DE Jalen Thornton officially signed with West Virginia

Cincinnati (OH) defensive lineman Jalen Thornton has signed with West Virginia

Despite being a legacy recruit and committing to the Mountaineers back in February, teams like Iowa State, Kentucky and Marshall pursued Thorton to great lengths.

At 6-foot-3, 242-pounds, Thornton has prototypical size for a defensive end. As a senior, the Ohio native posted 10.5 sacks and 89 tackles. His athleticism cannot be understated, either. Along with being a highly skilled defensive end, Thornton also excelled as a fullback and receiver for his high school team.

If there is one knock on him, it’s his lack of elite speed. Not the fastest edge rusher, he employs a dominant bull rush to overwhelm offensive linemen and is more than capable of eating up space, tackling oncoming running backs while engaging a blocker.

West Virginia’s defense has a glaring need for defensive linemen, returning only one starter from this season. There is a a lot of returning talent, however, to help fill those needs. I still feel like Thornton could easily find himself playing meaningful minutes as a freshman.