WVU football recruits to look forward to as Early National Signing Day nears
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia football has a lot to do during the bye week. The Mountaineers have to fix the on-the-field issues, correcting the defense and eliminating mental errors. There are also contract negotiations ongoing with WVU and some of the top players on the team, like quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr.
Rich Rodriguez is pretty focused on this year’s team, and at 5-3, he's one win in the final four games from his first bowl game back in Morgantown. But, part of the open date is setting up future teams. The bye week is a big recruiting opportunity for coaches to get a jump on the rapidly approaching Early National Signing Day, which is on Wednesday, December 2.
Rodriguez built this year's team on a big high school and JUCO class, and there's no indication that'll change this year. It might not be the almost 50 players he added, but it'll still have significant size.
The Mountaineers have 23 players committed already, and there'll be more to follow. Here are the names to look forward to for future teams already committed.
Defensive back Carter Bonner
Defensive back Carter Bonner was the first big splash Rodriguez and the recruiting staff made this cycle back in last April. WVU took him away from Maryland, Oregon State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
He's a consensus 4-star, and plays both ways at St. Francis Academy. Bonner confirmed when he committed, he'd be playing primarily in the secondary, though. At 6-foot-3, Bonner fits right into the new archetype of defensive back Rodriguez wants to add length at the perimeter.
Bonner is in the middle of his senior year at St. Francis Academy. He's helped one of the best high school teams in the country to 5-2 record. Bonner has multiple interceptions, playing corner, and he's also shown his fast-closing speed and ability to make tackles for loss.
Bonner was in Morgantown on an official visit for the Oklahoma State game, where the Mountaineers lost 41-21. He said in a post, "Regardless of the outcome, I love the crib!"
Bonner should be a big piece in the secondary for years to come.
Offensive lineman Ethan Lawson
Rodriguez spent big last offseason and flipped top offensive lineman Kevin Brown from Penn State to WVU. Brown had multiple Power Four offers, but eventually chose the Mountaineers. WVU added another stud lineman for the 2027 class, Ethan Lawson, who, in a similar fashion to Brown, announced his commitment by setting a couch on fire.
Lawson was originally a 3-star, but has been bumped up to a 4-star in the past couple of months, making him the highest recruit in WVU's class. He is the sixth-ranked player in Virginia. Lawson is another big lineman for offensive line coach Rick Trickett, standing at 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds.
In his senior season, Lawson has played on the line on both sides of the ball. He has helped Rye Cove High School to a 6-2 record so far this season. Last season, he was all-state as an offensive and defensive lineman.
Lawson took an official visit to Morgantown on Oct. 17, where he watched the Mountaineers' comeback victory over Cincinnati.
Quarterback Andre Phillip II
West Virginia football has just one quarterback so far for the class of 2027, Andre Phillip II. It makes sense since the Mountaineers' quarterback room is packed. WVU has seven quarterbacks currently on the roster. There won't be that many next season, with graduations and transfers, but it's still crowded, especially with starter Michael Hawkins Jr. expected back.
Phillip is a current 3-star and had offers from Iowa State, Army, UTEP and Navy. He is an athlete and has similar attributes to the quarterbacks currently in the room. He ran a 10.63 100-meter and a 21.78 200. Phillip has breakaway speed at a bigger stature of 6-foot-2.
In three games this season, Phillip threw for 318 yards and six touchdowns. He also ran for 287 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
Linebacker Broncs Baker
Defensive coordinator Zac Alley has a couple of linebackers coming in, but one of the more intriguing ones is Bronc Baker from Utah. The 3-star is the highest-rated linebacker for the Mountaineers and picked WVU over Michigan, Virginia Tech, Boise State, Washington State and Oregon State. He was originally committed to Cal, but decided to head west to play college football.
Baker was off to a hot start in his senior season. He had 41 tackles in four games and 5.5 tackles for loss. Unfortunately, Baker suffered an injury to his fibula and hasn't played since. He is another size addition at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, according to his social media.
Baker is expected to take a trip to Morgantown for two of the remaining home games this season.
Athlete Jacobi Pasley
WVU has a couple of talented offensive playmakers in the class of 2027. Receiver Jacobi Pasley was a big addition to the class and a recruiting win over SEC schools Georgia and Florida. There's a chance Pasley flips to one of those SEC schools -- he took a visit to a Florida game this season -- but for now, he's a Mountaineer.
Pasley is a 3-star out of Georgia, and the 50th-best athlete in the class. He's fast, and runs a 4.40 40-yard dash, according to his Hudl, and runs the 100 meter in 10.44. Pasley can be used in a multitude of ways at WVU.
Pasley's had a productive senior season at Bradwell Institute. He has 32 catches for 822 yards and nine touchdowns. Pasley hasn't carried the ball as much, but has taken his six rushes for 32 yards.