(Update: Finau has signed. See the end.) 

… but a Happy Anniversary to Kevin Hart!

Oh, that precocious little lineman! The more I think about that story, the more I hate that that happened. I’m not a fan of the recruiting beat — honestly it’s not them, it’s me — but I do believe these kids deserve their moment in the spotlight. They’ve given too much not to be rewarded, but what Mr. Hart did empowered the skeptics.

And so it is we arrive at National Signing Day and every so often we’re reminded of a certain serendipity.

“To be honest with you, West Virginia wasn’t really on my radar for the longest time,” said Smith, the Class 6A Player of the Year and runner-up for Mr. Football. “Then some things happened up there with their quarterback de-committing and that just so happened to be going on when I was about to take my visit up there.

“There was a lot to love about that place. To me, it felt like the perfect situation.” 

I’m sorry to report this, but Geno Smith prefers Eugene Smith, which makes him a lot like my dad, who, to be fair, is probably still a pretty good athlete at age 58.

So pull up a seat and immense yourself today in National Signing Day — all caps! — as we begin to learn a little about a lot of kids (Watch that Michael Carter today!). Updates will come throughout the day, beginning with the already-enrolled Logan Heastie.

Wednesday’s National Signing Day will offer none of pomp and circumstance three years on the recruiting circuit generates. No assembly at his high school. No media swarm waiting to ask questions he’s been asked a bunch before. No putting on a cap and smiling for the cameras.

It seems a little unfair for a 6-foot-3, 185-pound receiver with 4.34 speed, a little anticlimactic after catching 116 passes for 1,954 yards and 26 touchdowns the past two seasons.

“It’s fine, believe me,” he said. “I used to get hounded by that stuff, which happens when you’re a certain caliber of player, but I’m glad to get it over with.”

Jordan Weingart, OL, 6-2, 290
Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz HS

Coached by Jay Godwin at Buchholz High School; Florida Class 5A first team all-state; Gainesville Sun Class 3A-6A Co-Offensive Player of the Year; Gainesville Sun Class 3A-6A first-team offense; Gainesville Sun’s “Super 11”; graded out at 85 percent while averaging 12 pancake blocks per game; Florida Varsity Top 100; Florida Sportswriters Association Class 5A first team all-state as a junior; earned third-team all-state honors as a sophomore; also offered by East Carolina. 

Curtis Feigt, DL, 6-6, 270
Mercersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy

Coached by Dan Walker at Mercersburg Academy; All Mid-Atlantic Prep League; Hagerstown Herald-Mail all-area second team; Chambersburg Public Opinion all-area; came to Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy during his junior year after growing up in Germany; participated in a partnership program between Global Football and USA Football that led to his coming to the United States; finished with 41 tackles, 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, four pass breakups; season high five tackles against Landon and Lawrenceville; helped lead Mercersburg Academy to a 5-4 record; also offered by Boston College.

Nick Kindler, OL, 6-7, 280
Camp Hill, Pa./Trinity HS

Coached by Steve Lineweaver at Trinity High School; Harrisburg Patriot News Platinum 33 Team; two-time AP Class AA first-team all-state; first team All-Sentinel League as a senior; Pittsburgh Sports Report Pennsylvania Top 50; SportsFever Magazine state “Fab 85”; helped lead Trinity to a 7-3 record and advance to the PIAA Class AA semifinals; as a junior, he was a first team all-conference and all-state at offensive tackle but was second team All-Sentinel League; first team all-conference at defensive tackle and second-team all-conference at offensive tackle as a sophomore; also offered by Boston College, UConn, Illinois, Maryland, Rutgers and Virginia.

