Football, Sports, WVU Sports

AS THEY SIGN: WVU football program welcomes new players on signing day

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Wednesday is the first day of the new signing period for college football, and WVU is welcoming the first members of the high school class of 2021, as well as junior college transfers. Here is an updated list of who’s signed and their bios:

Wyatt Milum, OL, 6-7,280, Kenova, W.Va./Spring Valley HS

Played offensive and defensive tackle for coach Brad Dingess at Spring Valley High … Sports Illustrated -All-American, No. 1 right tackle in the nation and top-10 tackle overall … named 2020 All-American and was invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game before it was canceled in October …. three-time West Virginia All-State honoree, earning first-team honors as a junior and senior and second team as a sophomore … for his career, saw action on 1,480 plays, finishing with 198 knockdowns, did not allow a sack and graded out to 92.7% … was a three-time All-Mountain State Athletic Conference selection, twice on the first team (2020, 2019) and once on the second team (2018) …. helped Spring Valley to finish 7-2 his senior season and second round of the state playoffs … saw action on 274 plays on offense … registered 36 knockdowns and did not allow a sack … graded out to 94.8% for the season … also had 23 tackles on defense, including 1.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one blocked kick … as a junior, helped lead Spring Valley to an 11-3 overall record, 7-1 in the Mountain State Region and No. 3 in the state … rated a four-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … an ESPN300 prospect, ranked No. 97-best player nationally and No. 15-best player in the region, No. 101 by 247Sports and No. 187 by Rivals … ranked No. 10-best tackle prospect nationally by ESPN, No. 16 by 247Sports and No. 20 by Rivals … No. 1 tackle prospect overall in West Virginia by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … offered by 22 schools, including Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Andrew Wilson-Lamp, DB, 6-3, 180, Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Washington HS

Played wide receiver and defensive back for coach Nate Moore at Massillon Washington High … earned All-Northeast Inland District First Team and All-Ohio honorable mention honors as a senior … led the Tigers to a 10-2 record in 2020, helping them reach the OHSAA Division II state championship for the third consecutive season … team captain … tallied 11 catches for 319 yards and a touchdown on offense, as well as 19.5 tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss and eight pass breakups on defense as a senior … all-state special mention selection as a junior … also earned all-district honors in 2019 … caught 55 passes for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns, while leading Massillon to a 14-1 mark in 2019 … also finished with eight tackles, one tackle for loss and four pass breakups as a junior … hauled in 11 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown against St. Vincent-St. Mary in 2019 … tallied eight catches for 142 yards and three scores against Perry in 2019 … two-time all-county selection … helped Massillon to a three-year record of 38-4 … also played basketball and ran track … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ranked the No. 176 wide receiver by ESPN, No. 13 athlete by Rivals and No. 72 wide receiver by 247Sports … also listed as the No. 44 overall player in Ohio by ESPN, No. 15 by Rivals and No. 16 by 247Sports … also offered by Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Michigan State, Penn State, Vanderbilt, Duke, Iowa State, Pitt and Wisconsin.

Victor Wikstrom, TE, 6-5, 251, Uppsala, Sweden/RIG Celsiusskolan

Played tight end for coaches Robert Johansson and Andreas Ehrenreich at RIG Celsiusskolan High and for the Taby Flyers … in Sweden, players play on two teams at the same time; they belong to a home team (Taby Flyers) where games are played and the high school team (RIG Celsiusskolan) providing practice … also traveled to the United States in 2019 with Brandon Collier of PPI Recruits during the DreamChasers Tour … attended camps in Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden in 2019 and 2020 … clocked a 4.4 40-yard dash at multiple camps … participated in The Nordic Championships (2017, 2018), the World Championships (2018) and the European Championships (2019) … named the Football Ambassador Award for the Taby Flyers and was named the MVP of the Year (2017) … a three-time MVP at the Dukes Tournament (biggest American football tournament in Scandinavia) … earned MVP honors at the Nordic Championships (in the bronze medal game) … participated in three camps with the Swedish National Team (U-15, U-17, U-19) … 2020 SI All-American nominee … played soccer (goalkeeper) and handball … three-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports … rated the No. 36 tight end nationally by 247Sports … No. 1-prospect from Sweden … a great appreciation for the outdoors, loves to hunt and fish … also offered by Charlotte, Eastern Michigan and Georgia Tech.

