By Keenan Cummings
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The current recruiting dead period has certainly slowed things down, but it hasn’t been able to stop the positive momentum on the old trail for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers landed their second commitment in three days when Dublin (Ohio) Coffman defensive end Hammond Russell picked the Big 12 program.
Russell, at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, chose WVU over a growing list of scholarship offers which also included Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Minnesota and Illinois, while a host of other Power 5 programs had been expressing interest of late.
Like the other commitment earlier this week in Birmingham (Ala.) Gardendale quarterback Will Crowder, Russell had already made multiple visits to campus and established a strong connection with the coaching staff. That bond was significant in his decision making process.
“Everything about them feels like home. You always want to go to a place that feels like home and they were always honest with me,” he said.
Russell most recently visited for the final junior day event March 7 and left thoroughly impressed.
Tight ends coach Travis Trickett, as well as defensive line coach Jordan Lesley, served as the lead recruiters for Russell and were able to become central figures in his recruitment. Russell was looking for honesty and a place where he could develop his skill set for the next level, and WVU provided that.
The pledge of Russell is significant in the sense that he represents the first commitment along the defensive line positions in the 2021 class, giving WVU an impressive pass rushing prospect.
He could play on the edge as a defensive lineman or pass rusher, while potentially adding weight and moving to other slots once he enrolls in Morgantown.
Overall, Russell is the sixth prospect to pick the Mountaineers during this recruiting cycle.
Tweet @rivalskeenan
