The West Virginia football coaching staff vowed to keep the state’s best players close to home.
On Wednesday, the Mountaineers received letters of intent from the state’s top two prospects.
Bluefield defensive end Sean Martin and Fairmont center Zach Frazier, a pair of three-star recruits, signed their commitment to play at West Virginia.
“It was a significant day for our program as we continue our upward climb. We closed strong down the stretch,” WVU coach Neal Brown said.
“I’m pleased with the results. I’m very appreciative to these guys, especially these guys who have been committed to us for a long time.”
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Martin was a Class AA first-team all-state selection who led the Beavers (12-2) to the state championship game. He had 102 tackles, eight sacks and four forced fumbles.
The 6-3, 296-pound Frazier also was a Class AA first-team all-state selection who guided the Polar Bears (12-1) to the state semifinals. He is ranked the No. 7 center in the country by Rivals.com.
Overall, West Virginia signed 18 players Wednesday, the first day of the early-signing period. The group included players from 10 states and two foreign countries.
It also included two four-star recruits: offensive lineman Chris Mayo (6-6, 310) from The Peddie School in New Jersey and David Vincent-Okoli, a cornerback from The Bullis School in Maryland.
The class was heavy on offensive linemen and defensive backs.
“Early on, we identified we needed to add offensive linemen,” Brown said. “We needed to add defensive backs, not only for secondary play but for special teams play. I thought we did a really nice job of addressing some of our needs. Some (areas), we need to continue to do that.”
The Mountaineers added two players Wednesday,who hadn’t made a verbal commitment, in New Hampstead (Ga.) wide receiver Sam Brown and defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor from Clearwater Academy International (Fla.).
West Virginia recruits
Recruits who signed Wednesday with West Virginia:
Name, Previous school, Pos., Ht/Wt, Stars*
Sam Brown, New Hampstead (Ga.), WR, 6-3/185, 3 stars
Lanell Carr, De Smet Jesuit (Mo.), DE, 6-3/235, 3 stars
Jairo Faverus, Bristol Academy of Sports (U.K.), CB, 6-1/190, 3 stars
Charles Finley, DePaul Catholic (N.J.), TE, 6-4/215, 3 stars
Zach Frazier, Fairmont Senior (W.Va.), OL, 6-3/296, 3 stars
Garrett Greene, Lawton Chiles (Fla.), QB, 6-0/180, 3 stars
Sean Martin, Bluefield (W.Va.), DE, 6-5/255, 3 stars
Jackie Matthews, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (Miss.), DB, 6-0 200, 3 stars
Chris Mayo, The Peddie School (N.J.), OL, 6-6/310, 4 stars
Quay Mays, Northwest Mississippi CC (Miss.), DL, 6-2/280, 3 stars
Akheem Mesidor, Clearwater Academy International (Fla.), DL, 6-3/255, 3 stars
Daryl Porter Jr., American Heritage (Fla.), DB, 5-11/175, 3 stars
Taurus Simmons, Jenkins (Ga.), DE, 6-3/215, 3 stars
Reese Smith, Boyle County (Ky.), WR, 5-11/180, 3 stars
Tairiq Stewart, ASA College (N.Y.), OL, 6-5/325, 3 stars
David Vincent-Okoli, The Bullis School (Md.), CB, 6-0/180, 4 stars
Devell Washington, Arthur Hill (Mich.), WR, 6-4/210, 3 stars
Jordan White, DeMatha Catholic (Md.), OL, 6-3/300, 3 stars
*According to Rivals.com