Branko Busick, LB, 6-1, 215
Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville HS

Coached by Reno Saccoccia at Steubenville High School; Associated Press Ohio Division IV Defensive Co-Player of the Year; AP Division IV-VI first-team All-Ohio; Ohio Varsity Division III-IV all-state first team; recorded 12 tackles, 17 tackles for losses and five forced fumbles on defense, and rushed for 580 yards and scored 14 touchdowns as a fullback on offense; accumulated more than 300 career tackles during his three varsity seasons at Steubenville High School; rushed for 112 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns to help Steubenville defeat Youngstown Cardinal Mooney High School for the first time in school history in the Division IV playoffs; Steubenville came one victory short of claiming its third-straight state title, losing to Kettering Archbishop Alter in the state finals in Canton; as a junior, he finished with 58 tackles; rushed for 543 yards and 13 touchdowns; as a sophomore he collected 98 tackles; as a junior, he finished third in the state wrestling tournament at the 215 weight class; father, Nick, was a former WWF wrestler, Big Bully Busick.

Christopher Snook, TE/FB, 6-3, 220
Medina, Ohio/Highland HS

Coached by Tom Lombardo at Highland High School; Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Star Team; Cleveland Plain Dealer Northeast Ohio Top 40 (No. 6); AP Division II first team All-Ohio; Ohio Varsity Division I-II all-state first team; AP All-Northeast Inland District Co-Offensive Player of the Year; All-Suburban first team; Medina County Gazette’s Most Valuable Player; Medina County Gazette all-star team; selected to play for Ohio in the Big 33 Game; collected 3,866 rushing yards in his career; recorded 68 tackles, six tackles for losses, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception as a linebacker; ran 279 times for 1,851 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense; rushed for a career-high 301 yards against Cloverleaf High School; had 173 yards and scored three touchdowns in Highland’s 35-0 blanking of Powell Olentangy Liberty High School in the state playoffs; the Hornets fell in the regional finals to Southview High School; rushed for 1,409 yards and scored 19 touchdowns to earn all-district honors as a junior; collected 45 tackles and six sacks; had 603 yards rushing and six touchdowns as a sophomore; finished with 35 tackles and six tackles for loss; father Tim Snook was former Highland High School coach; also offered by Cincinnati and Wake Forest.

Cole Bowers, OL, 6-6, 280
Ona, W.Va./Cabell Midland HS

Coached by Chip McMillian at Cabell Midland High School; top prep prospect in West Virginia; as a senior, he helped lead Cabell Midland to an 8-3 overall record, an 8-2 league mark and a No. 11 state ranking; helped pave the way for Cabell Midland to rush for 2,390 yards, an average of 217 yards per game and fifth-best in the state; also part of the squad that was the 12th-best scoring offense in the state, averaging 23.2 points per game; the nephew of former Marshall offensive tackle Rob Bowers and cousin of current Herd player Chris Bowers; holds a 3.7 grade point average; champion shot putter; also offered by Marshall and Virginia.

Broderick Jenkins, Athlete, 5-10, 177
South Fort Myers, Fla./ South Fort Myers HS

Coached by Grant Redhead at South Fort Myers High School; Florida Class 3A third team all-state; Miami Herald Top 100 (No. 92) Florida prospects; one of seven Southwest Florida players invited to play in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game; District 16 Player of the Year; a first-team all-area selection as a defensive back; made 48 tackles, four interceptions and nine pass breakups on defense, and caught 12 passes for 431 yards, 13 carries for 128 yards, 392 yards in kick returns and scored eight touchdowns; led South Fort Myers with 951 all-purpose yards; had four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown against Lely; six catches for 76 yards and a touchdown against Lemon Bay; two catches for 88 yards and a touchdown against Cypress Lake; as a junior, he had 28 tackles and three interceptions; also finished with 23 catches for 367 yards and a touchdown, 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns; helped lead South Fort Myers to an 8-2 record and the district championship; becomes the third
Southwest Florida player to sign with West Virginia in three years, joining running back Noel Devine and wide receiver J.D. Woods; also offered by Wisconsin, Boston College, Iowa, Wake Forest, Louisville, NC State, Pitt and USF.

