West Virginia has added the missing piece at one position in the 2023 cycle with a pledge from key target Tallahassee (Fla.) North Florida Christian wide receiver Traylon Ray.

Ray, 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, had previously cut his list to West Virginia, Tennessee and Mississippi State but ultimately committed to the Mountaineers for several reasons.

Among those were the ties that the Rivals.com three-star prospect developed with wide receivers coach Tony Washington over the course of the process along with multiple other staff members.

Ray had developed into the top remaining target for the Mountaineers at the wide receiver position to round out an impressive class that also features Uniontown (Pa.) Laurel Highlands athlete Rodney Gallagher and Rock Hill (S.C.) Northwestern wide receiver Elijah Caldwell.

“They just told me that they love the type of player that I am and I’d fit there. They want me to be the guy to go get the deep ball and win in one-on-one matchups. Go and get the jump ball,” he said.

The talented pass catcher visited Morgantown July 29 for an unofficial visit and then returned to campus for an official visit during the weekend of the Towson contest. Those two trips along with his comfort level with the coaching staff put the Mountaineers at the forefront of his recruitment.

And the feeling was certainly mutual.

“I’m the number one guy on their list,” he said.

Ray collected a long list of scholarship offers which included Florida, Tennessee, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Cincinnati, among others. He is coming off a season where he hauled in 87 catches for 1,366 yards and 17 touchdowns.

He had initially planned to take an official visit to Tennessee but that trip is now likely off due to his pledge.

Ray becomes the 19th commitment for West Virginia in the 2023 class and likely puts a bow on recruiting at the wide receiver position for the Big 12 Conference program in this cycle.

WVSports.com will have more with Ray in the near future.

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