and the administrators do. Currently, there are nine guys on campus. You all know who those guys are. They are all doing well, and they are adjusting well. We haven’t been around them too much. They have been in the academic and strength and conditioning world.

We will start our offseason training on Monday. We will be around all the guys for about five weeks. We will be around the new guys and old guys for about five weeks, prior to spring ball. That’s when we will get a better feel for how those guys are doing. In the meantime, those other 18 guys signed today. From top to bottom, I think we filled a lot of needs.

Offensively, we had to replace Wendell (Smallwood). We had to replace Cody Clay. We had to replace Marquis Lucas. We had to replace Jordan Thompson. Those were the four contributors that we lost. Other than that, everyone is back. We have some good quality kids who are coming back, and they are going to take a shot at being able to fulfill those roles. If you look at (running back) Justin Crawford from Northwest Mississippi, he has a lot of Wendell (Smallwood) qualities from a versatility point of view. He has great vision. He can hit the hole quick. He can make people miss, and he is a good receiver as well. (Wide receiver) Steven Smothers signed today. He has a lot of start/stop qualities. He is a bigger version of Tavon (Austin) coming out of high school. There has been a lot of comparisons and a lot of similarities between the two. They have known each other for a long time, and Tavon (Austin) is a big reason why Steven (Smothers) came here. He has a lot of start/stop qualities. He has a fantastic returner, and we have a need for a guy like that. (Tight end) Trevon Wesco, a tight end from Lackawanna College, will give us a bigger body, where we can continue to do some of the 11 personnel stuff that we have done. (Offensive lineman) Craig Smith is a big tackle from Tyler, Texas. He is originally out of the Miami/Palm Beach area. We had to recruit seasoned guys like that that could fill some of those roles on offense

There are a lot more holes on defense. When we lose as many as the old guys who we lost, you have to fill those roles. We didn’t lose a whole lot at d-line. We didn’t have to go out and recruit a whole bunch. Even though we lost five, we have a lot of experienced guys coming back at the linebacker position. We lost five, but we still have guys who have experience. We loaded up on four quality high school players at that spot. Obviously, (linebacker) Brendan Ferns was a big one for us. He is a little bit of a legacy kid, but he had a lot of options. He could of went virtually anywhere he wanted to. He decided to spend the next four years with his brother and the Mountaineer family. The secondary is probably the biggest need on defense. You lose Karl (Joseph). You lose KJ (Dillon). You lose Daryl (Worley). You lose Terrell (Chestnut).

We have a lot of young guys that are in the program. We have been down the road of having to play freshmen in the Big 12, and it didn’t work out very well. That was probably where we attacked the junior the most. It was headlined by (safety) Kzyir White. I am very familiar with him, and he is very familiar with us. I don’t have to go into that. With that said, he could have went anywhere in the country. He is 6-foot-2. He is 210-pounds. He is a fierce hitter. He can cover ground. He is fast, and he is always around the ball. He will have a pretty good opportunity to step in and do what KJ (Dillon) has done for us the last four years. (Safety) Toyous Avery and (safety) Jovanni Stewart are a couple of other guys who are around the ball a lot. They have made a ton of plays. Then there is the corner situation. We have a couple of seniors coming, but you need about four of them to be able to play. If you look at the bowl game, we were out there with our fourth, fifth and sixth corners. You need a bunch of people there who can play. We have a bunch of guys coming back with some experience, but we added two junior college guys. (Cornerback) Mike Daniels and (cornerback) Elijah Battle is going to be good for us.

All those junior college guys should be here around May 16th, and then we will be able to work with them all summer. The high school guys will be here around June 8th, potentially into July. Overall, it was a really good day. We recruited them from 12 different states, and I think that is important to point out. It was a lot of regional guys. It was probably the most regional we have been in quite some time. We have seven from Ohio, four from Pennsylvania, three from Maryland, two from West Virginia and one from New York. There also was a couple from down south. That is more regional. I think that is another good thing to point out as well. Overall, I thought our staff did a great job. I will take some questions.

