Steve Ayers already knew the type of speed he was inheriting in new West Virginia commitment Tyrell Russell when he took the head coach job at Beechcroft this past season.

That’s because Ayers served as the track coach at Walnut Ridge and Russell is a four-year letterman.

“You can’t coach speed. That’s just one thing you just can’t coach. The way he puts his foot in the ground and explodes. And the way he shows a different gear, we just knew we had something special,” Ayers said.

Russell is a versatile athlete who can play multiple positions ranging from running back, wide receiver, kick returner and on the defensive side of the ball. And while he is likely to end up on defense with the Mountaineers, Ayers believes that over his 28 years Russell fits high on his list.

“He’s just an all-around football player,” he said.

But Ayers believes that Russell still has plenty of room to grow on the field as he adjusts from splitting his time between track and football and focuses solely on the latter. The head coach expects him to add some good weight to his frame and become even more intriguing as a prospect.

“Once he fills out with his speed it can be really, really scary,” he said.

The one area that he wants to see him continue to grow is handling the physicality of the college game because it is different from what he has experienced to date. But he has the toolkit to do just that.

“Once he figures that out he’ll be fine. Speed wise he can run with anybody in my eyes,” he said.

But while the physical attributes are there, Ayers has perhaps been just as impressed with how Russell has carried himself in terms of his character. The senior has embraced a leadership role on his team and has made a strong impression with how he goes about his business.

That especially showed itself in moments of adversity as Russell bought into the new leadership and the message that they were trying to pass onto the team.

The decision to commit to West Virginia didn’t necessarily surprise Ayers once Russell elected to take the visit and he is excited that he will have the chance to showcase what he can do at the highest level in Morgantown.

“He’s a kid with great character, great grades and will have an opportunity to shine at the next level. He has it. He is a kid with a good head on his shoulders and honestly I think they got a steal,” he said.

West Virginia’s search for a new head football coach is about to come to an end. Well, according to former WVU defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones, it’s already over.

Tuesday night, Pacman posted a video on X saying that Rich Rodriguez is coming back to West Virginia.

“It’s official! WVU is back! Rich Rodriguez back in Morgantown. To everybody at WVU, to everybody in the state of West Virginia, y’all got two things to be really happy about. One, Marshall. Coach Gibby. An unbelievable coach, without him I would not be where I am. Number two, the toughness of West Virginia is back!”

A few minutes later, Pacman posted another video stating that he would do what he could to help out the football program.

“I ain’t told y’all I ain’t got Pat McAfee money. Pat McAfee pay me, but I got a little money. Just a little bit. When Rodriguez get here, every DB that has two picks, me and my team we’re going to donate $100,000.”

No announcement has been made at this time, but according to Pete Thamel of ESPN, a decision is expected to come from WVU in the next 24-48 hours.

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Amidst rumors of an announcement coming regarding the West Virginia football head coaching opening, former WVU player and ESPN analyst Pat McAfee addressed what he does and does not know on Tuesday’s edition of the Pat McAfee Show — and he did it while decked out in WVU gear.

“I think whoever Wren [Baker] hires will be great for West Virginia, but I do not know who will be hired at West Virginia,” McAfee said. “I’m not sure a decision has been made, and if it has, I do not know about it.

McAfee also noted that there are currently no plans for the news of the eventual hire to be broken on his show, though he’d likely be willing to make those arrangements if WVU wanted to do so.

“There’s never been discussing about me going back to Morgantown or having an announcement of any sort on this particular program, although I would be open to it,” McAfee said.

McAfee also discussed how, as a prominent donor, college football analyst, and program alum, he has tried to take a respectful approach to Baker and the WVU administration during the process.

“I’ve tried to remain as hands off of the situation as I can possibly be. I am a money person at the school and also cover college football…I think Wren Baker has tried to be respectable to me in the entire thing and I have tried to return the favor tpo him by staying out of it,” McAfee said.