Dana Holgorsen buttoned up a strong class on Wednesday at West Virginia, closing out National Signing Day with a class of 25 commits.

Nine were junior college players, several were high end prospects, and the list included players from 15 different states.

Seven players enrolled early in January, leaving the fax machine to roll out 18 signatures on Wednesday.

"We did a heck of a job. I think this staff did a heck of a job," said Holgorsen, in a suit and tie behind the podium at the Milan Puskar Center team room.

Did any cause the staff to sweat at the eleventh hour?

“Yes, all 25 of them,” said Holgorsen. “We felt pretty good about the seven that were enrolled here early. We worked those seven guys out yesterday. You never know with the other 18 guys. We talked to all of them yesterday and talked to them again today. We are glad it worked out the way it did.”

The highlights of the class are receiver Shelton Gibson from Cleveland Heights, Ohio who had offers from 18 other schools including Ohio State and multiple SEC programs, junior college players Mario Alford, a 5-9, 175 pound explosive receiver and Brandon Golson, a 6-3, 220-pound linebacker, both from Georgia Military College.

***

West Virginia Class of 2013:

Mario Alford, Greenville, Ga./Georgia Military College, (WR, 5-9,175)

Al-Rasheed Benton, Newark, N.J., Lackawanna College (LB, 6-4, 210)

Ronald Carswell, Macon, Ga. (WR, 6-0, 275)

Hodari Christian, McKeesport High School (LB, 6-1, 195)

Shelton Gibson, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, (WR, 6-1, 175)

Brandon Golson, St. Mathews, S.C./Georgia Military College, (LB, 6-3, 220)

Malik Greaves, Jacksonville, Fla. (S, 6-3, 200)

Marvin Gross, Baltimore, Md (DE, 6-4, 225)

d’Vante Henry, Moore, Okla./Arizona Western (LB 6-5, 205)

Darrien Howard, Dayton, Ohio, (LB, 6-2, 250)

Dontrill Hyman, Warsaw, N.C./Hinds Community College, (DE, 6-4, 265)

Marcell Lazard, Bloomfield, N.J., (OL, 6-6, 293)

Grant Lingafelter, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, (OL, 6-5, 265)

Isaac McDonald, Hialeah, Fla. (S, 6-5, 205)

Nick O’Toole, Corona, Calif./Fullerton College (P, 6-5, 220)

Chavas Rawlins, Monessen High (QB, 6-3, 190)

Daikiel Shorts, WR, Clayton, N.J./Eastern Christian

Wendell Smallwood, Wilmington, Del. (RB, 5-11, 194)

Dreamius Smith, Wichita, Kan./Butler CC (RB, 5-10, 215)

Tyler Tezeno, Houston, Texas, (OL, 6-3, 280)

Jeremy Tyler, Lithonia, Ga. (S, 6-0, 195)

Stone Underwood, Brookhaven, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln CC, (OL 6-4, 285)

Elijah Wellman, Huntington, W.Va. (FB, 6-2, 235)

Kevin White, Macungie, Pa./Lackawanna College, (WR, 6-4, 210)

Daryl Worley, Philadelphia, Pa. (S, 6-2, 190)

Signing day is underway.

 

West Virginia got off to a brisk start this morning rolling out bios on all seven of the team’s early enrollees after their their formal National Letter of Intent was officially in.

 

After that group, LB Al-Rasheed Benton (6-2, 220) of Newark, N.J. made it official to kick off the fun.

 

Check back here for updates. I'll be heading down to Morgantown later this afternoon for a 3 p.m. press conference with Coach Dana Holgorsen, and the Post-Gazette will be at Clariton High at 10 a.m. this morning following Pitt commit, but WVU target Tyler Boyd whose destination is still unclear. (Update: Boyd commits to Pitt)

 

Without further ado, Benton's bio, from WVU:

 

Al-Rasheed Benton, LB, 6-2, 220, Newark, N.J./Shabazz HS

 