On how much signing day is an educated guess compared to actually evaluating the recruits on paper It’s still a very educated guess for us. That’s just so hard to answer, because you are probably going to set the kid up for failure. We know what our needs are, and we are going to address those needs with specific recruits either by volume or junior college. That doesn’t mean that the guys on your team are not ready to step into those roles. If those guys step into those roles, then you need to add more people for depth. Our depth has been good. (Director of player personnel) Coach (Ryan) Dorchester has done a fantastic job as the player personnel guy. He has done a great job at getting the depth to where it needs to be. At this point, I’m happy with where we are at. We have the room to maybe add a couple more if we can identify a couple of guys out there who can help. We may have to lose a guy or two in order to have the amount of numbers that we have to be able to add. That tells you that you are in a good spot. You can only go to 85. It’s a guess. You just try to get as many bodies stacked on top of each other. You let them compete their tail off. Competition within your group is what makes you better, and I think we are at that place.

On the expectations of recruiting legacies like linebacker Brendan Ferns and safety Kyzir White Expectations are fine. You are around them a bunch, and you get to know them pretty well. You take for granted the fact that they have options. We did not take for granted that either one of these kids had options to go wherever they wanted. We recruited those two guys harder than anybody we signed. The truth of the matter is that those guys had a lot of good opportunities and options elsewhere. We battled, and we recruited hard. We were fortunate to get both of those guys. I think the difficult thing about it is that you are around them so much, and you know them so well. You may take for granted the fact that you know them so well, and you don’t recruit them as hard as you need to. I don’t think that happened with either one.

On if his needs changed when Daryl Worley and left for the NFL It did. We were counting on those two guys to come back and play a big role for us. They have played a lot for us. They have been three-year starters for us. We got a lot of those guys. I wish they changed that rule. Nobody gives a crap on what I think about it. I wish they would change it to where those guys have to finish what they started. The degree aspect of it is the most important thing. If a guy gets his degree, starts for three years and has a year of eligibility left, then congratulations son, you accomplished what you wanted to accomplish when you came to school here. If a guy exhausts his eligibility, hasn’t graduated yet and wants to be a professional, then fine by me. I think that’s the point where they can go do that. Like I said, nobody cares what I think, but that’s what I think should’ve happened with those guys. Nonetheless, I will support them. I will follow them, and I wish them all the best. I hope things work out great, but we had to go out and find another back.

Last year, we were pretty fortunate when those two guys stayed healthy the whole year. We didn’t really have to get to three as much as we did the year before. We got to No. 5 a lot. You have to have some bodies there, and we need someone to take the place of Wendell (Smallwood). They have to have that kind of a year, because I think that the opportunity will be there. When you have your o-linemen coming back and all your wideouts can stretch the field, there are going to be opportunities for yards. I think (redshirt junior running back) Rushel Shell is going to step up into a role and carry the ball more. By signing (running back Justin) Crawford, that put us in a pretty good place. The corner is the same way. We were targeting one from junior college, and then when Daryl (Worley) left we had to target another one. You don’t want to line up a freshman. We have a bunch of freshmen at that spot right now.

On how big of advantage it is to recruit guys from West Virginia You just contradicted yourself there. It’s hard to recruit in state when there is not a whole lot. When there is, we would certainly love the opportunity to be able to do that. We have two which is probably above the norm. We have (safety Dylan) Tonkery and (defensive lineman Reese) Donahue. They are two quality West Virginia kids who are very deserving at being at West Virginia University and playing in the Big 12. I wish there were more, but there aren’t. They are good quality guys. Along those same lines, we have a good walk-on program here. We are actively pursuing guys to walk-on. We have three from Morgantown High. Kody Shearer is a good ball player. I’m starting to get to know these guys a good bit, because my son is over there. I am able to go over there and watch games and be around the kids. Obviously, that couldn’t happen in the past. Nathan Green from Brooke High is a good football player. I saw Brooke and Morgantown High play earlier in the year. He is a good football, so he is coming. Then there are four or five guys who are committed to coming to West Virginia. They are going to try and earn their way. Justin Arndt is a prime example of that working out for him. Darren Arndt is another guy. He is a prime example. He played in West Virginia. They both came in and did everything the way that they were supposed to, and those guys ended up being on scholarship and being contributors to this team. I think that is going to continue to cultivate itself. We have to make decisions from a scholarship point of view out of school, and we have to do the same thing once they are on our team.

