Get to know each of the West Virginia Mountaineers football commitments in the 2023 recruiting class with this feature from WVSports.com.
Committed: December 22
Versailles (Ky.) Woodford County 2023 athlete Aden Tagaloa-Nelson had been committed to Western Kentucky down the stretch but secondary coach ShaDon Brown stopped by his school and things quickly picked up. The safety prospect elected to sign with West Virginia the day after national signing day and gives the Mountaineers an athletic defensive back that can fill several different spots. Tagaloa-Nelson slipped under the radar for most of his recruitment but is somebody with plenty of upside.
Committed: December 17
Port St. Joe (Fla.) running back DJ Oliver moved onto the West Virginia radar down the stretch run of his recruitment after the Mountaineers offered in early December. Despite being committed to South Florida for much of the process, his connection with running backs coach Chad Scott led to Oliver electing to back off that pledge to the Bulls. Oliver would take an official visit to Morgantown on the final weekend before the dead period in December and saw enough to end his recruitment on the trip. Gives the West Virginia football program a big back that’s equipped with speed for his size.
West Virginia Mountaineers add 2023 RB Oliver to the class
Committed: December 4
Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County defensive end Zachariah Keith emerged as a key target for West Virginia after backing off a commitment from Georgia Tech not once but twice over the course of the process. Inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz and defensive line coach AJ Jackson served as the lead recruiters for Keith and established a strong connection over the course of the process. Keith finished his senior season with 76 tackles, 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss and is being targeted as a defensive end. Took an official visit during the Dec. 2 weekend and saw enough to end his recruitment.
DL Keith add his name to West Virginia Mountaineers commitment list
Committed: November 28
Orlando (Fla.) Evans offensive tackle Chrisdasson Saint-Jean emerged onto the West Virginia radar with an impressive camp performance in June. He showcased his athleticism for his size and was one of the standouts of the event. Offensive line coach Matt Moore served as the lead recruiter for Saint-Jean, with Drew Casa also playing a significant role. He returned to campus for an official visit during Halloween weekend and the program thrust to the top of his options. He also held scholarship offers from Pittsburgh, Purdue, Maryland, Syracuse, Indiana but elected to commit to the Mountaineers giving them another versatile lineman in this class.
OL Saint-Jean commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
OL Saint-Jean discusses official visit to West Virginia
OL Saint-Jean enjoys West Virginia camp stop, plans official
Committed: November 4
Tallahassee (Fla.) North Florida Christian wide receiver Traylon Ray emerged as the top remaining target on the board for the Mountaineers at his position. After making an unofficial visit to campus July 29, West Virginia surged to the forefront in large part because of his fit in the program and his connection with position coach Tony Washington. Ray is slated to play the outside wide receiver spot for the Mountaineers and has shown the ability to go up and get the football. He returned for another visit to campus for an official for the Towson game and eventually selected the Mountaineers over a long list of offers but two other finalists in Tennessee and Mississippi State.
WR Ray selects West Virginia Mountaineers football
WR Ray dives into West Virginia official visit, what’s next
WR Ray discusses top three, West Virginia
Top WR Ray gets look at West Virginia, plans return
2023 Ray looking into summer stop at West Virginia
Committed: October 25
Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Catholic quarterback Sean Boyle had been on the West Virginia radar since the arrival of offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. The assistant stopped in to see the talented signal caller during the spring and he repaid the favor during the summer to throw in front of the coaching staff. It didn’t lead to an immediate offer, but things progressed to where the Mountaineers extended one in October. He promptly backed off his commitment to Charlotte and would pledge to West Virginia a few days later largely due to his connections with the school. Boyle also held offers from Rutgers, Memphis and a number of others but gives the Mountaineers a 2023 signal caller after exploring a number of options at the position.
Committed: September 8
Georgetown (Ky.) Great Crossing High School defensive end Oryend Fisher had been on the West Virginia radar for quite some time garnering the attention of the coaching staff with an impressive performance at a camp and earning a scholarship offer early in the process. Fisher, an explosive pass rusher with potential, finished his junior season with 84 tackles and 11.5 sacks. Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley, along with secondary coach ShaDon Brown, served as the lead recruiters for Fisher and was able to get him to Morgantown several times. That included an official visit to campus June 23-25 which thrust the Mountaineers up his list of options. After taking an unofficial visit to Vanderbilt in July, Fisher committed to West Virginia offer several other offers including Kentucky and Louisville. Gives the program a versatile pass rusher with upside in the future as he continues to develop.