Three-year letterwinner for coach Darnell Grant at Shabazz High … two-time New Jersey All-State Third Team Defense … helped team to a combined 19-13 record and an appearance in the 2012 New Jersey Central Group 2 Championship semifinals … finished 2012 with 110 tackles, 73 tackles for loss and two interceptions … rushed for 710 yards with 14 touchdowns on offense … recorded 105 tackles with seven sacks in 2011 … played in the 2012 Chesapeake Bowl … 2012 All-Group 2 First Team Defense … 2011 New Jersey All-Group 1 First Team Defense … two-time All-Essex County First Team Defense … earned All-Essex County Second Team Defense in 2010 …two-time Super Essex Conference Defensive Player of the Year … No. 15 on The Ledger Top 50 … four-star recruit according to ESPN and 247sports … three-star recruit according to rivals and Scout … 2013 ESPN No. 16 inside linebacker … 2013 ESPN No. 12 New Jersey recruit … 2013 rivals No. 45 inside linebacker … 2013 rivals No. 23 New Jersey Postseason Top 30 … 2013 247sports No. 17 inside linebacker … 2013 247sports No. 11 New Jersey recruit … also offered by Arizona State, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Maryland, Penn State, Pitt and Temple.

 

The Early Enrollees

 

Here are the bios provided by WVU of the early enrollees:

 

Hodari Christian (Ha-dari), LB, 6-1, 195, McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport HS

Coached by Jim Ward at McKeesport High … 2012 Pennsylvania Sportswriters Class 4A All-State linebacker … 2012 Coaches/Pennsylvania Football News Class 4A All-State Second Team linebacker … two year two-way starter at linebacker and running back … recorded 57 tackles, including 43 solo tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries in nine games as a senior … also rushed for 546 yards, averaging 5.87 yards per carry with three touchdowns … All-Class 4AFoothills Conference linebacker in 2012 … No. 19 on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Top 25 Pennsylvania football players … named to the 2012 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 … member of the 2012 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 … on the McKeesport Daily News Dynamic 33 team … played in the 2012 Chesapeake Bowl … four-star recruit according to ESPN … three-star recruit according to rivals, Scout and 247sports … rivals No. 25 Pennsylvania Postseason Top 30 … 247sports No. 20 dual-threat quarterback … 247sports No. 25 Pennsylvania recruit … also offered by Illinois, Northwestern, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers and Temple.

 

***

Malik Greaves (greeves), S, 6-3, 200, Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood HS

Three-year starter for coach Adam Geis at Sandalwood High … named to the 2012 Florida Times-Union Super 24 … earned All-Gateway Conference honors … collected eight interceptions for his career and returned two of them for touchdowns … ranked No. 9 on the Orlando Sentinel’s North Florida Super60 … four-star recruit according to ESPN … three-star recruit according to rivals, Scout and 247sports … rivals No. 43 safety … runs a 4.48 40-yard dash … lettered in basketball and track … also offered by Auburn, Duke, North Carolina, Ole Miss, USF, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wisconsin.

 

***

Daikiel (da-keel) Shorts, WR, 6-1, 200, Clayton, N.J./Eastern Christian Academy

Coached by Dwayne Thomas at Eastern Christian Academy … helped team to a 3-0 record in 2012 … played in three games in 2012, recording 16 catches for 342 yards, an average of 21.4 yards per reception, and four touchdowns … caught seven passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns in 39-35 win over Strom Thurmond … hauled in seven receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns in a 62-3 victory over Niagara Academy … had two catches for 35 yards against Archbishop Spalding … previously lettered for three seasons at Red Lion Christian Academy … finished with 45 catches for 530 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior … also had 40 tackles and one interception while playing cornerback and safety … three-star recruit according to ESPN, rivals, Scout and 247sports … 247sports No. 31 Maryland recruit … Tom Lemming Top Combo Passer Quarterback … also offered by Boise State, Boston College, Hawaii, Maryland, NC State, Temple and UCLA.