On if and linebacker Brendan Ferns are similar I think so. From a body type, they are. (Linebacker Brendan) Ferns is probably more athletic than Kwit (Nick Kwiatkoski) coming out of high school. He is pretty athletic. Kwit (Nick Kwiatkoski) turned into an unbelievably solid, tough-nose football player. That’s what he turned in to. When I got here, Kwit (Nick Kwiatkoski) was committed, so I didn’t study him as much as I did (linebacker Brendan) Ferns. (Linebacker Brendan) Ferns is athletic now. That guy does everything. He plays offense. He plays defense. He throws it, and he catches it. He runs it. He tackles people. That is impressive, but the body type is very similar. (Safety) Kyzir (White) is very similar to (KJ) Dillon. When KJ (Dillon) started as a freshman, he was a 170-pounds. He turned into a 6-foot-1, 210-pound guy who you currently see. (Safety) Kyzir (White) is 6-foot-1, 210-pounds. He is maybe even bigger than that. He is game ready now, where it took KJ (Dillon) a couple years to get there.

On if tight end Trevon Wesco is someone they can target downfield Not at 280-pounds. That guy is huge right now. He is big. He hasn’t played. He didn’t play this past year, so he is bigger. He is athletic. I think (coach Bob Huggins) Hugs recruited him when for a while when he was young. I’m serious. He was a really good, athletic basketball player. He grew into a more of a football player. The more they grow this way instead of this way, it switches from basketball recruits to football recruits. He had a heck of a freshman year, and unfortunately, he was dealt with a knee injury. He didn’t get to play this year, so he gained some weight. He is about to be cleared. By the time August rolls around, you are going to be looking at a 6-foot-5, 250-pound athlete. He will be able to move. Everyone always says ‘why don’t you throw it to the tight end?’ Well if you watch Cody Clay run a dang corner route, you wouldn’t throw it to him either. We have tried. It took him three days to get there, but the closer you get to the goal line, the shorter the route is. That’s when we threw the ball to Cody (Clay). We would love to be able to keep the tight end in there and do some things down field. I have studied what the are doing right now, and although we don’t have superman at quarterback, that tight end does a lot of good things. He really is a good player, and I love to have a guy who can do stuff like that. It’s a tough thing to go find.

On what he thinks of high school running backs Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway (Running back Kennedy) McKoy is here now. He is probably taller. He is probably 6-foot-1, 200- pounds. I don’t trust anything (director of football communications Mike) Montoro puts together over here. I don’t know where you find this stuff. Although, it is probably 100 percent accurate. He is longer, and he is very versatile. You can do some very different things with him. He has some Wendell (Smallwood) qualities as far as being able to run and catch. He has good shake which is good. (Running back Martell) Pettaway is a shorter, shiftier front-line guy. They are both good football players, and I think we will probably end of needing both of them.

On the cornerback situation and two JUCO players coming in Hopefully, a lot of competition. We are in good shape right now. (Redshirt junior cornerback) looks great. The longer the season went on, the better he played. I anticipate him being a guy. (Senior cornerback) Antonio Crawford gaining eligible was great, and he is as good as a corner that I have seen. (Redshirt junior cornerback) Nana Kyeremeh has been here for a long time, and he knows what to do. He is good. After that, you are looking at a whole bunch of young kids. I am not saying that any of these freshmen can’t come in play. (Cornerback) Jake Long can run. The cornerback (Sean) Mahone can really strike you. Those guys need to come in and compete. That gives you depth, and it gives you guys on top of each other. You are going to go through some corners in the Big 12. We average four to five corners in a game, whether it’s a series here or a series there. They even play on special teams as well.

On if he has an idea of where he wants the four linebackers to play right now You really don’t know. (Linebacker Logan) Thimons looks like a middle linebacker. (Linebacker Zach) Sandwisch looks like a sam. (Linebacker Adam) Hensley looks like a will. (Linebacker Brendan) Ferns looks like anything. It doesn’t matter. (Assistant coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers Tony Gibson) Gibby will look at those guys and evaluate them. You want a bigger, thicker guy at sam. Then you want a shiftier, smaller guy at will. You can move those guys around. Kwik (Nick Kwiatkoski) played both a lot. When was here, he played all three. He played damn near every game. You can move those guys around.