Kaden Prather, WR, 6-4, 200, Montgomery Village, Md./Northwest HS

Played wide receiver for coach Mike Neubeiser at Northwest High … Northwest did not compete in 2020 due to COVID-19 … 2019 All-Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Second Team … 2019 Washington Post All-Met First Team … caught 42 passes for 895 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior … also played defensive back for the Jaguars … helped guide Northwest High to a 12-2 record and was Maryland Class 4A state runner-up … in the 2019 state championship game, he finished with 101 receiving yards … played his sophomore season at DeMatha Catholic High for coach Elijah Brooks … rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ESPN 300 recruit, ranking No. 244 in the class of 2020 … ranked as the No. 9 player in Maryland by Rivals and No. 13 by ESPN and 247Sports … also ranked as the No. 36 wide receiver nationally by Rivals, No. 39 by 247Sports and No. 47 by ESPN … also offered by Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

Ja’Corey Hammett, BAN, 6-2, 205, Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern HS

Played outside linebacker and weak-side defensive end for coach Max Edwards at Miami Northwestern High … sustained a season-ending injury in the first game of his senior season … 2019 Miami Herald All-Dade 5A-2A Second Team on defense … helped lead Northwestern to its third consecutive FHSAA Class 5A State Championship title in 2019, defeating Jones (Orlando) High, 34-17 in championship game … Sports Illustrated All-American candidate … recorded 63 tackles and 11 sacks as a junior … rated a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ranked No. 71 at his position and No. 104 in the state by ESPN … listed by Rivals as No. 29 at his position, as well as the No. 77 overall prospect in Florida … ranked No. 41 overall at his position and No. 91 in the state by 247Sports … also offered by Miami, Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Edward Vesterinen, DL, 6-4, 270, Helsinki, Finland/Helsinki Roosters Football

Played defensive line for coach Mikko Koikkalainen with the Helsinki Roosters … can play on the edge or the interior … played for the Helsinki Roosters and Finnish Senior National Team … traveled to the United States in 2019 with Brandon Collier of PPI Recruits during the DreamChasers Tour … 2019 Finland Men’s National League Lineman of the Year and all-star (DL) … 2019 MVP of Finland Men’s National Team game against Demark … attended camps in Germany in 2019 … runs a 4.75 40-yard dash … helped lead the Finland National Team to three national championship tournament appearances … in 2019 at the U19 European Championship, was the tournament statistic leader, finishing with 17.5 tackles, including 4.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss … in 2018, helped lead Finland to a third-place finish at the men’s European championship … played in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the International Bowl for Finland U19 Team Nordic against Team USA U-19 select … member of Helsinki Rooster Football team that was ranked No. 3 in Europe by AFI … rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports … No. 1 recruit from Finland … No. 89 strong-side defensive end nationally by 247Sports … spent time serving Finland’s mandatory military service … participated in tennis and track & field (400m, shot put) … also offered by Coastal Carolina and Massachusetts.

Tomas Rimac, OL, 6-6, 275, Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick HS

Two-way player and three-year starter for coach Mark Pinzone at Brunswick High … can play tackle but has the versatility to play guard … named to the All-Ohio Prep Schools Writers’ Association (OPSWA) Division I All-State Honorable Mention team … earned All-Northeast Inland District Offense and all-area honorable mention … during his senior season, Brunswick averaged 28.1 points per game … helped lead the Blue Devils to a 6-3 record and region semifinals … 2019 OPSWA All-State Special Mention selection … as a junior, he started at left tackle and paved the way for the offense to average 28.6 points per game and 292 yards per game … finished with a team-high 3.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss to go along with his 42 tackles, a forced fumble and a blocked punt … also a member of the track team (shot put) … rated a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ranked No. 104 in the region … No. 41 offensive tackle nationally ranked by 247Sports, No. 74 by ESPN … No. 18 prospect in Ohio by 247Sports, No. 25 by ESPN and No. 55 by Rivals… also offered by Indiana, Iowa State, Louisville, Michigan, Minnesota, Pitt, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Treylan Davis, TE, 6-5, 230, Jackson, Ohio/Jackson HS

Played tight end and linebacker for coach Andy Hall at Jackson High … two-time Division III Ohio Prep School Writers Association (OPSWA) All-State selection, earning first-team honors in 2020 and second-team in 2019 … captained the Division III Ohio MaxPreps Offense Second Team in 2020 … caught 30 passes for 510 yards and 10 touchdowns throughout his high school career … also registered 170 career pancake blocks, one his many strengths … a three-time all-conference first team honoree and two-time all-district first team recipient … 2020 740Zone All-740 First Team and All-740 Offense selection … 2020 Sports Illustrated All-American candidate … a four-year starter who helped Jackson High to a 31-11 overall record … reeled in three touchdowns as a senior … rated a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ranked as the No. 34 tight end nationally, as well as the No. 65 prospect in Ohio by ESPN … listed as the No. 39 prospect in the state by Rivals … ranked a No. 39 prospect in Ohio and No. 49 tight end by 247Sports … also offered by Arkansas, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Aubrey Burks, DB, 5-11, 200, Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale High School