 

***

Wendell (wen-dell) Smallwood, RB, 5-11, 194, Wilmington, Del./Eastern Christian Academy

Coached by Dwayne Thomas at Eastern Christian Academy … helped team to a 3-0 record in 2012 … played in three games in 2012, rushing for more than 450 yards and scoring four touchdowns … averaged more than eight yards per carry … carried the ball 21 times for 154 yards in win over Strom Thurmond … rushed for 90 yards on nine carries in victory over Niagara Academy … had 220 yards, three touchdown runs and a 50-yard receiving touchdown against Archbishop Spalding … previously lettered for three seasons at Red Lion Christian Academy … as a junior, he finished with 1,200 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns … team co-offensive most valuable player as a sophomore and junior … special teams most valuable player as a freshman, finishing with six touchdowns on returns … runs a 4.43 40-yard dash … three-star recruit according to ESPN, rivals, Scout and 247sports … rivals No. 37 running back … rivals No. 15 Maryland Postseason Top 25 … 247sports No. 30 Maryland recruit … Tom Lemming Top Running Back … also offered by Auburn, Boston College, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rutgers, Temple and Tennessee.

 

***

Chavas Rawlins, QB, 6-3, 190, Monessen, Pa./Monessen HS

Coached by Andy Pacak at Monessen High … 2012 Pennsylvania Sportswriters Class A All-State quarterback …  2012 Coaches/PFN Class A All-State Second Team athlete … four-year letterwinner, leading the team to a combined 15-6 record in two seasons as quarterback … completed 71-of-165 passes for 1,382 yards and 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions in 11 games as a senior … also rushed for 613 yards and 12 touchdowns … finished 2011 season with 991 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for 725 yards and seven touchdowns … runs a 4.43 40-yard dash … No. 20 on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Top 25 Pennsylvania football players … named the 2012 Greensburg Tribune-Review Player of the Year and to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 … member of the 2012 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 … a two-time selection to the All-Tri-County South Conference team … three-star recruit according to ESPN, rivals, Scout and 247sports … rivals No. 19 dual-threat quarterback … rivals No. 14 Pennsylvania Postseason Top 30 … 247sports No. 20 dual-threat quarterback … 247sports No. 16 Pennsylvania recruit … Tom Lemming Top Combo Passer Quarterback … also offered by Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, USF, Tennessee and Virginia.

 

***

Dreamius Smith, RB, 5-10, 215, Wichita, Kan./Butler CC
Played two seasons for coach Troy Morrell at Butler Community College, helping the team to a combined 22-2 record … won the 2011 NJCAA National Championship, while falling in the championship game in 2012 … finished the season with 984 yards on 120 carries and 17 touchdowns … averaged 89.5 rushing yards per game and 8.2 yards per carry … added 16 receptions for 179 receiving yards and two touchdowns … registered four games with more than 100 rushing yards and five multi-touchdown games … scored four touchdowns with 157 rushing yards in an 84-7 win over Independence … went for 148 rushing yards with two touchdowns in a 61-0 victory over Highland … had a season-high 193 yards on 13 carries with three touchdowns in an 84-13 win over Garden City … served as a backup in 2011, rushing for 690 yards on 100 carries with nine touchdowns … 2012 All-KJCCC First Team offense … helped team to a state championship as a senior at Wichita Heights High … named to the Wichita Eagle’s Top 11 football team … named to the Kansas 6A All-State First Team by the Wichita Eagle … rushed 143 times for 1,837 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior … career numbers included 320 rushes for 3,288 yards and 54 scores … ran for 286 yards against Olathe North in the 2010 state championship game … four-star prospect on ESPN … three-star prospect according to rivals and 247sports … No. 2 junior college running back and No. 8 Kansas junior college recruit on 247sports … also offered by Boise State, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.

 

***

Kevin White, WR, 6-4, 210, Macungie, Pa./Lackawanna College
Played two seasons for coach Mark Duda at Lackawanna College … made 36 receptions, totaling 535 yards and six touchdowns in 2012 … averaged 14.9 yards per reception … recorded two touchdowns in 67-6 win over Widener … caught nine passes for 113 yards with one touchdown in a 43-25 loss against Georgia Military College … attended Emmaus High, where he was All-Lehigh Valley Athletic Conference as a receiver and defensive back in 2009 … three-star prospect and No. 2 Pennsylvania junior college wide receiver on 247sports … three-star prospect by rivals and No. 56 on its postseason Top 100 … three-star prospect by Scout and ESPN … also offered by Texas Tech.

