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The exception to the rule

May 8, 2017 by Mike Casazza

Let’s stay on topic and keep tabs on West Virginia football recruiting as it relates to geography and proximity and even current events, whether the draft or the still-new hirings. All of Monday’s assignments make sense, with one exception.

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Tyron Carrier is in Texas, and, sure, the prep and college star in Houston ought to spend some time there, but he’s been spending a lot of time there. The Mountaineers haven’t done that all too often, even in Carrier’s first season. He was in Florida a bunch. But with Florida no longer a priority, and with JaJuan Seider at the University of Florida, resources go elsewhere.

WVU has issued a bunch of scholarship offers already in Texas — more than both Virginia and Maryland, in fact, even though Tony Dews intends to make the Mountaineers a bigger name there — after landing JoVanni Stewart last year and Reggie Roberson this year. Stewart and Alejandro Marenco are the only Texans currently on the roster, and Marenco is a promising walk-on from Skyler Howard’s junior college.

So, yes, it’s an odd ratio, much the same as it’s an odd expedition for Carrier and the Mountaineers, who are nevertheless out in front of a mammoth offensive linemen, tall and speedy receivers and a rapid cornerback — which is to say players at positions WVU needs to address in the 2018 class.

At the top of that list is Dallas Bishop Dunne offensive lineman Kievan Myers. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound prospect holds double-digit offers, but admits that the Mountaineers are at the top of his list after yet another visit from Carrier to end last week.

 “That’s definitely going to be one of my official visits,” said the 247Sports three-star recruit. “It’s a program that I can contribute at my freshman year, it’s ranked at the top for my major, and I just love WVU.”

Just down the road in Houston, Carrier stopped in to see wide receivers Caleb Chapman and Ralph Davis, as well as cornerback Starrland Baldwin. All hold three-star ratings from 247Sports and combine to hold more than 40 offers. Each said that Morgantown is a likely official visit for them at some point during the process.