By Keenan Cummings
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia landed its quarterback for the 2021 class.
Birmingham (Ala.) Gardendale quarterback Will “Goose” Crowder committed to the Mountaineers, shooting to the top of the board at the position in recent weeks.
The 6-foot-3, 198-pounder selected WVU over other offers from Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Wake Forest, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, Boise State and more. WVU surged to the front of the pack after first an eye-opening visit on his first trip to campus in mid-January.
That junior day stop allowed him to get a taste of what the football program had to offer, and he followed that up by returning for another junior day during the March 7 weekend.
“They made me feel like it was home and I love what they’re doing with the program,” he said. “I personally really enjoyed it. I was blown away a little bit.”
Those visits proved pivotal considering the current dead period because it allowed Crowder to get comfortable with the WVU program and the coaching staff to do the same with him.
The connection between Crowder and his lead recruiter, quarterbacks coach Sean Reagan, as well as head coach Neal Brown, also proved to be a significant factor as they connected on the field as well as away from it. A dual-threat option at the position, Crowder is coming off a year where he completed 70%of his passes while tossing for 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushing for 500 more.
That skill set makes him a natural fit for what WVU wants at the quarterback position particularly with his accuracy, ability to get the football out quickly and the way he can move the pocket with his feet.
Things were moved even further ahead with the news that Canadian quarterback Christian Veilleux had trimmed his list down to a top four that did not include the Mountaineers. That made Crowder an absolute necessity for the program at the position.
Crowder represents the fifth overall commitment for WVU in the growing 2021 class and fills a significant need at the signal caller spot. His pledge will likely be the only one at quarterback as the Mountaineers work to piece together the rest of the class.
Crowder will enter a quarterback room when he arrives on campus in January that will likely feature scholarship players in senior-to-be Jarret Doege and current freshman Garrett Greene.
