Antoine Sharp’s Junior Film Proves He Could Be a Key Piece in WVU’s Future

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At the start of the week, the West Virginia coaching staff was on cloud nine by landing five commitments on Monday, two of which were recruits they were able to flip. Today, we take a closer look at class of 2026 linebacker Antoine Sharp (6'1", 212 lbs), who switched his pledge from UCF to WVU.
Sharp also held interest from the following schools: Appalachian State, East Carolina, Florida State, Indiana, Liberty, Marshall, Maryland, Missouri, Pitt, Tulane, Western Kentucky, and a few others.
As a junior, Sharp notched 133 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
Highlights
Evaluation
Very patient against the run and doesn't over-pursue, which allows him to take the right angles and not get caught up inside on runs that bounce wide. Can be a high-level run defender, especially if he gets faster and diagnoses things quicker. Doesn't have a ton of reps shown against the pass, but appears to be able to hold his own in zone coverage. It will probably be the one area he'll have to work at the most once he reaches Morgantown, as it is for most young linebackers. His skill set will fit nicely in Zac Alley's defense, an inside backer who can stuff the run but also successfully rush the passer in between the tackles.
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Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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