OL Ellis excited for opportunity at West Virginia
Charleston (W.Va.) George Washington 2024 offensive lineman Aiden Ellis knew that if the opportunity to play for West Virginia came calling, it would be hard to resist.
Turns out he was correct after the in-state lineman accepted a preferred walk-on from West Virginia.
Ellis, 6-foot-4, 315-pounds, had long followed the Mountaineers football program and moved onto the radar after an impressive summer camp stop.
“I love the coaching staff they’ve kept it real with me ever since my first camp over the summer. I told coach (Matt) Moore that’s where I wanted to be and that I would be coming,” he said.
Moore had served as the primary contact for Ellis throughout the process and it didn’t hurt that his familiarity with the program helped to seal the deal.
“The campus is beautiful, and it feels like home. The environment is like no other with 60,000 Mountaineer fans in a stadium rocking,” he said.
Ellis informed Moore of his decision which immediately prompted an excited reaction. The plan is for Ellis to continue to develop in the West Virginia football program over time and the Mountaineers have a list of walk-ons that have taken the same path in the past.
Related: In-state QB Fenwick talks West Virginia commitment
The Mountaineers are targeting Ellis as an interior lineman at either the center or guard spots.
“It makes me excited to know they already have plans for me to develop and grow,” he said.
Along with West Virginia, Moore had received interest from Marshall, Appalachian State, Old Dominion and several division two programs but the opportunity in Morgantown was too much to pass up.
“It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders. Now I can work to be my best,” he said.
It’s the culmination of a lifelong dream for Ellis who is excited to join the program next fall and represent his home state school on the football field.
“West Virginia was the university I’ve supported for as long as I know and now I’m going to be part of the family,” he said. “That’s something I wouldn’t have ever dreamed.”
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