On what he thinks about quarterback Cody Saunders He is athletic. He is 6-foot-2, 205-pounds. When you look at him, he doesn’t look it, but he is. He has a live arm. He is nervous as hell right now. He doesn’t know anything. I haven’t had any time to work with him. He has good athleticism. He is bright eyed. He is happy to be here. It’s funny. We height and weight all our quarterbacks, and they are all right around 6-foot, 210- pounds. They are all pretty athletic. Most of them are guys who are true dual-threat guys. (Freshman quarterback Chris Chugunov) Chugs probably isn’t going to run away from anybody. He has the most live arm of all of them. It’s going to be fun. We have five healthy, competitive bodies. We will work with them. We will coach them, and we will let them develop and play. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I know one of them has an abundance amount of confidence right now based on that bowl game. He’s a senior and those other guys have their work cut out for them. It will be fun to watch.

On freshman quarterback David Sills going into camp as a wide receiver They are all at quarterback right now. I have (senior quarterback Skyler) Howard, (redshirt freshman quarterback William) Crest, (freshman quarterback David) Sills, (freshman quarterback Chris Chugunov) Chugs and (quarterback) Cody Saunders right now. Then you have Austin Hensley back there as well. They want to be in the quarterback room. The next five weeks, we get two hours of film work with them. We get very little football instruction type stuff with them. We can get out there and watch (director of strength and conditioning) Mike (Joseph) run them around with strength and conditioning. They want to be in the quarterback room, so for the next five weeks, they will be in there with me and (offensive graduate assistant) coach (Michael) Burchett. We will drill them and quiz them. We will test them and see what their knowledge is. That’s step one, and then we have 15 days of spring practice in order to drill them and take snaps. Only one of them can take a snap at a time. I would anticipate (freshman quarterback) David (Sills) and (redshirt freshman quarterback) William (Crest) to get in there as opposed to sitting on the sideline 80 percent of the time.

On how the addition of assistant coach/offensive coordinator Joe Wickline helps with recruiting down the stretch He is well verse in recruiting to say the least. He has been around for a while. He is originally from Tampa, so he knows the area down there pretty well. He knows the junior colleges as good as anyone in the country. He was a Mississippi junior college coach at one time. He was a head coach in Mississippi. He knows what he is looking for. He is a great evaluator. He can evaluate anything. He can go anywhere in the country. He has a lot connections to where he can go out and sell our brand. He is going to help us out in a lot of different ways.

On the four offensive linemen recruits I doubt we will talk about three of them for the next three years. (Offensive lineman) Craig Smith, the big kid, is an interesting story. He is a basketball guy. He is one of those 6-foot-6 basketball guys that are a dime a dozen. He gained some weight as a senior, and then he went to some junior college in Minnesota. He hated that, which was understandable. He played this past year at Tyler Junior College, which is really good football. He sat out a year, and then he played this past year at Tyler. He did a great job. He is coming into his own. He has been as big as 6-foot-6, 360-pounds. Right now, he is probably 6-foot-6, 310-pounds. He needs some weight room work, and we will get him caught up. Hopefully, he will get some stuff done at home, and then he will get a chance to compete in May, June and July. We need a tackle, and we have some options.

On how he is going to use kicker/punter John Young this year Competition. (Redshirt junior kicker) Josh (Lambert) has to get back to being the All-American guy we know he can by. (Kicker/punter) Jonn Young went out to Las Vegas and won the national punting contest a couple weeks ago. He has a big leg. He said he is striking the ball as well as he ever has. He can kickoff. We have a couple candidates on campus right now with (redshirt freshman kicker/punter) Billy Kinney and (redshirt sophomore kicker) Mike Molina. They want to have something to say about that as well. We have four good legs. You need that many over the course of the season. You just have to have a lot of competition. (Assistant coach/defense/special teams) coach (Mark) Scott will chart all that stuff out this spring and in camp. Then we will make decision on who the best one is for all three of those spots. Two of the three are open, but we have to get (redshirt junior kicker) Josh (Lambert) back to where he was. He made some good kicks this year. He had a tough year, and he overcame a lot of tough things this year. He has to get back to being that guy. That’s a Lou Groza All-American kind of guy.

West Virginia University Players and Assistant Coaches Media Session February 3, 2016

National Signing Day

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (February 3, 2016) – The West Virginia University football coaching staff met with the media on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.

