Football, Sports, WVU Sports

Signing Day: West Virginia signees as they come in

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Wednesday is the first day of the early signing period, which runs through Friday. Here is a running list of West Virginia Letters of Intent as they come in:

Sam Brown, WR, 6-3, 185, Savannah, Ga./New Hampstead HS

Played wide receiver and free safety for coach Kyle Hockman at New Hampstead High … named 5A-Region 2 Player of the Year … Big 22 Squad member as one of the top players in southeast Georgia and South Carolina Low Country … finished with 40 catches for 731 yards, an average of 18.2 yards per catch and 11 touchdowns … had 39 carries for 308 yards, a 7.9-yards per carry average and five touchdowns … on defense, he registered 69 tackles, two forced fumbles and four interceptions, of which he returned two for touchdowns … Savannah Morning News High School Football Player of the Week after having seven catches for 229 yards and three touchdowns against Pierce County … also had four tackles and a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown … finished with 19 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns as a junior … had four catches for 90 yards as a sophomore … also excelled in basketball and track … finished second at the state championship meet in the long jump (24-1) … rated a three-star prospect by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … ranked No. 62 prospect in Georgia by 247Sports, No. 76 by ESPN and No. 89 by rivals … rated No. 97 wide receiver nationally by 247Sports and No. 118 by ESPN … also offered by Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ole Miss, Oregon, Syracuse, Tennessee and Wake Forest.

Quay Mays, DE, 6-2, 280, Bradenton, Fla./Manatee HS/ Northwest Mississippi CC

Played on the defensive line for coach Benjy Parker at Northwest Mississippi Community College for the past two seasons … led the Rangers to an 8-3 record, a trip to the MACJC championship game and No. 6 NJCAA final ranking … finished with 29 tackles, including four tackles for loss and one sack in 2019 … made a season-best five tackles, including one for a loss at East Central … tied his season high with five tackles at Holmes … registered 15 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick in 2018 … redshirted in 2017 … played high school football at Manatee High School for coach John Booth … helped the Hurricanes to a 7-4 mark and trip to the Class 8A playoffs … tallied 65 tackles as a senior at Manatee … one of 15 children … nephew of Alvoid Mays, who was a defensive back at WVU from 1987-88, and in the NFL with the Houston Oilers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers … cousin of Peter Warrick, a former first-round NFL Draft pick from Florida State … three-star prospect by rivals and 247Sports … rated as the No. 11 JUCO defensive tackle and No. 82 overall junior-college prospect by 247Sports … rivals rated him as the No. 30 junior-college prospect in the country … also offered by Iowa State, UCF and USF.

Devell Washington, WR, 6-4, 210, Bay City, Mich./Arthur Hill HS

Played wide receiver and free safety at Bay City Central High … 2019 All-Saginaw Valley League North Second Team … named to the 2019 Xenith Senior All-Star Game … caught 29 passes for 410 yards and four touchdowns as a senior … totaled 74 receptions for 1,131 yards and 15 touchdowns in three seasons with the Wolves … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … rated as the No. 15 player in Michigan by rivals, No. 17 by 247Sports and No. 19 by ESPN … ranked as the No. 61 wide receiver nationally by ESPN, No. 65 by rivals and No. 95 by 247Sports … also offered by Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue.

Jairo Faverus, CB, 6-1, 190, Amsterdam, Netherlands/Bristol Academy of Sport (Bristol, U.K.)

Played cornerback while traveling in the United States with Brandon Collier of PPI Recruits during the DreamChasers Tour – attended camps at universities in United States … clocked a 4.4 40-yard dash at multiple camps – including at WVU … played cornerback at the Bristol Academy of Sports … finished with six interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 24 solo tackles as a senior … graded as one of the top five defensive performers in the 247Sports European Combine in April of this year … was the most valuable player defensive back at the combine … consistently rated as one of the top DBs and overall players in all of Europe … most valuable player for the U-19 Dutch national championship team … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … No.1-rated prospect in the UK, according to 247Sports … ranked as the No. 2-best recruit in Europe in the 2020 class by ESPN … ranked No. 67 cornerback prospect by ESPN and No. 83 by 247Sports … competed in multiple sports growing up, including gymnastics and Muay Thai … father is an accomplished Muay Thai fighter and trainer … also offered by Georgia Tech, Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State and Rutgers.

