Recruiting

Cover Photo: WVU Athletics The West Virginia football program recently announced the signing of defensive lineman Corey McIntyre Jr. McIntyre has signed his national letter of intent with WVU. As head coach Neal Brown talked about in a video posted by the official WVU football Twitter account, McIntyre brings an explosiveness that the Mountaineer defense lost with Dante Stills tapping out his eligibility and now pursuing the NFL. He’s also another legacy addition to the 2023 recruiting class for WVU. McIntyre is, of course, the son of Corey McIntyre, who played for the Mountaineers from 1998 to 2002. McIntyre played in 44 games at West Virginia, primarily as a defensive end and linebacker. He rushed three times for four yards as a fullback, and returned five kickoffs for 36 yards. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2002, then went on to play with the Browns, Saints, Falcons, and Bills. Listed at 6’4”, 280 pounds, McIntyre is a Treasure Coast High School product from Port Saint Lucie, Florida. McIntyre was heavily recruited as a three-star prospect. Besides WVU, he also had offers from Coastal Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Liberty, and South Florida and major programs like Indiana, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, Pitt, and Washington State. McIntyre provides future defensive line depth for the WVU defense and shows success recruiting in Florida, something the Mountaineers needed to convey with this class. McIntyre describes himself as a tenacious player who is willing to whatever it takes. “I describe myself as a player that’s going to show up for the team and cause havoc when the team needs me to,” is how McIntyre put it. He now just has two simple goals for his time at WVU: get his degree and make it to the next level.  

WVU's group of 20 early signees is a huge injection of talent into the program, particularly in areas where the team needs it most. This class is loaded with talent at defensive back and offensive line, two areas where depth and new talent is needed. While many of these young men will redshirt their first year on campus, several will see playing time in their true freshman year, and some may even be day one starters. Below is my prediction of who we will see early, and additional thoughts on who could go on to be a standout talent. Jacoby Spells Position: Cornerback Measurables: 5'11", 170lbs, 10.8 100M time Ranking: 4 star, 27th by position, 223rd overall Projection: Jacoby should see time early as a rotational player in the secondary. Daryl Porter Jr. and Charles Woods should retain their starting roles with Nicktroy Fortune seeing significant playing time as well. However, don't be surprised if by the end of the season, Spells is atop the depth chart for one of the outside corner spots. Long term, Spells has the upside to be a true shutdown cornerback that ends up on an All-American Team before moving on to the NFL. Nicco Marchiol Position: Quarterback Measurables: 6'2" 216 lbs Ranking: 4 star, 20th by position, 278th overall Projection: Nicco has set lofty expectations for WVU fans before he has even step foot on Mountaineer Field. It's understandable, though, as his senior year included him being named the Gatorade Arizona High School Football Player of the Year and MaxPreps Arizona Football Player of the Year, throwing for over 2,600 yards and 37 touchdowns, and leading his team to the state semi-finals. However, starting as a true freshman quarterback is rare, even for some of the most elite recruits. Enrolling early should help with that though. I do not anticipate Nicco being the starter for game 1 at Pittsburgh. His playing time is dependent on 1.) if Jarret Doege returns, 2.) how Jarret Doege performs if he returns, and 3.) the teams record. Assuming Doege Returns, I predict he will be the week one starter, but if he falters or the team stumbles out of the gates, Nicco should take over control of the offense. Once Nicco does take over the starting job, he has the upside to be an All-Big 12 level talent as well as the talent to be at least a mid to late round draft choice after his career at WVU is over. Christian Stokes Position: Defensive back Measurables: 6'0" 180 lbs Ranking: 3 star, 43rd by position, 482nd overall Projection: Christian Stokes is a versatile athlete that excelled both defensively and offensively in high school, registering 94 tackles, 4 sacks, and one interception defensively and over 2,000 all purpose yards and 17 touchdowns offensively. He was a swiss army knife for Harper Woods. At WVU, Stokes will play defensive back, and it is likely that he is at least a rotational player early in the season. With his nose for the football combined with the departure of Scottie Young Jr. and Sean Mahone, Stokes will be in contention for one of the vacant safety spots. Long term, Stokes has All-Big 12 upside and should be a 3+ year starter. Corbin Page Position: Tight End Measurables: 6'5" 257 lbs Ranking: 3 star, 24th by position, 483rd overall Projection: Corbin Page is rated as the top recruit in West Virginia, and he has the talent and size to contribute early for the Mountaineers. He is as big or bigger than every tight end currently on the roster was highly lauded for his strong hands (11 touchdowns his senior year) and blocking ability (several schools recruited him as an offensive lineman). Going into his true freshman year, he will likely back up Mike O'Laughlin and be on the field in WVU's 2 tight end sets. Long term, Page should be a 3+ year starter who excels in run blocking and as a safety blanket for the quarterback. His production will only be limited by the offense's desire to get the tight end involved in the passing game. Mumu Bin-Wahad Position: Cornerback Measurables: 6'0" 180 lbs Ranking: 3 star, 72nd by position, 870th overall Projection: Mumu is an athletic, under the radar recruit that many other Power 5 schools rushed to flip after WVU received his commitment in June 2021. During his senior year, he picked off 6 passes and registered 64 tackles. Despite this recruiting class bringing in numerous defensive backs, Mumu should see spot duties playing this year on defense and plenty of reps on special teams. However, it is likely that he earns a starting spot his sophomore year and serves as the start for the remainder of his WVU career. With Mumu and Spells as the starting corners, Big 12 defenses will have a hard time getting the ball to their top targets on the outside. Lee Kpogba Position: Linebacker Measurables: 6'2" 235 lbs Ranking: 3 star (JUCO),1st by position, 9th overall Projection: Kpogba has the athleticism and aggressiveness to be a disruptive force at linebacker for WVU. The former Syracuse linebacker comes into a WVU locker room that is desperate for a playmaker at the linebacker position. I project that Kpogba will win the middle linebacker job vacated by Josh...