 

The LOIs continued to roll in after Benton, and wrapped up with the addition of WR Shelton Gibson, the last commit to send in his NLI today.

 

***

Mario Alford, WR, 5-9, 175, Greenville, Ga./Georgia Military College -  Note, Alford was previously an Arizona commit.

Played two seasons for coach Bert Williams at Georgia Military College … led the team in rushing with 541 yards on 52 carries with six touchdowns, averaging 10.4 yards per carry in 2012 … added eight receptions for 199 yards and two touchdowns … recorded 33 carries for 226 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 2011 … caught 10 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown … ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries against Iowa Western … had 10 carries for 136 yards, four catches for 129 yards and scored four touchdowns in a win over Snow College … named all-state honorable mention quarterback at Greenville High (Ga.) … also a star on the track team, winning the 100-meter state championship in 10.77 … four-star recruit according to ESPN and 247sports … three-star recruit according to rivals and Scout … rivals No. 82 Junior College Postseason Top 100 … 247sports No. 1 Georgia junior college recruit … 247sports No. 1 junior college wide receiver … 247sports No. 11 junior college recruit … also offered by Arizona, Cincinnati, Kansas, Ole Miss and Texas Tech.

***

Daryl Worley, S, 6-2, 190, Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter HS

Played safety and receiver for coach Jeff Humble at William Penn Charter … All-Southeastern Pennsylvania First Team defensive back … two-time Penn Inter-Ac League First Team … earned first-team honors as a receiver and defensive back as a senior and first team receiver accolades as a junior ... rushed for 184 yards on 53 carries in 2012 … team’s leading receiver with 26 catches for 495 yards (he was the only player with more than seven receptions on the team) … scored six touchdowns and was second on the team in scoring with 36 points … also led the team in interceptions with three … participated in the Chesapeake Bowl’s North Team, pitting the best players of the Mid-Atlantic region … as a junior in 2011, he caught 10 passes for 171 yards and also added 247 yards rushing on 34 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per carry and 17.1 yards per reception while scoring four total touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving) … defensively, he tied for the team lead in interceptions, with three … as a sophomore, he had 653 receiving yards on 45 catches with six touchdowns … had one interception as a sophomore as well … saw varsity action at William Penn as a freshman as well, catching three passes for 54 yards …also ran track in spring of 2012 with personal-best times of 11.14 in the 200, 22.01 in the 200 and 49.19 in the 400 and 7.3 in the 60-yard dash … PennLive’s No. 22 on Pennsylvania’s Top 50 recruits … rated as Southeastern Pennsylvania’s top cornerback by the Philadelphia Inquirer … three-star recruit by rivals, ESPN and Scout … Scout No. 33 safety nationally … rivals No. 51 safety nationally … rivals No. 19 on postseason Top 30 in Pennsylvania … also offered by Boston College, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse and Tennessee.

***

Darrien Howard, LB, 6-2, 250, Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne HS

Three-year starter for coach Marcus Colvin at Dayton’s Chaminade-Julienne High  … earned Division IV All-Ohio first-team honors in 2012 … amassed 75 tackles and scored five touchdowns on offense as a senior … rushed for 131 yards and totaled 77 yards receiving, helping team to a 6-4 record … four-star rating by ESPN, rivals and Scout … No. 241 on ESPN’s Top300 team … rated as the No. 10 best inside linebacker by rivals and the No. 12 best by Scout … No. 17 on the rivals postseason Top 75 … ranked as the No. 9 best inside linebacker by ESPN … 2010 National Underclassmen (NUC) Columbus linebacker MVP … NUC Ultimate 100 linebacker MVP … collected 154 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks, three interceptions and four fumble recoveries as a junior …  named Division IV All-Ohio first team selection and District Player of the Year as a junior … on offense as a fullback and tight end, he scored 15 touchdowns and rushed for 270 yards … helped lead Chaminade-Julienne to a 10-4 record and the third-round of the state playoffs … named first team all-league, all-district, all-area and special mention all-state as a sophomore … also offered by Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, NC State and Pitt.

