SI All-American's John Garcia Jr. Gives Analysis of WVU’s 2021 Signing Class
West Virginia secured National Letters of Intent from all 16 of their commits on National Signing Day. Sports Illustrated All-American Director of Football recruiting, John Garcia, Jr. provided his analysis of the newest additions to the WVU roster.
Ranking The Mountaineers Signing Class In The Big 12 and Nation:
“They’re on the cusp in both categories. We rank 25 classes periodically here at SI All-American and they’re right in that discussion on the fringe of the Top 25.”
“In the Big 12, let’s be honest, it’s who’s going to be in third place. We know OU and Texas are going to be one and two in some order in most years. For me, West Virginia is right in that conversation to be the number three program in the Big 12.
“Given where Neal Brown’s tenure is, that’s right where you want to be. You want to sort of say, ‘hey, we can throw punches with the big boys, but we can also find our own niche and do our own thing in recruiting. That’s one thing that West Virginia has already done and accomplished under Brown. This is a really solid class. The 16 that they locked in were really impressive, geographically diverse, which is a big deal especially in 2020. Getting eight states on that list…that’s hard to do.”
On The Importance Of A Geographically Diverse Class Profile
“It means you don’t have to rely on anyone pipeline state. Ohio is always going to be a pipeline, and that’s maybe the exception, but you’re not relying on the state of Virginia or Georgia or Pennsylvania. That flexibility enables you to do what West Virginia has done: go down to Florida which is something that all the best West Virginia teams have been able to accomplish. Go down to Alabama, where Neal Brown has some ties, and get his quarterback.”
“You want that flexibility to say, ‘yeah, this is a pipeline state, but we’re going to focus on where the talent is. We’re not going to lock ourselves into a certain area.’ A lot of people look at programs like West Virginia and think they need to create pipeline states and try to rely on certain areas, but that’s how you tread water and not how you expand. If you look at conference champions, national champions, they’re pulling prospects from wherever they’re from, not just because they happen to reside within a certain state boundary.”
On QB Will “Goose” Crowder’s Potential At WVU
“The system lends itself to quarterbacks who are smart, athletic and can get the ball out quickly. Those are three things that we can really confirm with Will Crowder, ‘Goose,’ as he’s known.”
“Where he’s come from the day that I met him to now is really impressive. Not just physically, but mentally he’s matured quite a bit. I think he’s a guy who, if you have to, is ready to play early. I think there’s a lot of tangible growth here with Crowder.”
“Going from his junior year to his senior year, he hit all the marks you wanted. He got a little bigger and gained about 15-20 pounds. Really the only question mark about his game at the high school level was this injury history. He shook that in 2020, playing just about every game. When you get into his stats, he actually improved where you’d want to see. His production was much better. He threw for a few hundred more yards in less games. The touchdowns more than doubled up to 24 this year. The interceptions stayed low. Maybe most importantly when you’re talking about the Big 12, his completion percentage increased by almost 10 points. This shows you that his decision making and mental processing was that much sharper.”
“I watched him in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game the other day, and he was the best quarterback on the field for either team. He was the big reason Alabama was able to push the ball down the field and get a victory. Pushing the ball down the field is what West Virginia wants to do ultimately… If he keeps maturing physically he’ll be ready to play in the Big 12.”
DB Aubrey Burks Is Potential Sleeper In WVU’s 2021 Signing Class
“I think Aubrey Burks (Auburndale, Fla.) is an interesting defensive back prospect. He’s a linebacker by trade so he’s physical and aggressive, but when you watch his tape, he turns people over. He’s not just this downhill guy trying to rack up tackles. He’s stripping the ball. He’s dropping into coverage and making interceptions.”
“He’s another guy who has hit the weight room from his junior year to his senior year, up about 20 pounds...Now he has added some bulk to that frame which will better prepare him for college football, and West Virginia has a lot of experience there that we expect to depart at safety. I think not only is he undervalued, but he’s a guy who maybe can play sooner rather than later at West Virginia, despite not having the fanfare of a Goose Crowder or Wyatt Milum or Kaden Prather.”
The Direction Of WVU Recruiting Under Head Coach Neal Brown
“It’s pretty positive. The perception of West Virginia when he took over was, ‘yes, West Virginia can score, it’s a fun atmosphere… but I’m not so sure about that defense.’ I think that’s been a big key for West Virginia going forward, and in these two years they’ve really improved on defense. They’ve only allowed more than 30 points once or twice this year.”
“More defensive prospects are going to say, ‘hey, the Big 12 isn’t the seven-on-seven, wide-open kind of league that it was 5-10 years ago. There’s a lot of teams playing really good defense all of the sudden in the Big 12. So, for West Virginia to be among them is a big step in the right direction for Neal Brown.”
“You want signature wins, you want winning records and he’s got that so far over the first two years. Just like any other program that’s building, you have got to get over that hump. For West Virginia, it’s going to be Texas, it’s going to be Oklahoma, it’s going to be getting to the Big 12 title game at some point over the next few years.”
“There’s still some relative youth on the roster, so I think there’s a positive perception of West Virginia coast-to-coast. Especially down South, which is where you’re going to spend a little bit more time recruiting, naturally. There’s a little bit more openness to heading up to Morgantown.”
Brown expects to sign a couple more high school prospects in February, as well as several four-year transfers as the one-year transfer rule goes into effect.
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