Blackwell opens up more possibilities in recruiting for WVU
Relationships are all important in the realm of recruiting.
And that is expected to be one of the feathers in the cap for new running backs coach Marquel Blackwell given his ties to the talent rich Tampa and St. Petersburg areas.
That’s why it struck me that during his comments to the school’s official website he mentioned just that when asked about his coaching style.
Relationships matter there, too.
“Make sure we build a strong relationship with the guys,” Blackwell said of the deep West Virginia running back group he’s inheriting.
From a football standpoint the move makes sense considering that Blackwell already coached in an offense that is similar with Toledo and had a lot of success with the Rockets. In his two seasons, Blackwell’s running backs produced some impressive totals.
In his first season with the school, Blackwell coached Kareem Hunt, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he finished with 1,475 yards and followed that up this past year by leading a group that ranked 29th nationally in rushing at over 200-yards per game.
So the coaching chops are certainly there and he understands that the tradition the position has had over the years in Morgantown.
“There’s a lot of great players that have come through here,” he said.
But he also opens doors on the recruiting front in a state that also has traditionally been kind to the Mountaineers. Given the fact he is originally from St. Petersburg and spent his college days at South Florida and some of his coaching career there, Blackwell should have no trouble getting a footing for West Virginia in that area.
But he also has experience recruiting in several other areas as well given his post at Toledo giving him more versatility.
So far all signs are positive from recruits that WVSports.com has spoken to about the newly minted running backs coach in large part because of his laid-back demeanor and ability to connect.
One of those is a recent offer from the Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough athlete Terence Doston who was being recruited by Blackwell at Toledo. The Rivals.com three-star prospect has close to ten offers at this stage and has been impressed with how Blackwell has handled his recruitment when he was with the Rockets.
So naturally, he's excited that he's making the move to Morgantown.
“I think he’s a good recruiter and a cool person. I think with him joining the staff they’ll bring in even more athletes,” Doston said.
The job at West Virginia is one that Blackwell himself referred to as a great opportunity, but perhaps in this instance that description works both ways.
