It comes with the territory; all receivers think they are deep ball threats that can take the top off a defense… but few truly match the description. At Woodgrove High School (Purcellville, VA), Connor Salmin (6-1, 190) is that guy.

A two-way player for the Wolverines, the stats on offense tell an exciting story: 1,107 yards receiving off 53 passes hauled in with 16 scores posted on the board in 10 games. And teams were doing all that they could to slow the Class of 2026 prospect down.

“At the start of the season I was getting some bump and run coverage, but then I was getting double and triple teamed,” Salmin said. “I got used to it as the season went on.”

The speed is a factor for defenses; 10.44 in the 100 and 21.18 in the 200.

Asked about playing both sports in college, Salmin replied, “That is something I would have to think about; we’ll see how this track season goes and if that will affect my overall decision. If coaches are recruiting me for track, that changes things. Football is my main sport. Football is my goal, and the sport that I love.”

Salmin added, “A lot of football coaches have said I can do both if that is an option, but I haven’t talked to any track coaches about offers.”

With 27 gridiron offers to choose from currently, that speed is a factor in Salmin’s recruitment.

“College coaches like my speed,” Salmin stated. “They like how I can take it over the top, they like my wingspan, and my catch radius when balls are not close to me. They also like that I have room for improvement given how new I am to playing receiver.”

Three programs have stayed on Salmin’s phone.

“Right now, Clemson, Penn State, and Notre Dame are reaching out the most,” Salmin shared. “I would say they are the top three reaching out the most. There are a lot of schools reaching out – Virginia Tech, UVA (Virginia), Ohio State, (Texas) A&M. There are a lot of schools reaching out, staying in touch, and checking in with me.”

Salmin listed the Saturday visits taken this fall, “I went to a lot of games. I went to A&M for the Notre Dame game, I went to Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, Penn State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina.”

Asked about his trips to Clemson, Penn State, and Notre Dame, Salmin broke down each visit.

Clemson: “It was awesome. I went to Clemson twice, early in the season for their NC State game; that was a big win. That was super awesome to see the team’s energy. I was there for a camp over the summer. When I went back, I got to see how coach (Tyler) Grisham (WR) coaches. I also got to see the players’ energy, and how they get along.

“I went back for the South Carolina game; that was a crazy environment. It is a rivalry game. That was a super close game that came down to one play. It was tough seeing a team lose, but it was good to see how the players and coaches reacted, and how they bounced back and are now in the playoffs.”

Penn State: “That was awesome. I was there for the Ohio State game. Both my parents were there with me; we spent time with the coaches and met with them. They had their game, but they still sat down and talked with us. They talked about the future, and they talked about the ways they would use me in the future. The energy is really good there.”

Notre Dame: “That was also a good visit. I was there for the Florida State game. That was a big win for them; that is another rivalry game. It was awesome to see how their coaches and players reacted after the win. I talked to a lot of the coaches there and spent time with them, which was awesome.”

Working around winter and spring track meets, the four-star will get back on the road in the New Year.

“I want to go back to the schools that have been reaching out,” Salmin said. “I will go anywhere that I have been invited. I will go to the places that are keeping the relationship going. We will see how everything goes.”

Morgantown, WV – West Virginia captured its first winning streak of the season after dismantling the North Carolina Central Eagles (4-8) Tuesday night inside the WVU Coliseum 79-45.

West Virginia freshman Jonathan Powell led the Mountaineers (7-2) in scoring with 17 points and senior Joseph Yesufu put in 14 points as the pair of guards combined for eight three-pointers on the evening.

West Virginia sophomore forward Amani Hansberry buried a three from the right wing to begin the night. The Mountaineer offense was slowed with three early turnovers but held a 10-2 lead at the 14:15 mark of the first half.

Powell made just two three pointers (2-15) in his last four games but hit consecutive threes to give the Mountaineers a 10-point advantage near the midway point of the first half.

West Virginia was 8-13 from the field and held a 23-8 lead until North Carolina Central held the Mountaineers scoreless for five minutes and dwindled the lead to eight. Then, Yesufu buried three threes to propel a 13-3 WVU run for a 36-18 halftime lead.

West Virginia stretched its lead to 26 with an 11-3 run to open the second half with Powell hitting a three and freshman guard KJ Tenner was the fifth to make a three on the night for the 47-21 advantage with 16 minutes left in the game.

The Mountaineers maintained and steadily but off its 20-plus point advantage, building their largest lead of 36 in the final minutes of action. Senior guard Jake Auer buried three threes in the final two minutes of action as WVU took down the Eagles 79-45.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Virginia man accused of funneling tens of thousands of dollars to ISIS is on trial in a federal court in Alexandria, with prosecutors alleging he used cryptocurrency to support the terrorist organization.

Mohammed Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, is charged with sending funds earmarked for the Islamic State through a Turkish intermediary.

Prosecutors claim Chhipa converted more than $74,000 into Bitcoin and transferred it to accounts intended for an Islamic State member in Syria, known as Umm Dujanah.

“Over the last few years, we’ve seen illicit actors, terrorist financiers, and others look to cryptocurrency because it lives and moves outside the traditional financial system,” said Ari Redbord, a former senior Treasury advisor on terrorism finance. “But what’s missing in that conversation is that law enforcement…can track and trace the flow of funds on blockchains.”

Tuesday’s court proceedings were unusual, as much of the testimony occurred behind a gray wall separating the public gallery. 

An undercover FBI agent testified about his communications with Chhipa, detailing plans to send funds and discussions of using suicide bombs.

In 2019, the FBI raided Chhipa’s Fairfax home, uncovering materials for building explosives. 

Defense attorneys argue Chhipa was entrapped by federal agents and portrayed him as a “lonely, sad” man manipulated by government sting operations.

“He was a lonely, sad, inflated man who the government tried to set up,” said defense attorney Zachary Deubler, claiming the FBI used a fake bride and marriage broker to gain Chhipa’s trust.

The Associated Press contributed to this report