Played safety for coach Kyle Sasser at Auburndale High … saw action in only five games as a senior due to injury, but still totaled 28 tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery … also ran for 96 yards on four attempts with two scores … helped team to a 5-4 record and the first round of the Florida Class 6A playoffs … led Auburndale to an 8-3 record as a junior and finished with 63 tackles, six sacks, 17 tackles for loss, two interceptions, six pass breakups, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries … forced four fumbles in one game … in just 15 snaps against Pasco, he recorded a pick-six, two sacks and a safety … as a sophomore in 2018, he totaled 45 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups and one forced fumble … in his initial season, he contributed 32 tackles, three sacks, 10 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles … three-star rating from 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN … 247Sports ranks him as the No. 53 best safety in the country and the No. 85 top recruit in Florida … Rivals lists him as the No. 95 best recruit in Florida, while ESPN has him No. 67 overall at his position … also offered by Cincinnati, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Pitt and Purdue.

Davis Mallinger, ATH, 6-2, 180, West Melbourne, Fla./Cocoa HS

Played wide receiver for coach Ryan Schneider at Cocoa High … 2020 All-Brevard County First Team selection …. 2020 All-State First Team 4A … member of Florida Today’s 321preps Dandy Dozen, which spotlights the best players in Brevard County, Florida … finished the 2020 season with 49 receptions for 818 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 85 rushing yards and one score … averaged 81.8 yards per game during his senior year … led Cocoa High to a 10-1 record and a berth in Florida 4A state semifinals … played his junior season at Viera High for coach Derek Smith … caught 46 passes for 742 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior, while also rushing 37 times for 257 yards and a touchdown … finished with 1,218 all-purpose yards in 2019 … helped guide Viera High to a 6-4 record and an appearance in the Florida 7A state playoffs  … played his first two years at Melbourne High … accumulated 432 yards rushing on 68 attempts also had four receptions for 86 yards and six total touchdowns during his freshman and sophomore seasons … also was a standout track & field star, recording personal bests of 10.74 in the 100 meters and 21.57 in the 200 meters … his 200-meter time ranked No. 8 in the state and No. 16 nationally in 2020 … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ranked as the No. 100 player in Florida by 247Sports and No. 127 by ESPN … also ranked as the No. 113 wide receiver in the nation by 247Sports and No. 143 by ESPN … also offered by UCF, Mississippi State, Rutgers, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Will Crowder, QB, 6-3, 190, Gardendale, Ala./Gardendale HS

A pro-style quarterback for coach Chad Eads at Gardendale High … 2019 All-Birmingham High School Football Team honorable mention by AL.com … played in the 2020 Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game, completing 9-of-12 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns … Sports Illustrated All-American finalist … 2019 Gardendale Offensive MVP … earned 2019 All-Region honors … led Gardendale to a 9-3 record in his senior season, completing 158-of-255 passes for 2,132 yards and 20 touchdowns … also recorded 104 rushing attempts, notching 586 yards and three rushing touchdowns … led his team to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs … three-time Alabama High School Athletic Association Athlete of the Week … as a junior, he completed 185-of-303 passes for 2,295 yards and 11 touchdowns, while also rushing for 443 yards and five touchdowns … helped Gardendale advance to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs … rated a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ranked as the No. 27 prospect in Alabama, as well as No. 35 overall at his position by ESPN … listed as the No. 15 pro-style quarterback and No. 16 prospect in the state by Rivals … No. 21 pro-style quarterback by QB Hit List … 247Sports ranks him as the No. 25 pro-style quarterback and No. 24 overall in Alabama … earned his first career start as a freshman when his older brother, Michael, was injured … elected Gardendale High’s 2020 Homecoming King … also offered by Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Brayden Dudley, DL, 6-3, 260, Wylie, Texas/Mill Creek HS (Ga.)

A defensive lineman for coach Josh Lovelady at Mill Creek High in Hoschton, Georgia … 2019 All-Gwinnett County Honorable Mention selection … limited to three games in 2020 due to an injury … finished the season with 16 tackles, including 11 solos, one sack, one tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry … posted five sacks his junior season and led Mill Creek to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the Georgia 7A state quarterfinals … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ranked as the No. 73 player in Georgia by ESPN, No. 95 by 247Sports and No. 98 by Rivals … also ranked as the No. 65 strong-side defensive end in the nation by 247Sports and the No. 81 defensive end by ESPN … also offered by Air Force, Michigan State and UCF.