Jonathan Scott, DB, 6-4, 190
Daytona Beach, Fla./Seabreeze HS

Coached by Marc Beach at Seabreeze High School; Florida Class 4A third team all-state; Miami Herald Top 100 (No. 70) Florida prospects; as a senior, he finished with 40 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one interception; one of eight Florida seniors invited to play in the Offense-Defense All-America Bowl at Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, S.C., televised on Fox College Sports; helped Seabreeze High School to an 8-6 record and a sport in the Florida Class 4A state semifinals; Florida Varsity Top 100; as a junior, he finished with 40 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception; older brothers Kenny (Georgia Tech) and James (Ole Miss) were Division I signees; also offered by LSU, Alabama, Clemson, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Rutgers and South Carolina.

Pat Miller, DB, 6-0, 170
Birmingham, Ala./Hoover HS

Coached by Rush Propst for three years and Josh Niblett as a senior at Hoover High School; earned Alabama State Sportswriters Association Class 6A honorable-mention all-state honors; Birmingham News Alabama Top 24 (15); Tuscaloosa News Top 50 recruits in Alabama (19); named all-metro; played in Mississippi-Alabama all-star classic in Mobile, Ala., in December; second-leading tackler in the game with seven stops, including five solos; as a senior, he collected 64 tackles, four tackles for loss, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and a team leading five interceptions; returned 27 punts for 284 yards, an average of 10.5 yards per return with a long return of 48 yards; part of defense that held opponents to 14.5 points per game, 120.7 passing yards per game and 235.8 total yards per game; helped lead Hoover to a 13-2 record, a No. 2 state ranking and advance to the 6A state championship game; finished with five solo tackles, a tackles for loss and a forced fumble against Prattville in the state championship game; as a junior, he finished with 80 tackles, one sack and five interceptions; helped lead Hoover to a 10-2 record and advance to the state quarterfinals; also offered by Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oregon and Oklahoma State.

Shawne Alston, RB, 6-0, 222
Hampton, Va./Phoebus HS

Coached by Bill Dee at Phoebus High School; Orlando Sentinel All-Southern Team; The Roanoke Times No. 21-rated player in Virginia; AP Group AAA first-team all-state; Daily Press Offensive Player of the Year; Daily Press first team All-Eastern Region; as a senior, he rushed for 2,278 yards and scored 34 touchdowns, including 971 yards and 10 touchdowns in the state playoffs to lead Phoebus High School to a 14-0 record and its second consecutive state title; one of only two Peninsula District players to ever rush for more than 2,200 yards in a single season; produced that yardage total, despite sitting out the fourth quarter of several games due to blowout victories; named the player of the game in the state championship when he ran for 237 yards and two touchdowns against Dinwiddie; had 246 yards and three touchdowns against Warwick in the first round of the state playoffs; finished with 151 yards scored a touchdown against Lake Taylor to lead
Phoebus to the Eastern Region Division 5 Championship; ran for 1,694 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior; began his prep career at Menchville High School before transferring to Phoebus before his junior season; also offered by Penn State, Maryland, Illinois and East Carolina.

Darwin Cook, DB, 5-11, 185
Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw HS

Coached by Rodney Brown at Shaw High School; Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Star Team; Cleveland Plain Dealer Northeast Ohio Top 40 (No. 32); AP first-team Division II All-Ohio; Ohio Varsity Division I-II all-state third team; had 99 tackles, 20 sacks and caused six fumbles on defense and was also an effective wide receiver on offense in leading Shaw High School to an unbeaten regular season; finished with 24 catches for 650 yards, had 24 carries for 302 yards rushing and scored 10 touchdowns; as a junior, he finished with 19 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns; collected 92 tackles, including 22 sacks and had six interceptions; named second team all-state; also offered by Cincinnati, Wisconsin and Purdue.