Akheem Mesidor, DL, 6-3, 255, Ottawa, Ontario/Clearwater Academy International (Clearwater, Fla.)

Played defensive end for coach Jesse Chinchar at Clearwater Academy International … finished his senior season with 92 tackles, including 57 solo stops, averaging 9.2 tackles per game … also recorded 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks … forced four fumbles and recovered two for 18 yards in his final season with the Knights … offensively, he tallied four carries for 23 yards and one score and five receptions for 85 yards … led Clearwater Academy to an 8-2 record in 2019 … played the 2018 season at Royal Imperial Collegiate of Canada in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada … rated as the No. 54 player in Florida by ESPN, No. 83 by rivals and No. 89 by 247Sports … ranked as the No. 26 strong-side defensive end nationally by rivals, No. 30 by ESPN and No. 31 by 247Sports … also offered by Georgia Tech, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse, UCLA, Virginia Tech and Washington State.

Tairiq Stewart, OL, 6-5, 325, Warrensville, Ohio/Warrensville Heights HS/ASA College (Brooklyn)

Played offensive tackle for coach Chris Calabrese at ASA College … helped lead ASA College to an 8-2 record and a final national ranking of No. 15 … part of an offensive line that paved the way for ASA College to produce 46.7 points per game (No. 2 nationally) and 463.4 yards of total offense a game (No. 4), including 254.6 rushing yards per game (No. 2) … ASA averaged 8.8 yards per attempt (No. 6), and 18.0 yards per completion – best in the nation … saw action in two games as a freshman … played for coach Desean Washington at Warrensville Heights High … three-star rating by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … ranked the No. 28 junior-college prospect by rivals, No. 40 by ESPN on its ESPNJC50 and No. 49 by 247Sports … No. 2 junior-college prospect in Ohio and No. 8 junior-college offensive guard by 247Sports … ranked No. 3 junior-college offensive tackle nationally by JCGridiron.com … also offered by Boise State, Maryland and Tennessee.

Sean Martin, DE, 6-5, 255, Bluefield, W.Va./Bluefield HS

Played defensive end for coach Freddy Simon at Bluefield High … captained the Class AA All-State First Team Defense in 2019 … led the Beavers to a 12-2 record and the 2019 Class AA state championship game … team captain … registered 102 tackles, including eight sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery … as a junior, named to the Class AA All-State First Team, as well as the All-USA West Virginia Second Team … helped Bluefield to a 12-2 record and Class AA state runner-up … finished with 144 tackles and seven sacks … also a part of Bluefield’s undefeated, state championship team as a sophomore in 2017 … also played basketball … three-star prospect by rivals, ESPN and 247Sports … rivals ranked him as the No. 1 prospect in West Virginia and No. 24 defensive end nationally … ESPN listed him as the No. 1 prospect in the state … ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect and No. 28 defensive end in the county by 247Sports … Also offered by Baylor, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, NC State, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Lanell Carr, BAN, 6-3, 235, St. Louis, Mo./De Smet Jesuit HS

Played outside linebacker and defensive end for coach Robert Steeples at De Smet Jesuit High … earned Missouri 6A All-State First Team (DE), Class 6, All-District I First Team (DE) and All-Metro Catholic First Team (DE) honors … given the team’s “Hammer” Award (hardest hitter) … helped lead De Smet Jesuit High to a 14-0 record and the state championship … member of a defense that only surrendered 120 points for the entire season, averaging 8.6 points per game allowed … De Smet finished the season ranked No. 1 in Missouri and No. 17 in the nation … as a senior, Carr finished with 45 tackles, including 24 solo stops, seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss … also had seven catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns … as a junior, the All-Metro Catholic Second Team defensive honoree, helped lead De Smet Jesuit to a 9-3 mark and the state quarterfinals … collected 50 tackles, including 40 solos, five sacks, 13 tackles for loss and an interception … earned All-Metro Catholic Second Team Defense as a sophomore after registering 52 tackles, including 42 unassisted tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss and recovered a fumble … three-star rating by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … No. 11 player in Missouri by ESPN, No. 13 by rivals and No. 14 by 247Sports … rated No. 63 outside linebacker nationally by ESPN and No. 46 by 247Sports … also ranked No. 134 in the Midlands Region by ESPN … offered by Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.

