WVU lands three in-state football recruits
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Morgantown High football coach John Bowers won’t have to go far to see a pair of his stars continue their careers in college. Morgantown quarterback Charlie Russell and defensive tackle Junius Lewis III signed national letters-of-intent on Wednesday to attend West Virginia University.
“We get to see those guys play for the next four or five years. But it is great for them, too,” Bowers said.
Joining the pair at WVU was another in-state prospect, Nitro offensive lineman Chad Snodgrass. Overall, WVU signed 25 players.
Russell and Lewis made verbal commitments to WVU a year ago. Russell also had offers at Kentucky, Nebraska and North Carolina, while Lewis also was wooed by Georgia Tech and Minnesota.
“We’re two Morgantown boys who wanted to stay home,” Russell said. “If we’re the ones who have to put West Virginia on the map, so be it. We’re just doing what’s best for us and what’s best for our state.”
Russell said his decision was based in part on WVU offering his major, biochemistry.
“If I can succeed at WVU, people will say, ‘He’s a West Virginia boy who is doing good in his home state and in his hometown. That has always been in the back of my mind. This is where we belong,” Russell said. “If we can do something great, we’ll be remembered the rest of our lives.”
Russell and Lewis were three-year starters. They led Morgantown to a 38-3 record, including back-to-back 14-0 seasons in 2004 and 2005.
Lewis and Snodgrass were all-state first-team selections in 2005 and 2006. Russell made the first team in 2005.
“As I told (Lewis) and I told Charlie Russell, we’re not recruiting him because he’s from Morgantown,” WVU coach Rich Rodriguez said Wednesday. “We’re recruiting him because we think he’s good enough to play at West Virginia. The fact that he’s in-state is a bonus because we don’t have to worry about him getting homesick. We recruit guys because we think we can win.”
Marshall also landed an in-state recruit among its 23 signings Wednesday: Woodrow Wilson’s Micah Carter, a 6-3, 302-pound offensive lineman who was named first-team all-state in 2005.