Dominik Davenport, DL, 6-1, 265
Hampton, Va./Phoebus HS

Coached by Bill Dee at Phoebus High School; The Roanoke Times No. 13-rated player in Virginia; two-time AP Group AAA first-team all-state; VHSCA first-team all-state as a defensive lineman and second team all-state as an offensive lineman; two-time Daily Press Eastern Region Defensive Player of the Year; two-time Daily Press All-Eastern Region first team on both offensive and defensive line; during Davenport’s four years on the varsity the Phantoms went 52-3 with two state titles; Phoebus was 15-0 in 2008 and outscored its opponents, 720-53; RivalsHigh.com rated Phoebus the No. 2 team in the nation in 2008; doubled as a two-way lineman and also served as a short-yardage back on offense, scoring 10 rushing touchdowns; part of defensive unit that recorded nine shutouts and scored 13 times; defense allowed 407 rushing yards, 27.1 yards per game; allowed 1,190 passing yards, 79.3 yards per game and 106.4 total yards per game; had 124 tackles, including 17 sacks as a junior; also offered by Florida State, Maryland and
Virginia.

Ryan Spiker, OL, 6-4, 280
Dresden, Ohio/Tri-Valley HS

Coached by Justin Buttermore at Tri-Valley High School; AP Division II first-team All-Ohio; Ohio Varsity Division I-II all-state second team; selected to play for Ohio in the Big 33 Game; helped lead Tri-Valley to a 7-3 mark as a senior; helped pave the way for Tri-Valley to average 32.5 points a game; part of defense that held opponents to 17.1 points per game; also offered by Cincinnati, Michigan State, Indiana, NC State and Wake Forest.
 
Pat Eger, OL, 6-5, 275
Clairton, Pa./Thomas Jefferson HS

Coach by Bill Cherpak at Thomas Jefferson High School; Harrisburg Patriot News Platinum 33 Team; WPIAL Class AAA first-team all-state; AP Class AAA first-team all-state; Class AAA Big Seven all-conference; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette South Fabulous 22 Team; Pittsburgh Sports Report Pennsylvania Top 50; SportsFever Magazine’s state “Supreme Team”; helped Thomas Jefferson to a pair of PIAA Class AAA state titles; helped power an offense that produced 6,131 total yards in 15 games, averaging 408.7 yards per game; helped pave the way for the Thomas Jefferson rushing attack to finish with 3,591 yards and 49 touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry; also offered by Maryland and Pitt.

Terence Garvin, S, 6-2, 210
Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield HS

Coached by Brian Abbott at Loyola Blakefield High School; Maryland Consensus All-State team as a defensive back; Baltimore Sun first-team all-metro; made 32 tackles and intercepted two passes on defense to help Loyola High School to an undefeated record and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title for the third-straight year; as a senior, he finished with 32 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery; rushed for 1,259 yards and scored 19 touchdowns on offense; made four tackles and an interception in the Crab Bowl, featuring the best players in state; named second team all-metro by the Baltimore Sun and honorable-mention all-state as a junior; he ran for 792 yards, an average of 6.2 yards per run and 15 touchdowns; had seven catches for 188 yards, an average of 26.8 yards per catch; on defense, he had 42 tackles and three interceptions; also offered by Maryland, Virginia, Syracuse, Boston College and NC State.

Daquan Hargrett, RB, 5-10, 190
Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern HS

Coached by William Rolle at Miami Northwestern High School; Florida Class 6A honorable mention all-state; Miami Herald Top 100 (No. 97) Florida prospects; Miami Herald first-team all-Dade County; No. 20-rated player in Dade County according to the Miami Herald; Orlando Sentinel Florida Top 100; ESPN Top 150 list; Florida Varsity Top 100; had 128 carries for 1,129 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior; helped Northwestern High school to a pair of Class 6A state championship appearances; Northwestern’s bid for back-to-back-to-back titles ended with a 28-21 defeat of Seminole High School in the state finals, finishing 13-2 in 2008; Northwestern was trying to become the first team from Dade County to win three consecutive state championships since the playoff format was first adopted in 1963; helped Northwestern to a mythical high school national title as a junior; finished with 117 carries for 882 yards and 12 touchdowns; also had eight catches for 161 yards and a touchdown; also offered by Clemson, Iowa State, Minnesota
and USF.