***

Tyler Tezeno, OL, 6-3, 280, Houston, Texas/Klein Collins HS

Played for coach Drew Svoboda at Klein Collins … named to the Associated Press 5A All-State Second Team in 2012 … helped lead the Tigers to a 16-6 two-year record and an appearance in the first round of the Texas state football playoffs both years … Klein Collins averaged 430 yards of total offense and 270 rushing yards per game … Tigers were only held below 190 rushing yards once all season … team averaged 40.0 points per game in 2012, and it was held below 31 points just once … finalist for the Houston Touchdown Club Player of the Year award (only offensive lineman selected as a finalist for this award) … named All-District 13-5A First Team honoree as a senior and honorable mention as a junior … has an 80.5-inch wingspan … three-star recruit by ESPN, rivals, Scout and 247sports … also offered by Arizona State, Boise State, LSU, Northwestern, Utah

***

Dontrill Hyman, DE, 6-4, 265, Warsaw, N.C./Hinds CC

Played two seasons for coach Gene Murphy at Hinds Community College … helped team to a combined 10-8 record … led 2012 squad in sacks (7.5) and forced fumbles (3) … also recorded 51 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss … named to the 2011 NJCAA All-American Second Team in after registering 62 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and two forced fumbles … member of the 2011 MACJC All-Region and MACJC All-State First Team … named to the 2012 MACJC All-State Second Team … played both ways as a senior at Warsaw High, spending time on offense as a running back ... selected to the NCPreps 1A All-State Team and Wilmington Star News All-Area squad as a senior ... tallied 151 total tackles (11.6 tackles per game), including 105 solo stops, during final campaign ... also lettered in basketball … four-star recruit according to 247sports … three-star recruit according ESPN … 247sports No. 28 junior college recruit … 247sports No. 1 junior college strong-side defensive end … 247sports No. 10 Mississippi junior college recruit … also offered by LSU and Mississippi State.

***

Isaac McDonald, S, 6-5, 205, Hialeah, Fla./Champagnat Catholic HS

Two-year starter for coach Mike Tunsil at Champagnat Catholic High … two-time Miami Herald All-Dade County second-team linebacker … as a senior, he finished with  68 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss and seven sacks … also had 331 yards receiving and five touchdowns … helped lead Champagnat to the first round of the state playoffs … as a junior, he finished with 75 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions … No. 151 on Florida Top 200 … No. 21 on Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade County Top 25 football recruits … three-star recruit by ESPN, rivals and scout and 247sports … played for Team USA U-19 … also offered by Clemson, Louisville, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Oregon, South Carolina and Stanford.

 

***

Stone Underwood, OL, 6-4, 285, Brookhaven, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln CC

Started all 12 games for Glenn Davis at Copiah-Lincoln CC in 2012 …  All-NJCAA Region 23 First Team …  All-Mississippi Association of Community/Junior Colleges First Team … helped team to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the Mississippi Bowl … anchored an offensive line that averaged 102.4 rushing yards per game … spent 2011 at Southeastern Louisiana … previously attended Brookhaven High … named one of the top 125 seniors in Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion Ledger … listed as one of the top 16 prospects by the Brookhaven Daily Leader … selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game … named a first-team member on the MAC Class 5A and Region 3-5A MVP team … a member of the Daily Leader All-Lincoln County team … named Clarion Ledger All-State Second Team and Scout … two-star recruit according to 247sports … also offered by Massachusetts and Memphis.

 

***

d’Vante Henry, LB, 6-5, 205, Moore, Okla./Arizona Western College

Played two seasons for coach Tom Minnick at Arizona Western College … helped team to a combined 19-3 record, including a win in the El Toro Bowl in 2012 … led 2012 team in tackles (55), solo tackles (23) and assisted tackles (32) … also registered 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and three pass breakups … 2012 All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference First Team Defense … 2012 All-Western States Football League First Team Defense … made 26 tackles with eight tackles for loss and four sacks in 2011 … previously attended Southmoore High, registering 65 tackles as a senior, including five sacks ... led Southmoore to a 10-3 mark as a junior ... All-VYPE Oklahoma Second Team ... The Oklahoman's All-Big City Roster Honorable Mention ... Tulsa World 6A Honorable Mention ... also lined up as a receiver and running back on offense ... finished third at 2010 Oklahoma 6A Championships with a time of 49.34 in the 400 meters and was the anchor in the state champion 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams … three-star recruit according to rivals, Scout, ESPN and 247sports … rivals No. 23 Junior College Postseason Top 100 … 247sports No. 3 junior college outside linebacker … 247sports No. 5 Arizona junior college recruit … also offered by Iowa State, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Utah.

