West Virginia has landed yet another piece to the 2023 recruiting class puzzle with a commitment from Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County defensive end Zachariah Keith following his official visit to campus.
Keith, 6-foot-5, 243-pounds, had previously been committed to Georgia Tech before backing off that pledge and the Mountaineers had moved to the forefront of his recruitment. He had actually committed to the Yellow Jackets on two separate occasions throughout the process.
West Virginia’s efforts were led by inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz and defensive line coach AJ Jackson. The pair had been in contact with Keith since his junior year of high school and have developed a strong connection during that time which was critical in his eventual choice.
The Rivals.com three-star prospect was able to see campus first hand on his official visit over the Dec. 2 weekend where he left highly impressed with the atmosphere as well as how he could fit into things. He came into the trip believing that he could fit into the scheme and left with zero doubts.
“They’ve been telling me that I fit the defense perfectly,” Keith said. “And I think I do as well.”
The Rivals.com three-star prospect is being targeted as a defensive lineman for the Mountaineers and could end up playing several different spots up front. That versatility is something that has actually drew him to the program with how he could be used all over the defensive line.
Keith has caught the eye of the coaching staff due to his motor and how hard he plays every snap. That is evident on film when he is able to snuff out screen plays from his spot on the defensive line.
Keith is coming off a season where he recorded 76 tackles, 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss.
Along with West Virginia, Keith held offers from Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Michigan State, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Buffalo and Memphis. Down the end of his recruitment he had planned additional visits to Memphis and Buffalo prior to his pledge to the Mountaineers.
Overall, Keith became the 20th commitment for West Virginia in the 2023 class and is the third true defensive lineman in the group along with Covington (Ga.) Newton defensive tackle Justin Benton and Port St. Lucie (Fla.) Treasure Coast defensive lineman Corey McIntyre.
That total does not include others that can play bandit such as Camden (N.J.) defensive end James Heard and Georgetown (Ky.) Great Crossing High School 2023 defensive end Oryend Fisher.
WVSports.com will have more with Keith in the near future.
----------
• 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