The time was right for Scott
Portsmouth (Oh.) Sciotoville East offensive lineman Blaine Scott’s mind had been made up for quite some time when it comes to where he’ll spend his college career. It was about the timing.
Scott, 6-foot-4, 299-pounds, found that Thursday night when he let the rest of the world know what the West Virginia coaches had known for a few weeks now. He was ready to be a Mountaineer.
“I didn’t have a date in mind to officially commit but my teammates and my family knew I was going to West Virginia and they all knew I was comfortable with it so I pulled the trigger today,” he said.
The Rivals.com three-star prospect initially gave his commitment to offensive line coach Joe Wickline about two weeks ago and made it official after talking with head coach Dana Holgorsen.
However, he elected to hold off on making any formal announcements until he had time to personally inform his close friends, family and the other colleges recruiting him.
Things moved quickly between West Virginia and Scott to get to this point. A one-time Mississippi pledge, Scott backed off that after the incidents in Oxford and it was Wickline that immediately thrust himself into the recruitment of the talented interior lineman.
“Coach Wickline was one of the first guys that I was on the phone with and he was excited because he really needed interior offensive lineman in this recruiting class,” he said.
Wickline would extend a scholarship offer to Scott and a few days later he would be on campus in Morgantown just prior to the dead period in order to get a feel for the Mountaineers program. That visit opened his eyes to what West Virginia had going for it and put the Big 12 Conference program near the top of the list for Scott just as the recruiting process was getting started for him again.
However, the nail in the coffin came when he visited for the East Carolina game along with his mother and she quickly reciprocated many of the same feelings that Scott had gotten on his first trip to campus. The environment in the stadium and the passion expressed by the fan base also was main attractions.
“That’s when I could really see myself as a Mountaineer,” he said.
The bond between Scott and Wickline proved to be a difference maker as well as other teams such as Cincinnati, Duke and Miami, among others attempted to get involved in his recruitment. The message from the seasoned offensive line coach was always a consistent one to Scott; come to West Virginia and have a chance to get on the field early at one of the offensive guard spots.
“I feel like I’m a good fit at the interior offensive line position and I can come in and contribute right away. It’s a great opportunity to get a degree from a great university,” he added.
Although he has decommitted once in his recruitment that situation was one he never could have predicted and this pledge will be the final one for Scott who plans to take only one more visit to Morgantown with the rest of the commitments in December.
Scott will graduate from West Virginia in December and will participate in spring ball with the Mountaineers to get a head start on his college career.
“I’m going to come in and compete my butt off,” he said.
Now relieved to have the process behind him, Scott now will turn his focus to the remainder of his high school career before he signs with the Mountaineers in December. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t at least taken a view peeks into the future that awaits in Morgantown.
“I can’t wait to sing Country Roads after a win,” he said.
Scott is the 18th commitment for West Virginia and third on the offensive line.
