When Neal Brown took the job at West Virginia he made it no secret.

It was the talking point immediately between Brown and his assistants as well as the message that the head coach put out to anybody paying attention as well.

“Keeping the best players in the state at home is a top priority,” he said.

Now with the first early signing period in the books, that came to fruition. The Mountaineers signed the top two players from within the Mountain State in Bluefield defensive end Sean Martin and Fairmont offensive center Zach Frazier securing their signatures over a long list of schools.

Martin held offers from Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Kentucky, Illinois, Rutgers and Duke among others. The Rivals.com three-star prospect made an early commitment to North Carolina, but the Mountaineers were persistent in order to get him to reconsider and eventually select the program.

Meanwhile, Frazier selected West Virginia over Stanford, Virginia Tech, Louisville and Wake Forest. He received his first offer from the Mountaineers and built a strong connection with the coaches after arriving on campus in January. He committed on West Virginia day, of all occasions.

“The two prospects that we really set our sights on in this class early on were Zach Frazier and Sean Martin,” Brown said. “I think it’s very important for us in a state that has a low population, maybe not as man power five prospects as some other places that we go to keep those guys within our state.”

The defensive end took official visits to North Carolina, Purdue, Penn State and West Virginia before eventually committing and signing with his home-state program.

“We were just really persistent. Chad Scott and Jordan Lesley were just really persistent,” he said.

Frazier has an opportunity to be a dominant player at the center position with great instincts, intelligence and a love for the West Virginia football program.

The wins of both prospects were major wins not only for this current class, but the 2021 recruiting class is one that is loaded in the state with players like Spring Valley offensive lineman Wyatt Milum, Bluefield cornerback Isaiah Johnson and South Charleston defensive end Zeiqui Lawton.

Milum has made multiple visits to campus and is a priority for the coaches.

The ability to get Martin in the fold, especially after the early commitment is one that could lead to some momentum moving forward.

“That was as important of a win as any we had no just for Sean but for the future in-state,” he said.

WATCH: Musings from the Mountains | West Virginia Football and Basketball | Episode 53

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