MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — Former West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen was fired by the University of Houston last month and today, the school lost one of Holgorsen’s top recruits.
Justin Benton, a four star defensive tackle from Covington, Georgia, originally committed to play for the Mountaineers before ultimately deciding to play for Holgorsen at Houston. As a freshman with the Cougars last season, Benton only accounted for 3 solo tackles in very limited snaps, but he is considered to have an outstanding future ahead of him. With Benton already very familiar with the West Virginia coaching staff and the facilities after previously visiting Morgantown, the Mountaineers have to be considered early favorites to land his services. When he de-committed from West Virginia back in 2022, he didn’t burn any bridges and defensive line is an area that Neal Brown and his staff would certainly like to bolster for the upcoming season.
I Will Be Entering my Name into the Transfer portal with 4 Years of Eligibility Left 🙏🏽 Thank you University of Houston for Everything 🫶🏽 pic.twitter.com/ly55ONCf01
— Justin Benton #JB99 🦍 (@JustinB42023) December 8, 2023
Out of high school, Benton held offers from Georgia, Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, USC, Virginia Tech and many other programs throughout the country.
Benton, 6’2 275 pounds, was the 21st best recruit in the state of Georgia and the #13 ranked defensive tackle nationally, according to Rivals.
6’1 295 Monster 🦍🦍 pic.twitter.com/dxoEgbwQYp
— Justin Benton #JB99 🦍 (@JustinB42023) December 8, 2023
