WVU Football Inks Hard-Hitting 3-Star Safety Jayden Ballard

The Early Signing Day haul continued for WVU Football on Wednesday, Dec. 3 when safety/ATH Jayden Ballard inked with the Mountaineers. West Virginia initially flipped Ballard from Buffalo, but the chance to play at a Power Four school proved enough to pull him to Morgantown.

Listed as a three-star recruit on major recruiting sites like Rivals, On3 and 247Sports, Ballard hails from the Richmond area and attends Manchester High School. Signing with WVU Football helped improve his standing among the recruiting services, boosting him to a three-star after largely unheralded beginnings, but there’s plenty to like about Ballard’s profile as a player.

He played wide receiver in addition to his duties at safety in high school, stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 184 pounds. Capable of leveling opposing ballcarriers with crushing hits, Ballard also runs track and field, giving him a useful level of cross training to improve his speed and athleticism.

The Mountaineers had a streaky secondary this past season, so even incoming recruits like Ballard could jockey for playing time depending on how the incoming and outgoing transfer classes shake out.

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