West Virginia Included in Top 3 for 2023 3-Star DB Tayvon Nelson

The month of June isn’t likely to be as busy for Neal Brown and West Virginia, but there will still be some recruits that make the decision to pledge themselves to WVU. One of those could be Tayvon Nelson.

Nelson, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound three-star defensive back from Canarsie High School in Brooklyn, New York, narrowed his list of offers to just Maryland, Penn State and WVU Saturday.

With offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Massachusetts, Miami, Ole Miss, Purdue, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia Tech and the aforementioned finalists, it’s an impressive offer sheet to make it out of.

“West Virginia is showing the most love,” Nelson told WV Sports Now, “and I love the atmosphere around the town since it’s a college town.”

Top 3 ! Commitment coming July 23rd! @recruitgfx @Backendcoach12 @wesnab4646 @CoachCollins46 @CoachEugene10 @CoachBEllis9 @JoeMento @BrianDohn247 @ShawnB_247 @RivalsFriedman @alexgleitman @GHamilton_On3 pic.twitter.com/i3EYxkfZd5

— 𝓣𝓝 ✞ ¹💕 (@Tayvon1Nelson) July 1, 2022

Nelson made an official visit to Morgantown over the weekend of June 22, getting a chance to see the campus and bond with the coaching staff for an extended period. Even though the campus wasn’t exactly jumping as it would be during the season, he enjoyed getting to see what his day-to-day life would be like as a Mountaineer.

With an additional official visit to Maryland following his OV to WVU, Maryland had the last chance to lock down his signature, but the WVU atmosphere isn’t something he’ll soon forget.

“It’s a cool family atmosphere, the fans are amazing,” Nelson said of Morgantown. “It’s just a great atmosphere.”

With defensive line coach Andrew Jackson serving as Nelson’s main recruiter, he’s also been able to establish a relationship with defensive backs coach ShaDon Brown. But it’s really the love he’s felt from the entire staff that’s led to the strong bond.

“The coaches really want me there,” Nelson said. “The whole coaching staff, like when I walked in, the whole coaching staff greeted me. They’re really telling me how I’m important.”

Brown is looking at Nelson as a cornerback as of this moment, looking to use his uncommon length in an area it can be taken advantage of, but Nelson said if he continues to grow into his frame, the staff will make that conversion to safety.

Nelson admitted that while he does want to play safety at the next level, he’s a ball player. His feel for the game is apparent in watching him play at Canarsie, and his size and speed allow him to drop into coverage in zone schemes and still press at the line when needed.

247Sports rates Nelson as the 1,213th-ranked recruit in the class (112th-ranked cornerback and the eighth-ranked recruit from New York) while On3 rates him as the 960th-ranked recruit in the class (77th-ranked safety and the second-ranked recruit from New York). Rivals rates him as the fourth-ranked recruit from New York — holding a 5.5 Rivals Rating.

West Virginia has landed commitments from the Jackson brothers, three-star cornerback Josiah and three-star athlete Jordan, and both are expected to play in the secondary. With a commitment to WVU, Nelson would join them.

“(The coaches just) gotta continue showing love and don’t fall out,” Nelson said. His planned commitment date is set for June 23.