Meet the West Virginia Mountaineers football 2022 commitments
Get to know each of the West Virginia Mountaineers football commitments in the 2022 recruiting class with this feature from WVSports.com.
Committed: December 2
Scooba (Miss.) East Mississippi C.C. linebacker Lee Kpogba has an interesting story in the sense that he was once committed to West Virginia under the previous coaching staff. But once the two elected to part ways he enrolled at Syracuse and spent two seasons there. Once things didn't work out there, Kpogba enrolled at East Mississippi where he put together a strong season with 84 tackles and a sack. That put him back on the Mountaineers radar and after an official visit for the Texas game he elected to commit a few weeks later. A fast, physical linebacker that is set to enroll in January with three years remaining. A pickup at a position of need.
JUCO LB Kpogba commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Committed: October 23
Australian punter Oliver Straw moved onto the West Virginia radar due to the connection with Prokick Australia training group. The Mountaineers moved quickly and offered a scholarship which it didn't take Straw long to accept. The versatile punter can fill multiple roles and has been training with the group for the past two years. He is expected to arrive in January and compete immediately for the starting role.
Committed: August 7
Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep linebacker Travious Lathan had been a top target for the Mountaineers at his position since early in the process and those efforts paid off with a commitment. The highly athletic linebacker took official visits to Pittsburgh and West Virginia, but his experience in Morgantown June 11-13 cemented the Mountaineers at the top of his list. Lathan built a very strong connection with tight ends coach Travis Trickett and that was essential in securing a verbal from the Miami product. Lathan could fill several different roles in the West Virginia defense but is a natural linebacker that immediately brings speed and athleticism to that room.
Committed: July 23
Philadelphia (Pa.) Neumann-Goretti linebacker Raleigh Collins picked West Virginia over his other finalist Penn State with the Mountaineers surging in recent weeks. Collins had originally been offered by the program to play cornerback but things shifted drastically when he competed in the 7-on-7 tournament in mid-June. There the versatile athlete played outside linebacker and came back a few days later to do a private workout with the coaching staff which elevated even further up the board. The Philadelphia product has ties to the Mountain State with both parents coming from there and was recruited hard by running backs coach Chad Scott and inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz. Gives the program a highly versatile linebacker with upside.
LB Collins commits to West Virginia
LB Collins eyeing summer decision, return to West Virginia
LB Collins enjoys stop at West Virginia, eyeballing another soon
Committed: July 16
Leo (In.) offensive lineman Landen Livingston narrowed his choices down to West Virginia, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana and Cincinnati after taking official visits to each. The interior offensive lineman took an official visit to Morgantown during the June 11-13 weekend and was blown away by the experience. Became a top target after receiving an offer and took a virtual visit prior to seeing it all in person. Livingston established a strong connection with offensive line coach Matt Moore and offensive coordinator Gerad Parker. An athletic guard or center prospect, Livingston is just the latest critical addition to the future of the Mountaineers offensive line.
OL Livingston picks West Virginia Mountaineers football
West Virginia official visit exceeds expectations for OL Livingston
OL Livingston sets West Virginia official visit
Committed: July 9
Harper Woods (Mi.) safety Christion Stokes had been strongly considered the West Virginia football program for months but made things official by announcing his commitment July 10. Stokes had developed a close connection with safeties coach Dontae Wright that spanned back to when the assistant was at Western Michigan and that proved critical as the process developed. Stokes narrowed his options down to West Virginia, Iowa and Michigan State after taking visits to all three but ultimately decided to commit to the Mountaineers. Gives West Virginia a highly versatile safety that could play several different spots in the scheme.
West Virginia Mountaineers football lands versatile safety Stokes
Coach: Stokes a 'Swiss-army-knife'
Committed: July 4
Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage cornerback Jacolby Spells became one of the top priorities for the West Virginia coaching staff after extending a scholarship offer in the winter. Spells made the switch from wide receiver to defensive back, which caught the watchful eyes of the Mountaineers and many other schools. The efforts in Morgantown were led by tight ends coach Travis Trickett, while co-defensive coordinator ShaDon Brown also played a pivotal role. Spells collected scholarship offers from many other programs but narrowed his list down to West Virginia, Miami and Indiana, where he would take official visits throughout the month of June. That experience in Morgantown stood out above the rest however, with Spells simply saying it was the best visit he had ever taken. The talented cornerback made his decision to commit to the Mountaineers on the Fourth of July, giving the Big 12 Conference program a significant recruiting win for a top target in a talent-rich region.
Florida CB Spells commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Florida DB Spells impressed with West Virginia official, has visit date set
DB Spells has West Virginia official visit set
Committed: June 28
Clearwater (Fla.) Clearwater Academy International pass rusher Aric Burton popped on the West Virginia radar in a big way after earning a scholarship at the June 7 one-day camp. A native of Germany, Burton is part of the PPI Recruits group that has sent three other prospects to Morgantown over the past several classes. The talented pass rusher took an official visit to Morgantown June 24-26 and then announced his decision a few days later. Burton also collected offers from Arizona State, Minnesota, Kansas and several others but the Mountaineers prioritized him after seeing him in camp. A legit 6-foot-5 with an ultra impressive first step, Burton is slated to play bandit for the Mountaineers and is a major pickup in the class despite being under the radar.
