By Keenan Cummings
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia continues to add to its 2021 recruiting class with the most recent pledge coming from Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek defensive end Brayden Dudley.
Dudley, at 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, is a versatile defensive lineman that could slide anywhere from a three-technique to a five-technique at the next level. He collected over 20 scholarship offers in the process with some of the main competition being Michigan State and Iowa State.
The Georgia prospect first received an offer from the Mountaineers in January and the coaches were consistent in their pursuit, led by defensive line coach Jordan Lesley.
The Rivals.com 3-star prospect made a visit to Morgantown in March prior to the start of the ongoing dead period and left highly impressed with what he saw during the trip. That was enough to cement West Virginia near the top of his list and eventually secure his commitment.
That visit continues a stretch of the Mountaineers only accepting commitments from prospects who have been to campus to date, although that could change in the coming weeks with no visits permitted until at least the end of July.
Dudley is coming off an impressive season where he recorded over 33 tackles and five sacks, and showcased not only his athleticism but strength along the defensive front.
Now with nine commitments, the WVU recruiting class is currently perched at No. 30 nationally according to Rivals.com and can grow significantly in the coming weeks.
Dudley is the first commitment for the Mountaineers from Georgia in this cycle and is the second true defensive lineman to pick the Big 12 program behind Dublin (Ohio) Coffman athlete Hammond Russell.
WVU continues to add impressive pieces and it’s getting easier and easier to trust the climb.
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