Assistant coach (defensive coordinator/linebackers) Tony Gibson

On the signing of linebacker Brendan Ferns All the way up until about last Monday or Tuesday, we were in the dark. He told us he was coming last Monday, and we kept quiet about it. We have to. I can’t believe it held out as long as it did without somebody finding out and spreading the word. It was good. He’s a great kid who is focused on football, academics and trying to make himself better.

On where linebacker Brendan Ferns fits into the WVU defensive scheme at linebacker I see him lining up at outside. He’s a long, athletic and smart kid who can lineup outside and play the Sam or the Will positions. I’m really excited about that.

On the multiple additions to the WVU secondary Obviously, (safety) Kyzir (White) was a big get for us, after losing a guy like KJ Dillon. He was so important to our defense. I have said numerous times that the spur position is the most important position to what we do defensively. We had to get a guy that can come in and play right now, so we are very excited about (safety) Kyzir (White) and what he can bring to the table. We are going to start (safety) Toyous (Avery) at free safety or bandit. We are going to let him come in, compete and try to win the job. (Safety) Toyous (Avery) is very athletic. Our two junior college corners are more experienced with playing against this level of competition. I like (cornerback) Mike (Daniels) and (cornerback) Elijah (Battle). Both of those guys will do a great job. They’re athletic, big and skilled. We have some high school kids that we’re big on too. (Cornerback Jake) Long and (cornerback Sean) Mahone have stuck with us.

On the overall impression of the 2016 WVU signing class We have our overall needs, which I’m happy about. These guys were easy to recruit. There wasn’t a circus of recruiting games that some of these guys do. They held true most of the time. It’s a good group of guys, and I’m excited to get to know them.

On the signing of junior college Elijah Battle and Mike Daniels Those two guys fit what we need. We go out and target guys like them that can help us right now. It has been good with these two.

Assistant Coach (Defensive Line) Bruce Tall

On the signing of defensive lineman Jeffery Pooler He switched schools between his junior and senior years, so he knows a couple different systems. He has a good body and base. As far as what he can play, it could be inside or outside. So we will see how he develops down there in the weight room with (director of strength and conditioning) Mike Joseph and his staff.

On the signing of defensive lineman Reese Donahue We have a really good young group with (defensive lineman) Jeffery Pooler and (defensive lineman) Reese Donahue. Anytime you can get guys in here early, you will always have an extra semester than anyone else. The critical part of recruiting is to develop them. Those two guys are now in a great position to be develop.

On the development of defensive lineman Reese Donahue He’ll develop more as he gets older. He does some things that are pretty natural, and we are going to have to see how things change. Things are going to change. You’re 17 or 18 years old, and now you’re playing against 22 and 23 year olds. The strength factor will come into play. You’re going to have to account for that strength factor.

On the lengthy WVU defensive line depth chart and how it influenced recruiting Our numbers are high in that room. We try to break down the numbers in our room, and we were at the maximum in our room. We couldn’t go past that number, because we’re going to be heavily senior laden next year. There’s no question that we’ll miss Kyle (Rose) because of his production, but when we put (junior defensive lineman) Darrien (Howard) in, we didn’t miss a beat. He’s very athletic, and we’re excited about what he brings to the table.

On how a bowl game win helps recruiting I think it solidifies things. The guys get excited about it. It was amazing that as late as it was that so many people were fired up about it and watching it. I thought to myself, holy cow. I keep my watch at Eastern Time, and I thought about getting on that bus at 3:30 a.m. I thought wow, if they’re watching this then they really have to love us.

Assistant head coach (receivers) Lonnie Galloway

On wide receiver Marcus Simms (Wide receiver) Marcus Simms is a freshman who is already here. He is a talented kid out of the Maryland Area. I thought he was one of the best receivers from over in that area. Actually, I think he can come in and help us. The biggest thing for him is going to be strength. The good thing for him is that he is already here. He is about 6-foot-1, 180-pounds. He has great ball skills, and he is an ultra-fast, tough kid. We will see where he fits in.

On wide receiver Steven Smothers Obviously, (wide receiver) Steven Smothers is a highly recruited kid out of the Baltimore Area. We think he can come in and help us in the slot. He also can do some punt return and kick return stuff. His longest touchdown run this year was while in the backfield. It’s one of those things. He is a good player. In my opinion, he is probably the best player out of the state of Maryland.