Pass rusher Fisher commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Pass rusher Fisher has official visit planned, talks recruitment
Committed: August 1
Harborcreek (Pa.) Harbor Creek offensive lineman Nick Krahe received an offer from West Virginia in June but things moved quickly between the two. Offensive line coach Matt Moore served as the lead recruiter for the Keystone State product and things took a significant step forward once he was able to make it to campus for the Take Me Home Tailgate event July 25. That trip allowed Krahe to get a complete view of the football program and a few days later he had made up his mind and committed to the Mountaineers. The versatile offensive tackle could play either side of the line and picked West Virginia over other offers from Pittsburgh, Maryland, Boston College and Maryland. Krahe fits the mold of what the program has been looking for as an athletic lineman that brings versatility to the table.
OL Krahe commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
2023 OL Krahe adds West Virginia offer to growing list
Committed: June 28
Macon (Ga.) Northeast offensive lineman Johnny Williams became one of the top targets for West Virginia in the 2023 class along the offensive line. The Georgia native also held offers from Georgia, Florida State, North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Virginia, Syracuse, Duke and Arizona State. Williams took an official visit to Morgantown during the final weekend of June and saw enough to end his recruitment and pledge to the Mountaineers a few days later. Offensive line coach Matt Moore served as the lead recruiter for Williams, while after seeing things in person knew where he wanted to spend his college career. Williams is slated to play offensive tackle for the Mountaineers and fills a major need in the 2023 class with an athletic big-bodied offensive lineman.
Committed: June 25
Port St. Lucie (Fla.) Treasure Coast defensive lineman Corey McIntyre selected the Mountaineers following an official visit to campus in the last available weekend of June. The son of the former Mountaineer of the same name, McIntyre garnered offers from N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Washington State, Mississippi State and South Florida, among others. The Florida prospect was recruited as a defensive tackle and developed a close bond with defensive line coach AJ Jackson that sealed the deal during his visit.
West Virginia Mountaineers football adds legacy DL McIntyre to commit list
Committed: June 25
Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith athlete Tory Johnson earned a scholarship offer from the Mountaineers during a one-day camp in the summer of 2021 and things never slowed down between the two. The son of former West Virginia tight end Tory Johnson, the Virginia prospect was interested in the Mountaineers from the jump and that enthusiasm was apparent throughout. Johnson was recruited by tight ends coach Sean Reagan and the two developed a strong bond during the process. Johnson is set to fill the role as a hybrid between the tight end and wide receiver spots in the scheme. He elected to make his choice after his official visit to campus, although he had already been to campus multiple times over the past few years.
Hybrid Johnson commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Committed: June 25
Morgantown (W.Va.) University athlete Noah Braham is the son of former West Virginia offensive lineman Rich and after receiving a scholarship offer from the program after the 7-on-7 camp took a few days to wrap things up. Braham impressed not only during that event but a one-day camp earlier in the week and was offered by the Mountaineers as an athlete with the ability to bounce around to tight end, linebacker or even potentially on the defensive line in the future. The legacy prospect grew up following the West Virginia football program and will now play there in college.
In-state athlete Braham commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Committed: June 25
Denver (N.C.) East Lincoln linebacker Ben Cutter received a scholarship offer from West Virginia in May and things only continued to build from there. Cutter recorded 158 tackles during his junior season and is always around the ball. The North Carolina prospect committed to the program after an official visit to campus and selected the Mountaineers over offers from Louisville, East Carolina and a number of others. Cutter was recruited by inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz and is expected to play one of the inside spots in the defensive scheme.
