Neal Brown’s Thoughts on Each Member of the 2020 Recruiting Class

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In his first recruiting class as head coach at West Virginia, Neal Brown and his staff added 18 student-athletes throughout Wednesday’s early signing period.

WVU added players from 10 states and two foreign countries. Brown said he expects to add more recruits to the class in February and possibly over the summer. Brown spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon and offered his thoughts on each of the members of the class.

Sam Brown – WR Savannah, Georgia

“A guy that we’re really excited about. I think his best football is ahead of him,” Brown said. “He’s got big hands, he’s got great balls skills. I just think he’s got an opportunity to be a phenomenal college player and we beat some really good people down the stretch to get him.”

Lanell Carr – Bandit St. Louis, Missouri

“Lanell came (to WVU) early with his family and he made the decision that this is the best fit for him and he never wavered, didn’t take another trip,” Brown said. “He goes on to play his best football as a senior, which isn’t always the case…but he did, led his team to a state championship.”

Jairo Faverus – CB Amsterdam, Netherlands

“He came to a camp and…he was physically impressive,” Brown said. “He ran well, he covered. We had a couple of elite receivers in that camp and he was in lockdown mode.”

Charles Finley – TE Irvington, New Jersey

“He’s a developmental guy. From his high school tape, he is very similar to Mike O’Laughlin,” Brown said. “Charles is a guy that is going to gain weight. He’s got ball skills, he can run routes, I think he’ll develop into a real quality blocker.”

Zach Frazier – C Fairmont, West Virginia

“I think he is going to, perhaps, be a dominant player at center for us,” Brown said. “He’s got great football instincts, intelligent, loves West Virginia.”

Garrett Greene – QB Tallahassee, Florida

“He’s a competitor. Sometimes he runs a little hot but it’s all from a good place,” Brown said. “He’s a dual-threat where he can change arms angles, make a lot of plays. I think it says a lot when he stays at his local high school.”

Sean Martin – DE Bluefield, West Virginia

“We were just persistent,” Brown said. “We had a set back early on with him when he made a earlier commitment. We just stayed persistent and stayed consistent with him. That was probably as important of a win as any that we had.”

Jackie Mathews – DB Pinson, Alabama/Mississippi Gulf Coast CC

“He’s a winner,” Brown said. “Takes Pinson Valley to a state championship as a senior in high school, wins a national championship at junior college. He’s a winner, he’s versatile, he can play any of the positions in the secondary. We’ll probably start him in the safety role.”

Chris Mayo – OL Deptford, New Jersey

“Chris Mayo is integral to the future of our offensive line,” Brown said. “He’s going to be college-ready when he gets here…After he committed to us he shut it (his recruitment) down.”

Quay Mays – DL Bradenton, Florida/Northwest Mississippi CC

“Quay Mays is a kid we’ve been recruiting since he was in high school,” Brown said. “Really unique story, played on year in high school and went to Northwest Mississippi College.”

Akheem Mesidor – DL Ottawa, Ontario

“I think this is a great example of why relationships matter so much, we really dug in on him early,” Brown said. “He moved to Clearwater (Florida) and had a great senior year.”

Daryl Porter Jr. – DB Plantation, Florida

“He’s a guy that’s got football smarts off the charts,” Brown said. “He can come in and he can play multiple positions. We’re going to start him at corner.”

Taurus Simmons – Bandit Savannah, Georgia

“His best football is in front of him,” Brown said. When he committed he was about 205 (pounds) he’s about 215-220, I think he’ll continue to grow in that role.”

Reese Smith – WR Danville, Kentucky

“From my hometown, he’s really the first player that I’ve actively recruited from home,” Brown said. “that’s always going to be home for me so I’ve always been choosy about who we go back and get so that tells you how highly I think of him. He’s highly productive, he’s about the right things, he’s tough, he’s physical.”

Tairiq Stewart – OL Warrensville, Ohio/ASA College

“He’s lost almost 80 pounds over the last 12-15 months. I think that shows his commitment,” Brown said. “He’s long, he’s big, he’ll be a tackle for us. I think he’s a guy that has a chance to be a factor for us next fall.”

David Vincent-Okoli – CB Gaithersburg, Maryland

“Had a very, very strong performance in camp, maybe had as good a camp performance as anybody we had over the summer,” Brown said. “Extremely fast, versatile, played both offense and defense. We had to hold off some late charges but we were able to do that.”

Devell Washington – WR Saginaw, Michigan

“One of the first guys to jump in along with Reese and Garrett,” Brown said. “He’s got big-time potential. He’s extremely raw, I think he’s going to continue to mature but he’s powerful.”

Jordan White – OL Hyattsville, Maryland

“If you watch his film, his senior film is as good as you’re going to find from an offensive lineman,” Brown said. “He finished blocks, he plays nasty and I mean that in a positive way.”