https://twitter.com/Darius_Stills56/status/760272649096495109

I’m prepared for anything from Darius Stills. I don’t know him. Never met him. Never seen him play live. Have seen his tape, and I see he’s a two-star who might be more widely courted and rated higher if he were a few inches taller (he’s not 6-foot-3, by all accounts … but again, I’ve never seen him).

But I do know that following Gary Stills’ son’s story has been something else. I like his style.

To review:

• Decides he’ll announce his commitment on Oct. 28.
• Changes announcement date to Sept. 30.
• Reveals Saturday he’s committed to Rutgers.

(If you’re counting, that’s eight state kids committed to FBS programs and two committed to WVU … and by my count, WVU got two of the five it sincerely offered scholarships to and two of the three who seriously considered the Mountaineers to the end of their process.)

Look, he can announce whenever he wants, and it’s not unusual at all to see kids want to get the decision done with before they start their high school season. As for all the dates, he’s a teenager with a lot to consider. You can look at it a bunch of different ways, but you could also dismiss the appearance and say he spoke to and listened to people he trusts from start to finish.

It is possible Stills was holding out for an offer from West Virginia, which he did not have before Monday. Stills has a younger brother, and Dante, who is a few inches taller, is a more coveted recruit. He’s probably the state’s top 2018 recruit and he’s in ESPN’s top 300 for the 2018 class. The brothers wouldn’t mind playing together … at the school where their father played.

But again, Darius didn’t have an offer until Monday. I don’t know how or why the Mountaineers decided to extend one two days after he picked the Scarlet Knights — your explanations are welcome and probably valid — but here we are.

“I talked it over with my dad and he asked what I wanted,” said Stills. “I told him I always wanted to go to West Virginia. All the clothes I own are West Virginia. WVU was always going to be in my heart no matter what.”

And with that, Stills called the Rutgers coaches to let him know that he was re-opening his recruitment, and followed that with a phone call to defensive coordinator Tony Gibson to tell him the news.

“I called him and told him I wanted to commit,” said Stills. “I’ve always wanted to go there. It’s home. It’s right down the road.”