Garrett Greene, QB, 6-0, 180, Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles HS

A standout dual-threat quarterback for coach Kevin Pettis at Lawton Chiles High … a member of the prestigious quarterback Elite 11 Club in 2019 … MVP of the Camp Series Event in Tampa … also turned in a standout performance in Nashville’s Opening Camp … led team to a 6-6 record and the first round of the state 7A playoffs … passed for 1,155 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 930 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior … one of Neal Brown’s first commitments at West Virginia … passed for 1,227 yards and 12 touchdowns along with 865 yards rushing and eight touchdowns as a junior … led team to a 7-4 mark as a junior … as a sophomore, passed for 535 yards and six scores and rushed for 865 yards with eight touchdowns … accounted for more than 2,500 rushing yards, 2,900 passing yards and 56 touchdowns during high school career … four-star rating from rivals … three-star rating from 247Sports and ESPN … rivals ranked him No. 53 in the state of Florida and No. 20 at his position … 247Sports listed him at No. 75 in the state and No. 20 as a quarterback … ESPN listed him at No. 73 in Florida and No. 24 overall at his position … also a standout baseball catcher in high school, earning multiple postseason honors … father played several years in the Major Leagues as a catcher for the Mets, Orioles, Brewers and Blue Jays … father currently works as an infield instructor in the Brewers farm system … also offered by Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and TCU.

Chris Mayo, OL, 6-6, 310, Deptford, N.J./The Peddie School

Played offensive guard for coach Christopher Malleo at The Peddie School … a first team All-MAPL (Mid-Atlantic Prep League) selection in his senior season at Peddie … 2019 Mercer County Prep Offensive Lineman of the Year … helped the Falcons to an 8-0 record and the MAPL Championship in 2019 … anchored an offensive line that helped Peddie’s offense to 1,700 rushing yards in 2019 … allowed just one sack in 142 pass attempts by Peddie … named to the MAPL First Team for the first time as a junior … earned Second-Team All-MAPL honors after helping the Falcons to a share of the MAPL Championship as a sophomore in 2017 … rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 19 offensive guard in the 2020 class by ESPN … three-star rating by rivals and 247Sports … also offered by Arizona State, Auburn, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA, Virginia and Wake Forest.

Jackie Matthews, DB, 6-0, 195, Pinson, Ala./Pinson Valley HS/Mississippi Gulf Coast CC

Played defensive back for coach Jack Wright at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC … named First Team Junior College All-American … earned All-NJCAA Region 23 honors … MACJC South MVP defensive back … All-MACJC South First Team … helped team to an undefeated season and the junior-college national championship … his key, last-second interception in the end zone clinched the national championship over Lackawanna … tallied three tackles, one interception and one pass break-up in the national championship game … also helped team to the MACJC championship … registered 52 tackles, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and an interception return for a touchdown as a senior … the six interceptions ranked in the junior-college Top 5 … recorded 114 interception return yards for a 19.0 average … finished with 17 tackles, two sacks, one PBU and one forced fumble in 2018 in helping team to a 7-2 mark … can play safety or cornerback … in high school, played for coach Patrick Nix at Pinson Valley High … led team to the Alabama 6A state championship as a senior playing quarterback … ended his high school career and junior-college career with undefeated seasons and a championship … recorded a 23-4 two-year record as quarterback at Pinson Valley … three-star rating from ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … ranked No. 16 cornerback prospect nationally on ESPN300 … ranked No. 87 overall in junior-college and No. 13 at cornerback by 247Sports … also offered by Arkansas State, Southern Miss, UCF, South Alabama and UAB.

