Relationships central for OL Austin in West Virginia decision
When it came time to make a college decision for Sterling (Il.) 2024 offensive lineman Lucas Austin one factor was above all others. Relationships.
And for Austin that meant one school stood above the rest.
“West Virginia was all about the relationships I had there with the coaches, staff and players,” he said. “Everything just came easy and I felt comfortable,” he said.
Austin, 6-foot-7, 265-pounds, took an official visit to Morgantown during the Dec. 8 weekend but didn’t let the coaches know until after offensive line coach Matt Moore had visited him at his school.
That news garnered an obviously very excited reaction and took a lot of pressure off Austin in the process, too.
“My recruiting had picked up after my high school season and I was feeling stress so knowing where I am going allows me to focus on basketball and get to work lifting and training,” he said.
The Rivals.com two-star prospect was a first-team all-conference both seasons and an honorable mention all-state during his senior campaign. Also a two-sport athlete, Austin scored over 1,000 points on the hardwood during his time at Sterling.
The Mountaineers extended a scholarship offer to Austin in October and things continued steadily between the two until he announced his commitment to the Big 12 Conference program.
“Coach Moore was my primary recruiter and he coaches how I liked to be coached. It was great being able to watch him coach on my official visit and seeing him interact with the players confirmed how I felt after he had come to watch me play basketball,” he said.
Austin is expected to begin his career at offensive tackle but has the ability to bounce around to guard if that is needed. The goal is to learn as many positions as possible and try to help the team win.
The plan is to arrive in Morgantown this summer to begin his college career and Austin is excited to put his recruitment behind him and turn toward the next step.
“I am excited to get to work and be a part of the West Virginia culture,” he said.
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