LB Cutter picks West Virginia Mountaineers football
Committed: June 23
Fairfield (Oh.) cornerback Jordan Jackson selected the West Virginia football program after earning a scholarship offer in camp. A running back during his junior high school season, the Mountaineers are targeting Jackson as a cornerback and he flashed that he was more than capable in the camp setting. The twin brother of current defensive back commitment Josiah Jackson, Jordan selected the Mountaineers over offers from Purdue, Duke, Maryland and several more. Jackson developed a strong bond with secondary coach ShaDon Brown as well as defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley. Another strong addition at a spot where they were searching for help.
CB Jackson picks West Virginia Mountaineers football
DB Jackson camps at West Virginia, eyes what’s next
Athlete Jackson adds West Virginia to offer list after visit
Committed: June 12
Downingtown (Pa.) Downingtown West offensive lineman Cooper Young was offered by West Virginia early in the process but things picked up during the summer when the Mountaineers were able to see him at a camp in Washington, D.C. There was strong interest on both sides and it led to a commitment to the program following an official visit to campus during the June 10 weekend. Young picked the Mountaineers over a number of other offers and is slotted to play inside at guard or center.
2023 OL Young commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Committed: June 3
Camden (N.J.) pass rusher James Heard became a primary target for the West Virginia football program and made multiple visits to Morgantown. After narrowing things down to West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, Heard took an official visit to Morgantown and elected to end his recruitment. The Rivals.com four-star pass rusher is coming off a season where he accounted for 37 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. He is being targeted as a bandit in the West Virginia scheme and his relationship with the coaching staff namely with running backs coach Chad Scott proved to be significant in his decision-making process. Heard gives the Mountaineers another major pickup in the class at a position of need.
Rivals250 pass rusher Heard commits to West Virginia
Rivals250 pass rusher Heard walks away impressed with West Virginia
Committed: May 25
Uniontown (Pa.) Laurel Highlands wide receiver Rodney Gallagher was one of, if not the, top targets for West Virginia in the class and it was a pursuit that dates back several years in the process. Gallagher, a two-sport athlete, received an offer from the Mountaineers in both sports but will only play football in college. He garnered a long list of scholarship offers including Penn State, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and more but ultimately decided that the family feel in Morgantown was simply too much to pass up. It was a recruiting effort from the top down with every coach involved while Gallagher made around a dozen trips to campus. Is expected to play slot receiver for West Virginia and is one of the cornerstones of the class as the highest rated pledge since 2010.
Top target Gallagher selects West Virginia Mountaineers football
Top WR Gallagher takes in West Virginia spring practice
Athlete Gallagher discusses latest with West Virginia, recruitment
Two-sport athlete Gallagher impressed with what West Virginia has to offer
Committed: April 15
Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s linebacker Josiah Trotter became a top target for West Virginia at the linebacker spot and things really only picked up further after he visited for a junior day event in February. From there, the Mountaineers surged in his recruitment and after returning yet again a few weeks later the program had become the school to beat. Committed to the Mountaineers over a long list of scholarship offers including the rest of his final five which included Clemson, Virginia Tech, Penn State and South Carolina. Was recruited by area coach Chad Scott as well as inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz and is slated to begin his career at MIKE linebacker.
Four-star LB Trotter commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Committed: March 11
Fairfield (Oh.) defensive back Josiah Jackson received a scholarship offer from West Virginia in late January and made a quick turnaround visit for the Jan. 30 junior day event. That impressed him enough that he was back again for the first opportunity that he could return to campus for the March 5 junior day. Those experiences, coupled with the fact that he grew up following the program, was enough to close the door with his commitment to the Mountaineers. Jackson is being targeted as a defensive back due to his length, size and versatility and was recruited by both defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley and secondary coach ShaDon Brown. Jackson is another important cog.
DB Jackson commits to West Virginia Mountaineers football
Committed: December 13
York (Pa.) William Penn Senior running back Jahiem White camped with West Virginia during the summer of 2021 and received a scholarship offer from the program in November. After an impressive visit to campus for a game, White took another visit for a junior day event in December and pulled the trigger. An impressive running back option, White developed a close bond with running backs coach Chad Scott and will will at least one of the slots for a running back in this recruiting class.
West Virginia lands first 2023 commitment in RB White
Coach Speak: White an impressive player
———-
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan
•Like us on Facebook