David Vincent-Okoli, CB, 6-0, 180, Gaithersburg, Md./The Bullis School

Played cornerback and wide receiver for coach Pat Cilento at The Bullis School … 2019 Maryland All-State First Team, All-Montgomery County First Team and All-Interstate Athletic Conference First Team honoree … will participate in the Maryland Crab Bowl between the best players in Baltimore and Washington D.C. on Dec. 21 … recorded 49 tackles, including three sacks, and one interception during his senior season … offensively, he recorded 800 yards receiving on 78 receptions and scored nine touchdowns in 2019 … tallied 168 receptions for 2,360 yards and 36 touchdowns during his high school career… helped guide The Bullis School to a 7-3 record, including 3-1 in the Interstate Athletic Conference … 2018 Maryland All-State 3A First Team (WR) … All-Montgomery County First Team (WR) … played his first three seasons (2016-18) at Watkins Mill High in Gaithersburg, Maryland … helped Watkins Mill to a 17-15 record, including a first-round berth in the 2017 3A Maryland High School Football playoffs … also was a standout for Watkins Mill High’s track & field team … 2019 All-Met Boys’ Outdoor Track First Team … at the 2019 Maryland 3A track & field championships, he won the 100 meters (10.75 in prelims), 200 meters (21.78 in prelims) and 4×100 relay (42.14) … rated as a four-star prospect by rivals and 247Sports and a three-star prospect by ESPN … rated as the No. 12 player in Maryland by 247Sports, No. 13 by rivals and No. 16 by ESPN … ranked as the No. 21 cornerback nationally by 247Sports, No. 32 by ESPN and No. 35 by rivals … also offered by Maryland and Kentucky. 

Daryl Porter Jr., DB, 5-11, 175, Plantation, Fla./American Heritage HS

Played cornerback for coach Pat Surtain at American Heritage High School … All-Broward County First Team honoree … helped the Patriots to a 10-2 mark as a senior …  a versatile defender who can play cornerback or safety … recorded 20 total tackles (16 solo), three TFLs, six interceptions and one fumble recovery as a senior … recorded 70 yards on interception returns as a senior for an 11.7 average per return … 11 tackles, one interception as a junior … three-year career numbers of 33 total tackles (28 solo). nine interceptions and 19 pass break-ups … helped American Heritage to a 20-4 two-year mark … three-star ranking by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports …  rivals ranked him No. 77 at his position … 247Sports ranked him No. 215 overall in the state of Florida … ESPN ranked him No. 278 overall in the state … also a standout track athlete for American Heritage … also offered by Baylor, Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Louisville, Minnesota, Penn State, TCU, Utah, Vanderbilt and Washington State.

Taurus Simmons, BAN , 6-3, 215, Savannah, Ga./Jenkins HS

Played outside linebacker and defensive end for coach Jason Cameron at Jenkins High … 2019 All-Region 3A First Team Defense … finished with 198 career tackles, including 136 unassisted tackles, 21 sacks, 50.5 tackles for loss and 10 forced fumbles … as a senior, Simmons finished with 81 tackles, including nine tackles and 24.5 tackles for loss as a senior … Class 3A All-State Honorable Mention as a junior … named All-Region 3A First Team Defense … finished with 79 tackles, including 58 solo stops, seven sacks, 19 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries … earned All-Region 3A Second Team Defense as a sophomore, helping lead Jenkins High to a 12-1 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament … registered 38 tackles, including 21 solo stops, five sacks, seven tackles for loss and two forced fumbles … three-star rating by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … rated as the No. 95 overall prospect in Georgia by ESPN, No. 118 by rivals and No. 125 by 247Sports … ranked as the No. 58 defensive end by 247Sports and No. 84 outside linebacker by ESPN … also offered by Colorado, Kansas State, Michigan State, Purdue, South Carolina, Syracuse and Wake Forest.

Jordan White, OL, 6-3, 300, Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic HS

Played offensive guard for coach Bill McGregor at DeMatha Catholic High … earned All-WCAC Capital  Division First Team honors … will participate in the Maryland Crab Bowl between the best players in Baltimore and Washington D.C. on Dec. 21… helped lead DeMatha to a 7-4 record, No. 2 ranking in Washington D.C. Metro area, No. 4 ranking in Maryland and a No. 39 national ranking … as a junior in 2018, helped lead DeMatha to an 8-3 record, advance to the WCAC Capital Division Championship, a No. 4 ranking in Maryland and a No. 39 national ranking … three-star rating by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … ranked No. 34 offensive guard nationally by rivals, No. 50 by ESPN and No. 55 by 247Sports … No. 24-rated prospect in Maryland by rivals, No. 26 by ESPN and No. 27 by 247Sports … also offered by Georgia Tech, LSU, Maryland, Ole Miss, Syracuse and Wisconsin.