 

***

Brandon Golson, LB, 6-3, 220, Fork Union, Va./Georgia Military College

 

Played two seasons for coach Bert Williams at Georgia Military College … played in only four games in 2012 due to injury, registering six tackles, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries … recorded 24 tackles with five tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 2011 … named the Orangeburg Times & Democrat Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and was a first team all-area selection at Calhoun County High ... played just two seasons of football for coach Walt Wilson ... logged 113 tackles and 30 sacks with four forced fumbles, earning all-state honors as selected by The State ... helped Calhoun County to the state 1-A semifinals as a senior ... selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl ... logged 78 tackles and 18 sacks in just six games as a junior ... three-star recruit according to rivals, Scout, ESPN and 247sports … rivals No. 35 Junior College Postseason Top 100 … 247sports No. 3 Georgia junior college recruit … 247sports No. 4 junior college linebacker … 247sports No. 48 junior college recruit … also offered by Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, South Carolina and Texas A&M.

 

***

Marvin Gross, DE, 6-4, 225, Baltimore, Md./Dunbar HS

Played for coach Ben Eaton at Dunbar High … first-team consensus all-state and small school all-state in Maryland … two-year sack total of 52 … three-time Baltimore Sun All-Met First Team … collected 21 sacks, 75 total tackles, 42 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles as a senior … helped Dunbar to a 13-1 record in 2012, a 9-0 league mark and a state championship … member of three straight state championship teams at Dunbar … finished junior campaign with 70 tackles, 31 sacks … invited to play in the 2013 Max Emfinger All-American Bowl Game Classic … rated as the No. 24-best lineman in the state by rivals and No. 14 by Max Preps … 2012 Max Emfinger Northeast Super Sixth … three-star ranking from rivals, Scout and Yahoo … rivals postseason Top 25 … member of the East’s Top 100 … Baltimore All-Nike camp team … played in the Chesapeake Bowl, featuring senior standouts from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, D.C.  and West Virginia … also offered by Colorado, Purdue, Rutgers, Wake Forest and Washington.

 

***

Nick O’Toole, P, 6-5, 220, Corona, Calif./Fullerton College

 

Played one season for coach Tim Byrnes at Fullerton College, helping the team to a 7-4 record … ranked third in the California Community College Athletic Association with an average of 41.8 yards per punt … punted 49 times for 2,050 yards with 15 punts downed inside the 20 yard line … registered a long of 62 yards … named to the 2012 Southern California Football Association All-Conference First Team … two-year starter for national powerhouse Mater Dei High … recorded 37 punts for 1,427 yards with a long of 64 as a senior, including 19 inside the 20-yard line … knocked 42 punts for 1,377 yards in 2010 … 2011 All-Trinity League First Team Defense … ranked No. 7 punter in the nation by Chris Sailer Kicking.

 

***

Ronald Carswell, WR, 6-0, 180, Macon, Ga./Itawamba Community College
Former University of Alabama player who played one season for coach Joe Williams at Itawamba Community College, leading the team to a 6-3 record … finished the season with 44 receptions for 429 yards and one touchdown … brought down five receptions for 98 yards against Mississippi Delta … previously played for Westside High, where he was ranked as the No. 35 player in the state of Georgia by the Atlanta Journal Constitution … 2009 4A All-State selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution … caught 41 passes for 715 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior … hauled in 34 receptions for 627 yards and three scores in 2008, while compiling 33 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns in 2006 … three-star prospect according to 247sports; No. 25 junior college wide receiver … also offered by Kentucky. 