Eugene Smith, QB, 6-3, 190
Miramar, Fla./Miramar HS

Coached by former Mountaineer Damon Cogdell at Miramar High School; named to the Parade High School All-American team; EA Sports All-American second team; finished No. 2 in the voting for Mr. Florida; Florida Class 6A first team all-state; Sun Sentinel Florida Class 6A Player of the Year; participated in the “Elite 11” football camp in California; Orlando Sentinel All-Southern Team; Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100; Miami Herald Top 100 (No. 3) Florida prospects; ESPN Top 150 prospects; Florida Varsity No. 7 player in the state of Florida; Miami Herald first-team All-Broward County; No. 1-rated player in Broward County according to the Miami Herald; Orlando Sentinel Florida Top 100; South Florida Sun-Sentinel Region Player of the Year; No. 1-rated player in Broward County according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel; No. 2 quarterback on the Jacksonville Times-Union 2009 Florida Super 75 list; earned the coaches quarterback MVP Award at the University of Miamia Nike Football Training Camp; rated No. 56 on the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 list; led Miramar High School to an 8-2 record and a No. 5 ranking in Broward County by the Sun-Sentinel; completed 205 of 308 passes for 3,089 yards and 32 touchdowns; rushed for more than 300 yards; finished his career as the third-best passer in Broward County history; completed 20 of 28 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns in a 47-13
victory over Plantation High School; as a junior, he passed for 2,222 yards, threw 25 touchdowns and ran for seven more scores; second team all-state; second team All-Broward County; passed for more than 400 yards and six touchdowns against Ely High School as a junior in 2007; cousin of former Miami star Melvin Bratton; also offered by Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Kansas, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Florida, LSU, Oregon, Louisville and USF.

Stedman Bailey, WR, 5-11, 186
Miramar, Fla./Miramar HS

Coached by former Mountaineer Damon Cogdell at Miramar High School; Florida Class 6A first team all-state as a senior and third team as a junior; Miami Herald Top 100 (No. 77) Florida prospects; Orlando Sentinel Florida Top 100; Miami Herald first-team All-Broward County; No. 15-rated player in Broward County according to the Miami Herald; South Florida Sun-Sentinel team; No. 6-rated player in Broward County according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel; Florida Varsity Top 100; teamed with Eugene Smith to give Miramar one of the best passing combinations in Florida; ranked third in Broward County in receiving; caught 68 passes for 1,163 yards and 14 touchdowns; had a catch in every game as a senior; had nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in a 47-13 victory over Plantation High School; caught five passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns against Ely High School; named the MVP of the Nike Camp in Gainesville, Fla., in April 2008; as a junior, he finished with 48 receptions for 1,032 yards, an average of 21.5 yards per catch and 11 touchdowns; named Miami Herald second team All-Broward County; also offered by Illinois, Iowa, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Ole Miss.

Tavon Austin, RB, 5-9, 170
Baltimore, Md./Dunbar HS

Coached by Lawrence Smith at Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Md.; two-time Maryland Consensus Offensive Player of the Year; consensus first-team all-state; three-time Baltimore Sun Player of the Year; DigitalSports All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year; owns Maryland records for career points — 790 –, touchdowns — 123 –total offensive yards — 9,258 – and rushing yards — 7,962; led Dunbar High School to three consecutive Class 1A state titles; as a senior, he rushed for 2,660 yards and scored 34 touchdowns on just 218 carries for a phenomenal 12.2 yards per carry average; also returned 12 punts for 446 yards and a pair of touchdowns; caught three passes for 105 yards including an 81-yard touchdown and also returned a kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown in the Crab Bowl, featuring the top high school football players in Maryland; as a junior, he ran for 2,553, an average of 12.9 yards per carry and 32 touchdowns, had 17 receptions for 335 yards and three touchdowns, scored two touchdowns on kickoff returns and two touchdowns on punt returns; collected 50 tackles and had four interceptions; ran for 1,200 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore; also offered by Boston College, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Pitt and Rutgers.

