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The West Virginia University football team had a successful National Signing Day 2021. On Wednesday, 16 student-athletes from seven states and two different countries (Sweden, Finland) signed their names on the dotted line as they committed to being Mountaineers.
"(Wednesday) is a culmination of a lot of time and a lot of hard work put in and invested by a lot of people," WVU coach Neal Brown said during a press conference. "This class really started in January 2019 when we first got here as a staff. I'm proud of everybody in this organization. It takes everybody for making this group come together. Small class, but a high, quality class.
"It's a very diverse group from different areas which I think speaks to the power of the West Virginia brand and our logo."
And what more proper way to start the day than to sign a West Virginia native? Wyatt Milum of Kenova was the first one to sign his name. Signing on the dotted line at 7:01 a.m., the Spring Valley High School standout will look to represent the Mountaineers on the offensive line.
ESPN ranked Milum as the No. 1 overall prospect at his position in West Virginia and one of the Top 10 in the nation.
Milum had 18 offers including Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.
"We felt like Wyatt was somebody we identified very early and credit to (area/position coach) Matt Moore in building a relationship with him and his family. They've done a really good job at Spring Valley in developing offensive linemen. He's a kid I think can be a long-time starter here and can be one of the high-level tackles in the Big 12."
Jaylen Anderson signed his NLI and West Virginia got a superior option at running back for the next four years. He rushed for 875 yards and 13 TDs in 2020. ESPN has him as the No. 26 RB in the U.S. and 13th in Ohio.
Aubrey Burks defensive back Auburndale, Fla. will also be a Mountaineer. Despite only playing five games this year due to injury, he had 28 tackles, four TFL, two sacks, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He was looking at 13 Division I offers.
Will 'Goose' Crowder, a quarterback from Gardendale, Ala. will be on the WVU roster for the 2021 season. He also received 13 other offers.
Treylan Davis of Jackson, Ohio also signed on the dotted line. A tight end, he was ranked 34th at his position nationally and was the 65th prospect in Ohio by ESPN.
From yet another state, Wylie, Texas native Brayden Dudley will look to play on the defensive line for the Mountaineers. He played at Mill Creek High School located in Georgia. ESPN ranked him the No. 73 player in Georgia.
Ja'Corey Hammett signed his NLI to play for the Mountaineers at the BAN position. He played outside linebacker and weak-side defensive end in high school. Hammett is ranked 71st at his position and 104th in the state by ESPN.
The second running back on the list of signees is Justin Johnson Jr. An Edwardsville, Ill. native, Johnson will conclude his prep career in the spring as the state moved the season to that time. According to ESPN, Johnson is 48th nationally at the RB position and 17th overall recruit in the state of Illinois.
Davis Mallinger of West Melbourne, Florida could be playing multiple positions (ATH). He was ranked the 127th player in Florida by ESPN. He has speed too as he was a standout in track. His 200 time was 16th nationally in 2020.
Saint McLeod of Philadelphia, Pa. will be another new defensive back on the Mountaineers roster. ESPN had him ranked as the 61st safety nationally and named him the No. 22 prospect in Pennsylvania.
Kaden Prather will line up at wide receiver for WVU. The Montgomery Village, Md. native is the 47th ranked player at his position by ESPN. He was highly recruited as 29 schools, including WVU.
Joining Milum on the offensive line will be Tomas Rimac of Brunswick, Ohio. ESPN ranks him as the 74th offensive tackle in the nation and 25th in the state of Ohio.
Another Ohio native, Hammond Russell IV (Dublin) signed with the Mountaineers to play on the defensive line. Earning First Team all-state, he racked up 52 tackles his senior year. ESPN ranked Russell as the No. 80 defensive end in the nation and the No. 23 prospect in Ohio.
Another DL player signing was Edward Vesterinen from Helsinki, Finland. At 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, he can still move as he has a 4.75 40-yard dash.
Victor Wikstrom of Uppsala, Sweden also signed the dotted line to be a Mountaineer. He was rated as the No. 36 tight end nationally by 247Sports.
The final person to sign on the dotted line was Andrew Wilson-Lamp of Massillon, Ohio. A defensive back, Wilson-Lamp helped the Tigers reach their third consecutive state title game. He is the No. 44 overall player in Ohio ranked by ESPN.