West Virginia scored an enormous win from faculty soccer’s switch portal on Wednesday, as JT Daniels introduced his intention to play for the Mountaineers in 2022. Daniels chosen West Virginia over Oregon State and Missouri and heads to Morgantown with two years of eligibility remaining. That is the third cease in Daniels’ profession after stints at USC and Georgia, and his resolution to switch to West Virginia is a large enhance for an inexperienced quarterback room and supplies an opportunity for coach Neal Brown’s crew to shock within the Huge 12.
Why is Daniels’ resolution to switch to West Virginia an enormous deal? Listed here are a number of elements to contemplate:
Untapped Expertise and a Match for the Offense
Daniels dedicated to USC within the 2018 signing class because the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and the No. 16 total recruit. The California native performed in 11 video games as a real freshman, throwing for two,672 yards and 14 touchdowns to 10 picks. Daniels was set to work below a brand new play-caller in Graham Harrell and a pass-first scheme at USC in ’19, however he suffered a season-ending knee harm and by no means performed once more for the Trojans.
Daniels departed for Georgia in ’20 and began the ultimate 4 video games that season after a gradual restoration from the ACL harm. In that four-game stint, Daniels threw for 1,231 yards and 10 touchdowns to solely two picks, whereas averaging a sturdy 10.3 yards per try.
Dangerous luck within the harm division hit Daniels in ’21 as soon as once more. A preseason harm hindered him early within the yr, with Stetson Bennett ultimately turning into the No. 1 quarterback for Georgia. In 21 profession video games, Daniels has handed for 4,840 yards and 32 touchdowns to 16 interceptions.
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Though accidents and unhealthy luck have allowed Daniels to start out only one full season of video games, the expertise and potential that was there as a five-star prospect continues to be in place in ’22. Additionally, Daniels is working as soon as once more below Harrell at West Virginia, giving him a chance for a quick begin in a well-recognized scheme.
Inexperienced Quarterback Room
West Virginia’s offense averaged solely 5.4 yards per play and 22.8 factors a sport in Huge 12 contests final yr. Leap-starting this group was a precedence for Brown, and one of many first steps was bringing Harrell aboard to name performs. Final yr’s starter Jarret Doege opted to switch to WKU, which left a few inexperienced choices in Garrett Greene and Will Crowder, together with promising freshman Nicco Marchiol. Between these three quarterbacks, West Virginia returned solely 32 cross makes an attempt on the collegiate stage. Daniels offers the Mountaineers an on the spot and confirmed starter for ’22 and assist to bridge the hole to the subsequent signal-caller – most probably Marchiol – in ’23 or ’24.
A Promising Supporting Solid Wanted a QB
Though final yr’s manufacturing was missing, with a change in method/scheme and an improve at quarterback, the items are in place for West Virginia to enhance on offense in an enormous means in ’22. The offensive line brings again all 5 starters, Clemson switch Lyn-J Dixon and Tony Mathis type a strong one-two punch at operating again, and there’s expertise at receiver with Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Sam James and Kaden Prather main the way in which. Having Daniels in place ought to assist West Virginia higher make the most of a few of this expertise this fall.
West Virginia’s Odds within the Huge 12 Have Improved with Daniels
As talked about beforehand, accidents have been a problem for Daniels, so holding him upright and wholesome within the pocket can be essential to West Virginia’s ’22 hopes. Additionally, his arrival stems a tide of unhealthy information in Morgantown after 4 key defensive gamers transferred since late February. Daniels wants to show a few of his potential into manufacturing, however with a well-recognized scheme below Harrell, a full season of high-level play is inside attain. And if that’s certainly the case, the Mountaineers can be a a lot larger issue within the Huge 12 than most had this crew pegged on the finish of the ’21 season. Probably, Daniels is likely one of the higher signal-callers within the Huge 12 and will make this crew a contender to complete within the prime half of the convention. Though Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are probably the preseason favorites, this league is huge open headed into ’22. If the suitable items fall into place for any crew outdoors of the highest three, a shock run within the convention is not out of the query.
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It’s safe to say that West Virginia currently has momentum on the recruiting trail.
The Mountaineers have added eleven commitments since the start of June with the 2025 recruiting class currently perched inside the top 25 according to the Rivals.com national rankings. And while that can change in a flash, the work done to even get to that point doesn’t happen overnight.
The West Virginia football program has landed a commitment from Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle College High 2025 spear Chris Fileppo.
Fileppo, 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, flipped his pledge to the Mountaineers from James Madison where he had been committed since April. The versatile athlete also held offers from Purdue, South Florida, Connecticut, Villanova, Monmouth and a number of others.
The Rivals.com two-star prospect received an offer from West Virginia in May and those efforts were spearheaded by secondary coach ShaDon Brown.
Fileppo made the trek to West Virginia over the weekend for an official visit and saw enough to end his recruitment by committing to the Mountaineers shortly after its conclusion.
Fileppo is set to play spear for West Virginia on defense, but also has the skill set where he could end up at free safety depending on how he continues to develop.
Fileppo represents the sixth commitment for West Virginia in the defensive backfield behind Tampa (Fla.) Gaither 2025 cornerback Serious Stinyard, Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork 2025 cornerback Elgin Sessions, Richmond (Va.) Trinity Episcopal 2025 defensive back Terrance “Deuce” Edwards, Lakeland (Fla.) 2025 defensive back Sammy Etienne and Huntington (W.Va.) 2025 safety Zah Jackson.
He is the 18th commitment overall.
WVSports.com breaks down the commitment of Fileppo and what it means to the West Virginia Mountaineers football program both now and in the future.
Skill set:
Fileppo is a long rangy safety that has the frame to fill out even further. He is a sure tackler and has no reservations coming down into the box to spill ball carriers. He is equipped with the speed and athleticism to cover a lot of ground and his skill set is a good fit for what the program wants at the spear spot.
Fileppo plays both sides of the ball and creates separation as a wide receiver, showcasing his athleticism. He displays strong coverage skills and plays the game with a high IQ in the backend of the defense. He possesses good ball skills and shows the ability to track the football well to both make plays on it and deliver hits.
Fitting the program:
West Virginia continues to target versatility and length in the back end of the defense and Fileppo certainly possesses both of those traits. He has the size and skill set to move around to multiple positions but will likely start his career at either spear or possibly even the free safety spot.
This is a player that secondary coach ShaDon Brown targeted and was able to get him to campus in order to close the deal in his recruitment. The Mountaineers were also able to go into neighboring Pennsylvania to fill a need in the recruiting class and gives the program a safety that can move around to multiple positions.
Fileppo will step into a position where they will be seven scholarship players on the roster when he arrives on campus and with his ability to bounce around it opens doors for him to potentially challenge for early time.
Recruiting the position:
West Virginia has hit the defensive backs hard in this cycle and while there are options out there, expect the Mountaineers to be selective if there are any additional prospects added to the class.
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Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh 2025 defensive end Elijah Crawford made his official visit to West Virginia over the weekend and left campus with a strong understanding of what the program is about.
Crawford, 6-foot-4, 265-pounds, had visited Morgantown before but this trip allowed him to really see the family dynamic and camaraderie within the program.
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