BY KEENAN CUMMINGS
MORGANTOWN — Dallas (Ga.) East Paulding running back Justin Williams already has four official visits set in June, and one will be to check out the West Virginia football program.
Williams, at 6-foot and 200 pounds, booked trips to Nebraska, West Virginia, Louisville and Southern California, in order, and has several other programs high on his list, such as Minnesota and Vanderbilt. The Rivals.com 4-star prospect isn’t hurting for suitors, but the Mountaineers have made an impression.
Part of that has been his connection with head coach Neal Brown and running backs coach Chad Scott. The pair have been in contact with Williams at least five days a week, and he has learned not only about the Mountaineer football program but about them as people, too.
“We talk about life outside football. Coach Brown is a great guy to talk to and he’s enthusiastic and I like what he’s doing with the program,” he said. “He shows me what they’re doing and treats me like I’m one of their own and it’s really good.”
The Mountaineers offered in January and have been in constant communication since. That connection, along with the opportunities available, have certainly caught Williams’ eye.
The trip to Morgantown is booked for the weekend of June 11-13, and Williams admittedly can’t wait to get to campus to see some of the things he has heard so much about in person.
The Mountaineers see Williams as a versatile running back who can not only carry the ball out of the backfield but can be used as a weapon in the pass-catching game. That makes him a good fit for what WVU has targeted on the recruiting trail in recent recruiting classes.
The talented running back is coming off an impressive junior season where he rolled up 1,477 rushing yards to go along with 286 receiving yards out of the backfield.
“I see myself fitting in pretty well there,” Williams said.
Williams has no timeline for when a decision could come but with the Mountaineers expected to take only one running back in the 2022 class, he has moved into the forefront of the options.
Ultimately, he plans to base his decision around the place where he feels most at home.
“A home away from home,” he said.
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