BY KEENAN CUMMINGS
It’s been a busy month for West Virginia on the recruiting trail and it could be getting even busier.
The Mountaineers have rolled up seven commitments from official visitors during the month of June and there are set to be a number of others that will be making their choices known in July.
One that is coming up quickly is with Harper Woods (Mississippi) safety Christian Stokes who is set to make his college choice July 10. The Rivals.com three-star safety is down to WVU, Iowa and Michigan State after taking official visits to the first two and a daytrip to his home-state Spartans.
Stokes has developed a strong bond with WVU assistant Dontae Wright that spans back to when he was at Western Michigan and would fill a need as a versatile safety in the defensive scheme.
The second known date is with King William (Virginia) athlete Demond Claiborne who will make his choice July 19, his mother’s birthday. Claiborne took an official visit to Morgantown June 24-26 and left with a positive impression of the program and how he could fit into things.
A speedster with a 10.6 in the 100-meter, Claiborne is being targeted as an athlete that could move around and fill multiple spots. He is considering WVU, Virginia, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt.
And while those are the known dates, there are a host of others that have indicated that a decision will come during the month of July and currently list the Mountaineers among their favorites.
Birmingham (Mississippi) Groves athlete Jaden Mangham was on campus for an official visit June 4-6 and has since taken trips to Georgia Tech, Illinois and Nebraska. Like Stokes, he has a close connection with Wright and is expected to make his college choice sometime this month. An athletic free safety that has been a priority of the WVU coaching staff since early in the process.
Miami (Florida) Gulliver Prep linebacker Travious Lathan visited WVU June 11-13 and left highly impressed with the campus and his fit in the program. Along with WVU, he also visited Pittsburgh but could be making his college choice in the coming weeks.
The list of others that have already taken official visits to Morgantown and have indicated a decision could come this month include Leo (Indiana) offensive lineman Landen Livingston, Bradenton (Florida) IMG wide receiver Shawn Miller, Gaithersburg (Maryland) Quince Orchard safety Steven Sannieniola and Knoxville (Tennessee) Knoxville Catholic wide receiver Tommy Winton to name a few.
It’s been a busy summer for recruiting but it could get a lot more exciting soon.
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