West Virginia Filled Some Needs with Current 2020 Class, But Not All

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia Neal Brown was happy with the class of recruits that signed with the Mountaineers throughout the day Wednesday, but he knows he and his staff are not done with the 2020 class just yet.

“This class isn’t done,” Brown said at his signing day press conference. “We will have some additions in February and we continue to find creative ways to add to our roster leading right up into Fall camp.”

Brown said he and his staff built the class based around what they identified as the team’s main needs throughout the season.

“Early on we identified that we need to add offensive linemen, we need to add defensive backs,” Brown said. “Defensive backs not just for secondary play, but for special teams play…I thought we did a really nice job addressing some of our needs, some of them we need to continue to do that.”

Of the 18-man class that signed Wednesday, West Virginia added four offensive linemen and four defensive backs.

On the line, West Virginia is losing starting tackles Colton McKivitz and Kelby Wickline to graduation and starting-caliber guard Josh Sills is transferring. Wednesday the team added Chris Mayo, a four-star prospect, Zach Frazier and Jordan White, three-star prep prospects and Tairiq Stewart, a three-star junior college player.

Brown said the team would like to add even more to their offensive line, either on the February signing day or with a graduate transfer over the summer.

West Virginia has a verbal commitment from junior college lineman Jacob Gamble, who did not sign on Wednesday.

In the secondary, the team is losing both starting outside cornerbacks in Keith Washington II and Hakeem Bailey and starting safety Josh Norwood. They added David Vincent-Okoli, a four-star cornerback, Daryl Porter Jr. and Jairo Faverus, three-star prospects and Jackie Matthews, a three-star JUCO prospect.

Brown said the team also needed to add depth at the bandit linebacker position

“We’re thin at that spot,” Brown said. “I thought Jared Bartlett did some nice things closing out the year. Vandarius (Cowan) will be back, probably non-contact during the spring but he showed some signs in the couple game she played. But we needed depth, we need to add some more athleticism.”

At that spot, WVU added three-star recruits Lanell Carr and Taurus Simmons.

The one position Brown said the team will definitely address in February is running back.

“We’ll definitely sign one in February,” Brown said. “That’s a need that we didn’t fill today.”

The team is losing Kennedy McKoy to graduation and Martell Pettaway to transfer. Four-star prospect Lamy Constant was committed to WVU but re-opened his recruitment at the beginning of December. The team missed out on at least one prospect Wednesday with top in-state running back JJ Davis signing with Marshall.

The second signing day is on Feb. 5, 2020.