by Mike Farrell - The Sporting News
The West Virginia Mountaineers received a commitment this week from the best player in Morgantown, West Virginia. Not exactly a stunner, huh? But what is truly interesting about any player who commits to the 'Neers is that very few people, not me, not the fans and sometimes not even the coaches, know exactly who will be the next star on the team.
Adam "Pacman" Jones had only two offers out of high school back in 2002, Georgia Tech and West Virginia (and he committed to each school) and, despite his good frame and excellent speed, didn't have the hips to play corner, according to many. That same year, wide receiver Chris Henry was deemed too slow and not explosive enough by many programs despite a 19-yards-per-catch average in high school. LSU doesn't often miss on in-state players, but they passed on Henry and he chose West Virginia.
More recently, quarterback Pat White out of Mobile, Alabama had plenty of offers, but West Virginia was the only program he liked that had complete faith in him as a signal-caller. He originally committed to LSU, which wanted him as a wide receiver, but changed his mind on Signing Day 2004. The knock on White was that he wasn't a true quarterback prospect and would have to change positions in college. Needless to say he's proving people wrong.
And finally, a tale of two running backs. New York stud Jason Gwaltney became the first five-star recruit to commit to the Mountaineers since Rivals.com has been giving out stars. At 6-2 and 230 chiseled pounds, Gwaltney already looked like an NFL player, and he has speed and quickness that was rare for a big man. Ricky Williams came to mind. In the same class, Pennsylvania speedster Steve Slaton lacked the size most wanted at tailback and most thought his athleticism was best used at cornerback. Slaton actually committed to Maryland at one point, but the Terps saw him as a corner and eventually turned him away. Big mistake. While Gwaltney struggled with the adjustment to the college game, injuries and some off-the-field issues, Slaton ran his way to 1,128 yards, 17 scores and early Heisman talk entering his sophomore season. Gwaltney has since transferred.
West Virginia is one of the top programs in the country when it comes to eyeing talent that others miss, putting players in the right situation to succeed and developing them beyond expectations. So when Charlie Russell, a 6-3, 215 drop-back quarterback from Morgantown committed to West Virginia this past week, there were already whispers that he wasn't mobile enough to run Rich Rodriguez's offense.
A word to the wise for those doubters: It's sometimes better to go against the consensus when it comes to West Virginia recruiting.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/vie...hp?t=78027
