WVU reached its scholarship limit with Wednesday’s signing class, picked up a surprise offensive lineman and a rankings-boosting running back and addressed a bunch of needs by getting players whose hometowns are in 12 states and Washington, D.C.

In all, high schools and junior colleges from 11 states are represented in the class.

“I think it’s becoming more and more common across the United States,” Holgorsen said. “Look where guys are signing and it’s becoming more and more common to see guys leaving their home state to go other places. Our philosophy has been the same since I’ve been here: identify the local talent and do our absolute best to get them, focus hard on the surrounding states and go to the talent-rich areas in North Carolina, Atlanta, Florida, Texas and the junior colleges heading west.”

We can continue to talk about how the quarterbacks might help the offense or how the receivers and the offensive linemen might help the quarterbacks. It seems the Mountaineers are most pleased with what they did for their secondary.

“We can turn on the TCU film and show them the last two drives of the game where we have seven true freshmen on the field and I think three or four of them are in the secondary,” safeties coach Tony Gibson said. “Our deal is we’re going to play the best guy.”

A smart college coach is going to tell an impressionable high school or junior college player that the situation he’s about to enter may let him become one of those best guys. The Mountaineers have at least put the pieces in place by signing defensive backs DaeJuan Funderburk, Keishawn Richardson, Dravon Henry and Jaylon Myers.

“Those four kids are as good in a class at one time that I’ve ever been a part of,” Gibson said. “Usually you’re going to get one that’s maybe ready to play and you’ve got to develop the rest and maybe redshirt them and they end up being pretty good. But to be ready to step in form Day One and impact the football team, I think all four kids can do that.”