 

***

Ronald Carswell, WR, 6-0, 180, Macon, Ga./Itawamba Community College
Former University of Alabama player who played one season for coach Joe Williams at Itawamba Community College, leading the team to a 6-3 record … finished the season with 44 receptions for 429 yards and one touchdown … brought down five receptions for 98 yards against Mississippi Delta … previously played for Westside High, where he was ranked as the No. 35 player in the state of Georgia by the Atlanta Journal Constitution … 2009 4A All-State selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution … caught 41 passes for 715 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior … hauled in 34 receptions for 627 yards and three scores in 2008, while compiling 33 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns in 2006 … three-star prospect according to 247sports; No. 25 junior college wide receiver … also offered by Kentucky.

 

***

Shelton Gibson, WR, 6-1, 175, Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights HS

Played three seasons for coach Jeff Rotsky at Cleveland Heights High … played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl … finished with more than 700 receiving yards as a senior and scored 11 total touchdowns … scored touchdowns as a receiver, rusher, kickoff returner, punt returner and passed for a touchdown … helped lead Cleveland Heights to a 17-3 two-year record, including advancing to the first round of the playoffs in both years, the first time in school history to advance to the playoffs … grabbed 27 passes for 518 yards and four touchdowns in 2011 … recorded 45 receptions for 532 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore … No. 6 on the 2012 Cleveland Plain Dealer Top 50 Northeast Ohio football players … named to the 2012 Cleveland Plain Dealer Special Mention team … earned Northeast Lakes All-District Third Team Offense in 2011 … four-star recruit according to ESPN, rivals, Scout and 247sports … ESPN No. 11 Ohio recruit … ESPN No. 26 wide receiver … rivals No. 129 Rivals250 … rivals No. 12 wide receiver … rivals No. 4 Ohio Postseason Top 75 … Scout No. 19 wide receiver … 247sports No. 27 wide receiver … 247sports No. 8 Ohio recruit … Sporting News Top 125 … lettered in track, participating in sprints and relays … member of one of the fastest 4x200m relay teams nationally … also offered by Arkansas, Auburn, Cal, Duke, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, NC State, Ohio State, Pitt, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

 

 

The big day has just about arrived: National Signing Day

West Virginia’s class is ranked a solid No. 25 nationally by Rivals.com, and No. 34 by Scout.com, and neither recruiting site rank any of the class’s prospects as a five-star recruit.

It will undoubtedly be a big day for Coach Dana Holgorsen, who over the course of Wednesday will get signed letters of intent rolling off the fax machine from a class that will need to provide depth fairly quickly after a 7-6 season where a lack of depth proved to be an issue.

The big guns

Both WR Shelton Gibson (6-1, 275) and LB Darrien Howard (6-2, 250) – both Ohio prospects - are both four-star recruits according to Rivals and Scout rankings.

Overall

Overall, this appears to be a pretty solid recruiting class for Holgorsen and his staff and ranks among the middle of the pack across the Big 12 according to multiple recruiting sites.

There are 24 total commits, including seven junior college players.

But will there be drama?

Isn’t there always? Is it possible Clariton WR Tyler Boyd changes his commitment from Pitt. He visited WVU and Tennessee in the last two weekends and will sign his letter at 10 a.m. Wednesday according to his twitter account.

His own high school coach, however, told the Post-Gazette on the eve of signing day that Boyd is “confused” and does plan on signing a letter of intent. But it is unclear where.

 

It’s unclear if Clairton standout wide receiver Tyler Boyd has any intentions of reversing his commit to Pitt and heading down I-79 to West Virginia. What we do know is he created a bit of a stir when he visited West Virginia over the weekend – but will that amount to a change of heart?

From colleague Mike White’s Varsity Blog in the Post-Gazette today:

“Clairton football star Tyler Boyd created a stir with Pitt fans when he visited West Virginia this weekend. But it shouldn't have been a surprise. Heck, when Boyd committed to Pitt at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he talked about possibly visiting a few other schools.

But according to Clairton assistant coach Eric Fusco, Pitt fans can relax. Boyd is still very much committed to Pitt. Fusco has been involved in Boyd's recruiting all along.”

Should be interesting to see what happens.

West Virginia returns very little proven talent at the receiver position after losing what is arguably one of the team’s greatest one-two tandems in history in Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey.

National Signing day is next Wednesday, Feb. 6.