On keeping a recruiting relationship over a long period of time with wide receiver Steven Smothers It is the same way with any kid. You get the relationship to where they trust you and you trust them. It’s one of those things where he knows I don’t play with him, and he doesn’t play with me. It is business. Its friendship and family all in one time, as I’m recruiting that kid. I have a ton of respect for him. He has a ton of respect for me, so does his family. I went in as myself and recruited the kid.

On how recruiting Tavon Austin helped It did help a little bit. A lot of kids these days from this area think they are him. He (wide receiver Steven Smothers) does a lot of stuff that is comparable to Tavon (Austin), but that is going to be the biggest thing once he (Smothers) gets here for you all not to compare them. He is not Tavon Austin. He is a special football player, but they do a lot of the same stuff. Tavon (Austin) comes around once in a lifetime.

On the importance of maintaining the Maryland recruiting connection You just go over there whether it is Maryland, the Washington D.C. area or the Virginia area that I have. For us and for coach (Dana) Holgorsen our biggest thing is going out and trying to find the best players. We are close enough to bordering states, where you want to go over there and recruit that Maryland/Baltimore/Washington D.C. area hard. There are a lot of West Virginia ties over there with alumni and things like that. You go over there and find the ones you can get. You can’t worry about the one’s you don’t get.

Assistant coach (running backs) Ja’Juan Seider

On the comparison between running back Justin Crawford and wide receiver Steven Smothers It is hard to gauge that, because they are different. (Wide receiver Steven) Smothers does some things that you can’t coach, especially in the return game. If you want to base it off what is coming in, you go with (running back Justin) Crawford, because he has been in junior college. He has been playing with the big boys. He had over 2,000 yards last year in total offense, and he was the JUCO Player of the Year. You always lean that way, but it is hard to compare them because they are two different kids. You are talking about a receiver and a running back.

On running back Justin Crawford starting behind redshirt junior running back Rushel Shell and wide receiver Steven Smothers being one of our returners With the plan right now you would say yes. You can’t really say anything about (wide receiver Steven) Smothers right now, because you have (freshman wide receiver) Gary (Jennings). You have (freshman wide receiver) Jovon (Durante) who could do it too. You are never going to give a kid anything. They have to come out here and earn it. They are going to have every opportunity to go out there and get it. That’s exactly what we told them. No one is going to promise you anything, but you are going to have every opportunity to go out there and compete. You better go play. We have no problem playing a freshman here.

On running back’s Kennedy McKoy, and Martell Pettaway They are really good football players. I think they are talented and skilled enough to play right now. It just comes down to the physicality of it and understanding the blitz pickup. I think we could get those kids to run the ball just as good as anyone we have here already. You have to see how they transition. Can they read and react to stuff like they did in high school? Everyone doesn’t make an easy transition, so you are only going to figure that out once they get here and take reps. It comes natural to the natural guys. You don’t have to coach that part of it. You coach technique. You coach blocking. You coach receiving and route running, but running the ball to kids who are naturals at it, you don’t have to coach that. That’s why they say the great ones always have it.

On how redshirt junior running back Rushel Shell is adjusting to the starting role I think if you go back and watch the bowl game, that’s the (redshirt junior running back) Rushel (Shell) we know. The later part of the season, that’s the (redshirt junior running back) Rushel (Shell) that we know. If you look back a year before that, (redshirt junior running back) Rushel was a really good player for us. I think he had a lot of distractions early. He was probably thinking about the pros too much. He had a baby. He tried to be the man and take care of mom and everyone else instead of dedicating more time to himself. I told all of them. We had a meeting yesterday. The reason that Wendell (Smallwood) had the year that he had is because of what he did on this day moving forward into the offseason. He attacked it. He lifted hard. He got bigger, stronger and faster. The mental part was always there for him. He did the extra things that allowed him to be a better player. That is the thing that (redshirt junior running back) Rushel (Shell) needs to dedicate himself to. Football is easy for him. He is a really good player. That’s why he rushed for all those yards in high school and in college. I don’t think that will be an adjustment. He knows that he can’t coast, because I have people coming in trying to take my job. That was my point to him yesterday. I told him ‘you still have stuff that you haven’t done. You still haven’t rushed for 1,000 yards. What can you do to make yourself better and market yourself to get yourself the chance to go to the next level.’