WVU gets its QB
Things can often move quickly in recruiting and that was certainly the case with new West Virginia commitment Panama City Beach (Fla.) quarterback Cody Saunders and the Mountaineers.
Saunders, 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, had never spoken to the West Virginia coaches prior to receiving a scholarship offer Monday and a little more than a week later the signal caller had found his new college home a few days after making the trek north to take in the Mountaineers spring game.
West Virginia immediately vaulted to the top of Saunders' list after receiving the scholarship offer from running backs coach JaJuan Seider and was quickly able to schedule a weekend unofficial trip to Morgantown in order to get a first-hand look at the program.
"The trip was great. The coaching staff was great, the facilities were great and the atmosphere was great. You realize how much Morgantown loves their Mountaineers and West Virginia is definitely at the top of my list right now," he said.
That visit coupled with West Virginia watching him throw Wednesday was enough for Saunders to end the process. The one-time Virginia native becomes the eighth pledge for the Mountaineers in the class of 2016 and fills the hole at the quarterback spot in this cycle.
West Virginia became involved with Saunders after the coaching staff got a look at his film and the contact between the two parties heated up over the past couple days heading into the trip.
For West Virginia, the Mountaineers saw a strong-armed athletic quarterback that displays great intangibles and leadership on the field while Saunders saw the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of several past greats at the position in Morgantown.
The Rivals.com two-star selected the Mountaineers over offers from South Florida, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Southern Mississippi, Liberty and Mercer. Prior to his offer from West Virginia, Saunders was receiving heavy interest from the Kentucky coaching staff before they received a commitment at his position.
The athletic signal caller finished his junior season tossing for over 1,800 yards and 15 touchdowns while completing 60-percent of his passes. Additionally, he flashed his athleticism rushing for another 900 yards and 8 more scores on the season.
"I'm a leader on the field and I know how everything goes and the ins and outs for everybody," he said. "I have great reaction skills and am fast and aggressive and don't take plays off."
With Saunders in the fold, West Virginia is likely done at the quarterback position in this recruiting class and fills a spot that had seen a number of prospects filter through in the past few weeks although the Mountaineers had been selective with which quarterbacks received offers.
WVSports.com will have more on Saunders and his commitment to the Mountaineers.
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