The West Virginia football program is being active in trying to reconnect and utilize a talent-rich pipeline that has been good to the Mountaineers over the years in the DMV.

The DMV or the area encompassing Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia is filled with plenty of power five level prospects and the Mountaineers have been active in targeting them over the past two recruiting classes.

It’s a welcomed change considering the program had only landed two players from the region in the prior three recruiting classes combined before last year.

So, West Virginia is attempting to get firmly back into the mix there and it’s been working.

Last season the Mountaineers landed five from the region and already at this stage of the process the coaching staff has commitments from a trio of prospects in Olney (Md.) Good Counsel 2025 offensive lineman Gavin Crawford, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel 2025 offensive lineman Eidan Buchanan and Upper Marlboro (Md.) Wise 2025 defensive lineman Taylor Brown.

Crawford, 6-foot-4, 300-pounds, narrowed his list down to West Virginia, Florida, Syracuse, Maryland and Duke in May March but also held a long list of scholarships from other schools including Georgia, UCLA, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Boston College and a number of others.

“I love West Virginia, the atmosphere and the coaching staff,” he said.

Buchanan, 6-foot-8, 325-pounds, selected the Mountaineers over a list of finalists that also included Maryland, Rutgers, Kentucky and Wisconsin. And while his family was originally from the West Virginia area, the Mountaineers still had to beat out a number of high-level options.

The combination of Crawford and Buchanan in this cycle along with Kyle Altuner in the last gives the Mountaineers three highly regarded linemen from Good Counsel in the past two years.

Brown, 6-foot-4, 250-pounds, held other options from Pittsburgh and Boston College but the Mountaineers surged to the forefront of his list after receiving an offer after an unofficial visit and the coaching staff closed the deal following his official visit to campus in June.

The effort has been a push from secondary coach ShaDon Brown along with several others such as defensive line coach AJ Jackson in building bonds and connections with those prospects. That starts things, but then the trick is getting them to campus in order to see things for themselves and adjust their expectations.

West Virginia is obviously a different type of atmosphere than what many in the area are accustomed to, but Morgantown offers a different vibe that also can be attractive to those players.

The Mountaineers also remain involved with several others from the region such as Richmond (Va.) Trinity Episcopal defensive back Terrance Edwards, North Potomac (Md.) Quince Orchard defensive back Aydan West, Berlin (Md.) Stephen Decatur safety Davin Chandler, Towson (Md.) Concordia Prep outside linebacker Sidney Stewart and Brandywine (Md.) Gwynn Park defensive lineman Aubrey Melvin.

Each of those prospects has already taken an official visit to Morgantown and lists the Big 12 Conference program among their options entering a critical stretch in recruiting. No, West Virginia won’t get them all but even landing a few more would go a long way toward driving those stakes down further.

WEST VIRGINIA (WOWK) – Basketball legend and West Virginia native Jerry West knew thousands of people, and millions knew him, but it’s safe to say one person who knew him best lives in Logan County, West Virginia.

Willie Akers has been able to call Jerry West his friend for nearly 70 years. The pair met at the leadership academy, Mountaineer Boys State, in 1955 and the rest is history. The news of West’s passing has made Wednesday a tough day for Akers. The last time the two spoke was just Tuesday.

The duo agreed to play at WVU together and did everything they could by each other’s side while they were in Morgantown.

“We were there from that time on. It was just a dream because we studied together, took classes together – everywhere we went was together,” Akers said. “And sometimes people thought there was something wrong with us ’cause we were playing ball and that was it. But we had a wonderful life and friendship from that time up until the very last minute.”

But when they were in high school, they competed against one another. When asked if he preferred playing with or against West, Akers knew his answer without hesitation.

“With him. He was too good to play against, but he was just a certain kinda guy that everybody liked him and they appreciated what he did,” Akers said.

The pair of friends both played in the inaugural game at the Logan Field House in 1958, which is now called the Willie Akers Arena. In that game, West Virginia University played William and Mary College, with WVU taking home the win.

Akers remembers his dear friend as a humble man who was more than just his legendary basketball career. Akers says becoming “The Logo” didn’t change that.

“He didn’t think he was worthy of it,” Akers said. “It’s the truth! I know he’s proud of it but he said that ‘I don’t know, it’s okay.’ But that’s the way he is. He has all of these trophies and whatnot in the Greenbrier where he owns the restaurant with Jim Justice. And all that stuff means nothing to him.”

Akers tells WOWK 13 News West was far more charitable than anyone really knows because he didn’t make a big deal of his actions.

“Jerry West was a person that didn’t want people to know what he had done. He liked to be in the background of it, but he didn’t want anybody giving him any publicity for it. I could name you many things that he has done for the university, but I’m not going to get into that because he didn’t want me to,” Akers said.

Beyond the public moments, there were also some very private ones. Over the years, Jerry West has spoken of his struggles with depression, and Akers was one of the people who helped him pull through some of the darkest times.

The two have shared milestones in their lives and their families’ lives throughout their decades of friendship, and now Akers and their families are mourning this monumental loss together.