WVU received a new commitment at WR today from Robert Morris University transfer Mike Evans Jr. Evans will have 3 years of eligibility left and is ranked as the #4 D1 FCS transfer.  Evans touted WVU’s early interest was a deciding factor in his decision to join the Mountaineers, stating, “When I hit the transfer portal, they were the 2nd school to reach out to me. They stuck with me for over a month and after visiting a bunch and looking at the community, I knew Morgantown was home.” Despite not seeing much playing time during his time on the Colonials, Evans was extremely productive during his senior year at Franklin Regional High School in Delmont, PA, racking up more than 800 yards and 10 touchdowns on 25 yards per catch. He also served as Franklin Regional’s kickoff returner, chipping in an additional 168 yards. The big play ability wasn't just a product of his system in high school. Evans is an explosive athlete, clocking a 4.4 laser timed 40-yard dash time to go along with a 3.72 shuttle time and 41 inch vertical. He also has good size for a WR at 6’1” and 190 pounds. His athleticism gives him the potential to develop into an explosive playmaker, an area that WVU lacked this pass season as only Sean Ryan averaged more than 15 yards per reception, and could help WVU deal with the the graduation Winston Wright Jr. after next season. https://twitter.com/MikeVEvans/status/1451308222481063945?s=20 Evans was recruited by Offensive Analyst Ryan Nehlen. It is unclear at this time if Evans will be joining the program as a scholarship play or preferred walk-on. He also received offers from Youngstown State University,  Black Hills State University, and Stetson University. The switch from FCS to FBS may be a challenge, but Evans's athleticism will translate nicely. We are excited to welcome Evans to Mountaineer nation and will hope to see him make some big plays on Saturdays for years to come!

James Thomas, a linebacker out of Georgia made a visit to the Mountaineers on January 17th. Tennessee and South Carolina are also involved. WVU could really use the addition of an athletic linebacker. https://twitter.com/jay6_1969/status/1224678603750871040 Vic Koenning is the lead recruited here and the Mountaineers appear to be in good shape. Voice Prediction: WVU    View Highlights Eddie Watkins, a pass rusher out of Alabama, has taken several visits, including the Mountaineers on December 6th. He has announced his top 3 as Arizona, Missouri and West Virginia. https://twitter.com/Dareal_ed/status/1224720169643204610 He is planning on announcing his college decision at 2:30 p.m. EASTERN TIME on Wednesday. Coach Pogue has the lead on this one. Voice Prediction: WVU    View Highlights