Hammond Russell IV, DL, 6-4, 255, Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman HS

Played defensive line for coach Mark Crabtree at Dublin Coffman High … earned 2020 All-Ohio Prep Schools Writers’ Association (OPSWA) Division I All-State First Team … named to the 2020 MaxPreps Ohio All-State First Team … also earned all-district and all-league honors as a senior … tallied 52 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, during his senior campaign … also registered 1.5 sacks and two interceptions in 2020, while leading Coffman to an 8-1 mark, OCC-Central Division title and appearance in the regional semifinal … earned OPSWA All-Ohio Special Mention as a junior, as well as first-team all-district and second-team all-league distinction … made 55 tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 2019 … led Coffman to a 10-3 record and trip to the regional final as a junior … also played basketball … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ESPN rates him as the No. 80 defensive end in the nation and No. 23 prospect in Ohio … rated as the No. 32 Ohio prospect by Rivals … rated as the No. 51 strong-side defensive end in the country by 247Sports, as well as the No. 33 player in Ohio … also offered by Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Pitt and Purdue.

Saint McLeod, DB, 5-11, 205, Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Institute Charter HS

Played running back and defensive back for coaches Devon Johnsonand Nick Lincoln at Imhotep Institute Charter High … school did not play this fall due to COVID-19 … finished with 806 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, as well as 73 tackles (46 solos), three sacks, five tackles for loss and two interceptions as a junior in 2019 … helped Imhotep to an 8-5 record and an appearance in the Class 4A quarterfinals … two-time Daily News All-City Defense First Team (2018-19) … Pennsylvania Football Writers’ Class 4A All-State First Team selection in 2019 … also named to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s All-Southeastern Pennsylvania Team as a junior … ran for 147 yards and a touchdown against Dallas in the Class 4A quarterfinal … as a sophomore, he finished with 62 tackles, including 41 unassisted tackles, four sacks, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and scored a defensive touchdown … helped Imhotep to an 11-3 mark and a spot in the state championship … high school teammate of current Mountaineer sophomore spear Tykee Smith … rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … ESPN ranks him as the No. 61 safety nationally and No. 22 prospect in Pennsylvania … Rivals lists him as the No. 23 Pennsylvania prospect … rated as the No. 105 safety in the country and No. 28 overall Pennsylvania prospect … also offered by Iowa State, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma State, Pitt and Tennessee.

Justin Johnson Jr., RB, 6-0, 200, Edwardsville, Illinois/Edwardsville HS

Played running back for coach Matt Martin at Class 8A Edwardsville High … Illinois postponed its high school football season until spring, so he has yet to play his senior season … earned 2019 All-Southwestern Conference First Team honors … Alton River Bend Telegraph large school Player of the Year in 2019 … three-year career shows nearly 3,000 yards rushing and 37 touchdowns and could become his school’s all-time leading rusher during his senior season … averaged 13 yards per catch during his three-year career … as a junior, he rushed for 1,120 yards and 19 touchdowns in only nine games, averaging 16 yards per carry … as a sophomore, he finished with 1,048 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns in earning All-Southwestern Conference First Team honors … had a productive freshman season in 2017, with 734 yards and six scores, earning him playing time on the varsity level … called up to the varsity squad midway through his freshman season and responded with a 100-yard rushing performance in just his second start … has helped Edwardsville to the state playoffs all three years of his career … three-star rating from 247Sports and ESPN, while earning a four-star mark from Rivals … MaxPreps ranks him No. 9 overall in Illinois … Rivals lists him as the No. 14 overall running back, No. 3 in the state and No. 248 overall recruit in the country … ESPN lists him No. 48 nationally at his position and No. 13 overall recruit in Illinois, while 247Sports has him as the No. 26 best running back and No. 17 recruit overall in Illinois … received more than 16 scholarship offers, including Cal, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue and Washington State.

Jaylen Anderson, RB, 6-0, 210, Perry, Ohio/Perry High School

Played running back for coach Matt Rosati at Perry High … four-year starter and two-time All-State First Team as a junior and senior …  rushed for 875 yards and 13 touchdowns in a shortened senior season … also recorded nine receptions for 124 yards and two scores … as a junior, he accounted for 1,086 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns to go with 51 receptions for 833 yards and 11 touchdowns … led Perry to a 12-1 record and the Chagrin Valley Conference championship … team reached the OHSAA Division IV regional finals … sophomore stats included 638 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, 16 receptions for 241 yards and 10 scores … freshman campaign saw him start his varsity career with 918 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, 41 receptions for 568 yards and eight scores as he earned Second Team All-State honors … received more than 24 Division I scholarship offers … four-star rating from 247Sports and Rivals … a three-star ranking from ESPN … 247Sports ranks him as the No. 6 best all-purpose back in the country and No. 9 overall recruit in Ohio … Rivals ranks him No. 11 at his position and No. 8 overall in Ohio … ESPN rates him No. 26 at his position and No. 13 overall in Ohio … also offered by Boston College, Duke, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska and Pitt.