Charles Finley, TE, 6-4, 215, Irvington, N.J./DePaul Catholic HS

Played tight end, outside linebacker and defensive end for coach John McKenna at DePaul Catholic … earned a spot on the SFC’s United White Second-Team Offense in the Super Football Conference in 2019 … helped the Spartans to an NJSIAA Non-Public Group 3 State Championship in 2019 … registered 29 receptions for 366 yards and seven touchdown receptions in his senior season … also contributed on defense … tallied three catches for 44 yards in the state championship game against Mater Dei … recorded a touchdown catch in DePaul’s 35-21 win over Donovan Catholic in the state semifinals … registered a pair of multi-touchdown games against Pope John XXIII and Seton Hall Prep to begin his senior season … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports  … ranked as the No. 24 tight end by ESPN … also received offers from Boston College, Maryland, Pitt and Rutgers.

Reese Smith, WR, 5-11, 180, Danville, Ky./Boyle County HS

A four-year starter for coach Chuck Smith at Boyle County High … three-time All-State First Team as a receiver … Advocate Messenger Male Athlete of the Year … led Boyle County to a 14-1 record and the Class 4A state championship game … ended his high school career as the only player in the history of Kentucky high school football to finish in the top five in career interceptions (26) and career touchdown receptions (64) … led team with 150 receiving yards and nine tackles in state championship game … career numbers show 4,378 yards receiving, 214 rushing and 65 touchdowns … averaged 90.5 yards per game for his four-year career … as a defensive back, recorded 185 career tackles … 62 receptions for 1,501 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior … averaged 26.5 yards per catch with a long of 96 yards, which went for a score … 45 tackles and seven interceptions as a senior … received all-state honorable mention honors on defense … 1,173 yards on 53 catches with 20 touchdowns as a junior … 1,041 yards on 50 catches with 15 touchdowns as a sophomore in helping Boyle County to the Class 3A state championship and a 14-1 record … 661 yards on 36 catches with nine touchdowns as a freshman … also a 1,000-point scorer in basketball and a standout state champion track athlete … three-star ranking from ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … 247Sports ranked him No. 135 at wide receiver and No. 10 in Kentucky … rivals also ranked him No. 10 in Kentucky, while ESPN’s ranking comes in at No. 11 in the state … went to the same high school as West Virginia coach Neal Brown … also offered by Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee and Wake Forest.

Zach Frazier, OL, 6-3, 296, Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior HS

Played on the offensive line for coach Nick Bartic at Fairmont Senior High … captained the Polar Bears to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the Class AA state semifinals … did not allow a sack in his senior season … helped the Fairmont Senior offense record 239.5 (rushing) and 205.9 (passing) averages as a senior, with 75 total touchdowns … also recorded a fumble recovery for a touchdown in 2019 … captained the Class AA All-State First Team offense in 2019 … led the Polar Bears to the Class AA state championship as a junior, earning an undefeated record of 14-0 … paved the way for the FSHS offense to rush for 140.4 yards per game and 24 touchdowns, as well as pass for 258.7 yards per game and 44 touchdowns … Class AA All-State First Team and All-USA West Virginia First Team Offense in 2018 … led school to state championship and 12-2 record as a sophomore, while earning all-state first team and All-USA West Virginia Second Team Offense honors … also named Class AA All-State Special Honorable Mention as a freshman in 2016 … three-time heavyweight wrestling state champion (2017-19) … three-star rating by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports … ranked the No. 2 prospect in West Virginia and No. 7 center in the country by rivals … rated as the No. 3 in-state prospect by ESPN … 247Sports ranked him as the No. 1 West Virginia prospect and No. 12 center nationally … also offered by Louisville, Stanford, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.