West Virginia has beaten out another Big 12 program for the services of Lakeland (Fla.) 2025 defensive back Sammy Etienne following his commitment.
Etienne, 6-foot-1, 180-pounds, selected the Mountaineers over Kansas State after taking official visits to both programs on back-to-back weekends in June.
West Virginia surged to the forefront of his recruitment following the June 7-9 official visit to campus where he was able to get a complete picture view of the program and the coaching staff.
Offensive coordinator Chad Scott along with secondary coach ShaDon Brown served as the lead recruiters for Etienne and the pair were critical in securing his commitment.
West Virginia only offered Etienne in May during the evaluation period, but things picked up quickly between the two leading to the program securing his first official visit. That would end up proving critical in his decision-making process as it set the tone for the rest of his recruitment.
Etienne previously attended Auburndale which has produced several players for the Mountaineers over the past few cycles including safety Aubrey Burks and defensive lineman Nate Gabriel.
The Mountaineers are targeting Etienne as a cornerback in the defensive scheme due to his athletic ability in the backend and how he can move around to multiple positions in the secondary.
Also, a track athlete, Etienne recorded 59 tackles and an interception this past season.
Etienne becomes the fourth defensive back to commit to West Virginia in the class joining Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork 2025 cornerback Elgin Sessions, Richmond (Va.) Trinity Episcopal 2025 defensive back Terrance “Deuce” Edwards and Huntington (W.Va.) 2025 athlete Zah Jackson.
He represents the 15th total commitment in the cycle for West Virginia.
WVSports.com breaks down the commitment of Etienne and what it means to the West Virginia Mountaineers football program both now and in the future.
Skill set:
Etienne possesses great length and size, which makes him effective in coverage with his ability to run with opposing wide receivers. He demonstrates the ability to make plays on the ball as well as track it. This is on display on his film when he flips to play wide receiver as well as he has a knack for coming down with the ball.
The defensive back is a feisty tackler that doesn’t shy away from contact and has the frame to add some good weight to fill out even further once he arrives at the college level.
Also, an effective weapon with the ball in his hands, Etienne could help on special teams as a return option and becomes an option to score if he is able to pick off a pass.
Fitting the program:
Etienne didn’t have the luxury of making a handful of visits to West Virginia, but the Mountaineers made the one that he did count. That’s because the trip really opened his eyes to the program and vaulted West Virginia to the top of his list with how the team and coaches treated him and how he connected with them.
That’s important because anytime a prospect is coming far from home it’s important to find a comfort level and the Mountaineers certainly provided that. Defensive back was a priority in this class and Etienne will likely begin his career at cornerback, although the possibility is there for him to play safety as well.
The focus is on building the position group over the long haul and he will step into a room that is set to lose a number of seniors once the season is over giving him the possibility of early playing time.
Florida has long been a place that West Virginia has planted their flag to recruit high level prospects and Etienne is one that definitely rose up the board for the program in recent months. This is a quality addition that fits the criteria that West Virginia was searching for in his skill set.
Recruiting the position:
Even with several in the fold, West Virginia is still going to be targeting defensive backs in this class as it is a position that could see as many as five players added. There also is the possibility that Jackson doesn’t end up on defense and instead slots elsewhere.
Remaining targets include Columbus (Oh.) Marion Franklin 2025 cornerback Dawayne Galloway, Anderson (S.C.) T.L. Hanna cornerback Cam Strong, Tampa (Fla.) Gaither 2025 cornerback Serious Stinyard, Cincinnati (Oh.) Winton Woods 2025 athlete Seaonta Stewart, Chattanooga (Tn.) McCallie School 2025 safety Carson Lawrence, Berlin (Md.) Stephen Decatur 2025 safety Davin Chandler and North Potomac (Md.) Quince Orchard 2025 defensive back Aydan West. Each of those have already visited West Virginia and has the Mountaineers in their top options.
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