WVU Signs Sammy Etienne to Bolsters Secondary for 2025

WVU football signs another Florida native, this time Sammy Etienne.

Etienne resides in Auburndale, Florida, playing his high school football at Auburndale High School. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound safety is a 3-star recruit across all recruiting platforms.  Both On3 and 247Sports have graded Etienne out as an 86 grade. On3 Sports has graded Etienne as a top 130 safety in the country as well.

Welcome to Almost Heaven, @TheRealestSam3!

▪️ Defensive Back
▪️ Winter Haven, FL#TakeMeHome25 pic.twitter.com/2LsbKFLP0K

— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) December 4, 2024

Etienne hopes to bolster the secondary with his speed, as he is also a track and field athlete.  His freshman year of high school, he was a state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles.  Etienne is not only known for being a defensive back, as his 2023 campaign saw him as a two-way player.  On defense, he totaled 59 tackles, 4 PBUS, and an INT.  On the offensive side of the ball, he recorded 15 passes for 237 yards and a TD, alongside two touchdowns on special teams.

Etienne held 11 offers, including Big 12 foes Kansas State and Colorado.  The Mountaineers offered Etienne on June 3^rd, and were able to get him onto campus for an official visit on June 7^th.

Etienne took an official visit to Kansas State on June 14^th, but just three days after his visit to Manhattan, Kansas, Etienne committed to the Mountaineers.

Alongside offers from Kansas State and Colorado, Etienne held offers from USF, Marshall, Liberty, and Charlotte, amongst others.