Things move quickly for late JUCO
It started with a phone call. But it didn’t take long for things to go from there.
El Dorado (Kan.) Butler C.C. quarterback David Isreal first spoke with the West Virginia coaching staff Monday and by Tuesday evening he had already locked in his first official visit to Morgantown.
“I spoke to the offensive coordinator and he told me about the quarterback situation and needing somebody to come in after Will Grier,” Isreal said. “He then asked me if I’d come out for a visit and I could so I’m going there from Thursday to Saturday.”
A late qualifier out of high school in South Carolina, Isreal enrolled at Butler where he accounted for over 2,200 all-purpose yards last season and 19 total touchdowns during his freshman season. That was enough to garner offers from Memphis and SMU as well as the interest from West Virginia.
“I’m a playmaker. I like to make plays and like to make tough throws,” Isreal said.
Graduating in May from junior college, Isreal would have four years to play three at the next level and would be eligible this coming fall as a 2017 recruit. At this point he expects to leave the junior college level to enroll at a college by the end of summer and is considering all of his options.
“I am a qualifier so I wanted to get out and I think I’m just going to transfer to a division one college after this semester,” he said.
Quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital has been the primary contact for Isreal when it comes to the Mountaineers and he had received positive feedback to date from the assistant.
“He’s said I have good film and a big arm,” he said.
Isreal hasn’t had an opportunity to really sit down with the West Virginia coaches yet but is excited to do that this weekend in order to get a clear picture of the situation at quarterback and how he could fit into the program both this coming year and down the road.
“We have been talking about it but haven’t come up with a plan yet,” he said.
This will be the first official visit for Isreal although he did take an unofficial visit to Memphis two weeks ago. He considers his recruitment wide open at this stage but wants to find a good connection with the coaches at his eventual destination as well as several other key factors.
West Virginia has yet to offer Isreal, but he is excited to see the next step in his recruitment and hopes to have a decision wrapped up sometime in the near future.
“Really I just want a family feel and when I take visits and meet the coaching staff that first impression is everything. I want to see if the coaches have a great plan and can help me succeed,” he said.