Published: June 01, 2008 12:28 am      

WVU focused on in-state recruiting

MORGANTOWN — It is unlikely that as new coach Bill Stewart assembled his first football staff at West Virginia University he did so with the new recruiting rules in mind.

During the evaluation period, which ran from April 15 through May 23, the Mountaineers’ coach was prohibited from involving himself in recruiting, a new wrinkle he does not like.

He instead leaned on his stable of assistants, led by Doc Holliday, whom Stewart labeled the “best recruiter in the country” when Hurricane native and WVU alumnus Holliday was hired.

The staff followed through with the permissible phone calls and even visited practices when possible — high school practices.

“What helped us,” said Holliday, the WVU director of football recruiting, “was the states that have spring ball. You can actually watch the practice and evaluate players.”

Several states, including Florida and Georgia — now major destinations for WVU’s new recruiting vision — feature spring football. In addition to the obvious benefit of early preparation for the upcoming high school season, it allows student-athletes and college assistants to informally introduce themselves to one another sooner in the process.

West Virginia does not offer spring ball for its 120 football high schools.

That doesn’t make things any easier on the WVU staff that reaffirmed its pledge to its home state when it promised to visit every school this year.

The state allows for summer workouts and probably won’t move to spring ball any time soon. That, Holliday said, is less about popularity and more about population.

“I think the No. 1 problem we have in West Virginia is the kids play multiple sports,” said Holliday, who grew up in Hurricane. “There aren’t a whole lot of athletes in every school, so they do baseball, basketball and football.

“The biggest issue they have here is the seasons overlap with other seasons so track season would be going on the same time as spring football. I don’t think there’s any question it would help, but it would also hurt some teams.”

Years back, the state allowed for the three-week summer workout period. That occurs during the quiet period on the recruiting calendar, though WVU has some on-campus camps that high school players may attend at that time.

The staff will rely upon the blueprint mapped out when the staff came together earlier this year. The state is divided among the nine coaches, so each is responsible for about 12-15 schools.

“It’s a little difficult because it takes time and it’s going to take a couple days out of everyone’s schedule,” Holliday said.

Holliday understands there might be concern about how and where the staff spends its time. Parkersburg offensive lineman Josh Jenkins is the only state player from the 2008 recruiting class. Thus far, Cabell Midland offensive lineman Cole Bowers is the only state player committed to WVU from the ‘09 class.

In a very good year, the state will produce but a handful of major college players.

Conversely, WVU signed five players from Virginia and Florida in February and is recruiting a number of the nation’s top players who happen to be from Florida and Virginia for 2009.

“When it comes to a player from the state of West Virginia we think can help us win championships, we’ve got to be able to get him,” Holliday said. “We can’t afford to let players from West Virginia go anywhere else, so we’ve got to make sure we do our homework.

“Maybe there aren’t a lot four-and five-star guys, but there are a lot of daggone good football players. (Former WVU offensive tackle) Rich Braham was a walk-on, but he played a bunch of years (13) in the NFL.

“There are a lot of guys in the state, and we don’t want to miss anybody.”