Another Blue Blood Enters the Mix for West Virginia Target Braydon Hawthorne

One of the most talented, yet underrated prospects in the country, Braydon Hawthorne, was set to become a West Virginia Mountaineer. The Beckley, WV native signed with WVU but requested release from his National Letter of Intent shortly after Darian DeVries bolted for Indiana.

Fortunately for new WVU head coach Ross Hodge, Hawthorne is keeping open the option to re-commit to West Virginia and stay home.

Since reopening his recruitment, though, several Power Four teams have been in heavy pursuit, including some of the high-profile programs in college basketball. Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia Tech, and several others have been in contact and here recently, Duke stopped by to pay him a visit, according to Travis Branham of CBS Sports.

Hawthorne has met with Ross Hodge and some members of West Virginia's new coaching staff, but it remains unclear how much of a shot they have at regaining his pledge. The majority of West Virginia's transfer portal pickups have just one year of eligibility remaining, so it's key that Hodge and Co. can find some young, intriguing talent to build with. Beating out the likes of Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, and the connection he has with Chester Frazier at Virginia Tech would be a massive win for Hodge.

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