Georgia lineman Uzebu announces for WVU
West Virginia had yet to land an offensive lineman in the current recruiting cycle but that changed in a big way after the commitment of Alpharetta (Ga.) offensive tackle Oyenmwen Uzebu.
Uzebu, 6-foot-6, 290-pounds, had narrowed his college choices in late June down to Maryland, N.C. State, Syracuse, South Florida and of course the Mountaineers prior to selecting the Big 12 Conference program a week after visiting Morgantown for the Showtime Event during the July 22 weekend.
Uzebu originally committed to Minnesota, but elected to back off that pledge in mid-May citing personal reasons outside of football.
But even with his initial pledge to the Gophers, West Virginia remained a school that was high on his list of college options from the minute the Mountaineers initially extended a scholarship offer to the versatile offensive lineman in early April.
Part of that interest was based on the reputation of the program and what he had heard about the school from other recruits. But another large portion of that was his bond with the coaching staff.
Offensive line coach Joe Wickline served as the lead recruiter for Uzebu, while both cornerbacks coach Doug Belk and Dan Gerberry also contributed in the recruiting efforts of the Mountaineers.
“West Virginia is building something and it’s always great to be a part of that. I feel like the staff is amazing and coach Wickline is an amazing guy,” Uzebu said.
The Rivals.com three-star prospect held offers from close to 25 programs with each of them targeting him as an offensive tackle due to his combination of size and athleticism.
“And my willingness to compete,” he said.
West Virginia is expected to take three to four offensive linemen in this cycle and Uzebu represents a strong start on that front giving the Mountaineers a prototypical offensive tackle target. Uzebu adds to an already strong start at the offensive skill positions by adding some talent up front to the group.
Overall, Uzebu becomes the 13th pledge for the Mountaineers in this recruiting cycle and the third from the state of Georgia, which has become a priority for the program.
WVSports.com will have more with Uzebu in the near future.