Taige Redman, LB, 6-2, 215
Keyser, W.Va./Keyser HS

Earned first team all-state honors; named area defensive co-player of the year; finished runner-up for the Sam Huff Award, given to the state’s top linebacker; finished with 119 tackles, including 56 solo, 12 for loss and eight sacks; had one interception returned for a
touchdown, forced four fumbles and ran back one of his four fumble recoveries for a touchdown; helped lead Keyser to a 10-1 mark, win the Times-News Area championship and advance to the second round of the state playoffs; earned all-state honors as a junior; finished with 80 tackles, 10 sacks and an interception as a junior; also lettered in basketball and track; also offered by Marshall and Ohio University.

Deon Long, WR, 6-0, 175
Washington, D.C./Dunbar HS

Coached by Craig Jeffries at Dunbar High School; Washington Post second-team all-met in 2008; All-Beltway first-team selection; an All-City Bowl selection; caught 35 passes for 840 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior; had a season-high five catches for 135 yards and a touchdown in Dunbar’s 60-6 win over Cardoza High School; against Good Counsel, had four catches for 116 yards, two touchdowns and returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown; had 118 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns in a 46-7 win over Wilson High School; Washington Post honorable mention all-met in 2007; as a junior, he caught 70 passes for 1,189 yards, an average of 17.0 yards per catch and 15 touchdowns that season; had a career-high 188 yards receiving and two touchdowns in a 32-28 victory against Friendship Academy; caught 95 passes for 2,072 yards and 22 touchdowns during three varsity seasons at Dunbar; helped his team to records of 10-3 and 9-2 during his junior and season seasons; as a senior, helped lead Dunbar to an appearance in the DCIAA championship game; has a 34-inch vertical jump; also runs track; also offered by Michigan State, Duke, Illinois, Maryland, Pitt and Syracuse.

Terrance Moore, WR, 6-3, 185
Key West, Fla./Mesa CC

Played for Coach Carl Hargrave at Mesa Community College; selected to play in the national junior college All-America game, the Triumphant Sports Bowl; 2008 first team All-Region I; Western States Football League first team; first team Arizona Community College Athletic Conference honors; fourth in NJCAA Region I and No. 11 nationally with 38 catches for 730 yards; region best nine touchdowns among receivers; tied for third in the region in scoring with 54 points; 2008 preseason NJCAA All-American; 2007 NJCAA first team All-American; had 35 catches for 861 yards and a team leading 12 touchdowns as a freshman; helped lead Mesa to a 9-2 record in his first season, Valley of the Sun Bowl championship and a Top 10 national ranking; All-Region first team; Florida Class 3A first-team all-state as a senior; helped lead Key West to a 7-2 record and advance to the regional quarterfinals of the state championship.

Tevita Finau, DL, 6-5, 290
Lahaina, Hawaii/Phoenix College

Coached by former Mountaineer standout Dale Wolfley as a freshman and Land Jacobsen as a sophomore at Phoenix College; two-time region defensive player of the year; first team All-Western States Football League; finished with 53 tackles, including 30 solo stops, six sacks and a forced fumble; helped lead Phoenix College to a 7-3 record as a sophomore, an appearance in the Valley of the Sun Bowl, the Western States Football League championship and a final national ranking of No. 12; as a freshman, he earned 2007 second-team NJCAA All-American honors; collected 90 tackles, including 58 solo tackles, nine sacks, 20 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and six pass breakups; runs a 4.7/40-yard dash and benches 365 pounds; coached by Suaki Livai at Kahuku High School; helped guide the Red Raiders to the 2004 Hawaii state championship … also participated in basketball; three-year first-team all-state honoree; also offered by Auburn, California, Colorado, Florida, Louisville, Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee and Oregon; son of Tolu and Takinima Finau.