Pass rusher Burton commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Committed: June 21
Chandler (Az.) Hamilton quarterback Nicco Marchiol emerged as the top option for West Virginia at the position in May after backing off a pledge to Florida State and things moved quickly between the two. Quarterbacks coach Sean Reagan served as the lead recruiter and was able to quickly put the Mountaineers in the mix but things really took off after his official visit to campus June 11-13. Marchiol was blown away by the experience and committed to the program after other visits to Michigan State and Arizona State. It's the first four-star quarterback commitment for West Virginia since the 2015 class and is a major addition for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia Mountaineers land four-star QB Marchiol
Committed: June 16, 2021
Loganville (Ga.) Grayson cornerback Mumu Bin-Wahad had been on the West Virginia radar for quite some time and while there was interest between the two his official visit to campus is what truly changed things in his recruitment. Bin-Wahad was on campus during the June 4-6 weekend and was blown away by the coaching staff as well as the environment in Morgantown. Co-defensive coordinator ShaDon Brown served as the lead recruiter for the Mountaineers and established a very strong bond that put them over top of other schools like Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State and more. Bin-Wahad is slated to play cornerback for the Mountaineers and is a very versatile defensive back that won't have any trouble fitting into the scheme.
DB Bin-Wahad commits to West Virginia Mountaineers
Georgia CB Bin-Wahad on West Virginia official: 'It's a special place'
Committed: June 7, 2021
Cleveland Heights (Oh.) offensive lineman Maurice Hamilton had been leaning toward West Virginia for quite some time making a self-guided tour in the spring and taking several virtual visits. But it was the official visit to campus which was the deciding factor in his recruitment as he picked the Mountaineers following the trip. The massive interior lineman fills a need for the Mountaineers and gives the program another big body up front which could fill several different positions. Inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz along with offensive line coach Matt Moore were the lead recruiters.
OL Hamilton commits to the West Virginia Mountaineers
Commitment 101: Maurice Hamilton
OL Hamilton gets taste of West Virginia, ready for official visit
Committed: April 17, 2021
Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances cornerback Tyrin Woodby committed to the West Virginia coaches a few weeks prior to his public announcement but it didn't make it any less exciting. The versatile cornerback developed a strong connection with secondary coach ShaDon Brown and it helped pave the way for his choice. He is targeted as a cornerback in the scheme and choose the Mountaineers over a host of other power five offers including Mississippi, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and others.
CB Woodby commits to West Virginia
Maryland CB Woodby talks virtual trip, offer from West Virginia
Committed: April 8, 2021
Saraland (Ala.) wide receiver Jarel Williams slipped under the radar some as he took a self-guided tour to West Virginia and then announced for the Mountaineers shortly after. The skilled outside receiver had an impressive list of scholarship offers with Notre Dame, Florida State, Iowa and many others represented but felt a genuine connection with the coaching staff at West Virginia led by offensive coordinator Gerad Parker and head coach Neal Brown. Fills a need as an impressive pass catcher in the class.
Alabama WR Williams commits to West Virginia football
Committed: April 1, 2021
Brookline (Ma.) Dexter offensive lineman Sully Weidman cut his list to a top three of West Virginia, Nebraska and Indiana and after taking self-guided tours to each of those three announced a pledge to the Mountaineers. The versatile lineman built a strong connection with offensive line coach Matt Moore and felt very comfortable with the plan for him as well as the campus. Could end up at tackle or guard at the college level and isn't expected to enroll until the summer.
Committed: March 18, 2021
Wallingford (Ct.) Choate Rosemary Hall offensive lineman Charlie Katarincic became the second commitment for West Virginia after the Mountaineers offered in January. He only continued to build a strong connection with the coaching staff from there and took a virtual visit and then a self-guided tour in March which helped to cement things. Offensive line coach Matt Moore served as the lead recruiter and Katarincic could end up at several different spots on the offensive line. A native of Pittsburgh that plays his high school football at a boarding school, Katarincic gave the Mountaineers a versatile offensive line prospect that they had zeroed in on early in the process.
OL Katarincic commits to West Virginia football
Katarincic finds fit with West Virginia football
Commitment 101: Charlie Katarincic
West Virginia football offer interesting for 2022 OL Katarincic
Committed: December 26, 2020
Kenova (W.Va.) athlete Corbin Page became the first commitment for West Virginia in the 2022 class just after Christmas in 2020. The versatile athlete could end up at several different spots in Morgantown either at tight end, on the offensive line or even on the defensive line depending on his development. Page had offers from other programs such as Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Virginia but the bond with the coaches as well as his comfort level with the school was too much to pass up.
2022 athlete Page commits to West Virginia
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan
•Like us on Facebook
