Published: January 05, 2009 02:13 pm      

WVU gets commitment from highly rated cornerback

MORGANTOWN — Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely cornerback Michael Carter gave West Virginia's 2009 recruiting class its 20th commitment during Saturday's U.S. Army All-America Bowl.

He also gave Mountaineer fans a pretty good idea of his goals.

Standing next to his father, Mike, and behind a table with caps for WVU, the University of Florida and the University of Minnesota to make his decision, Carter announced he'd picked the Mountaineers.

"The school I want to be at for the next three years is the University of West Virginia," Carter said from the high school all-star game played in San Antonio and televised on NBC.

Three years, of course, would mean playing well enough to leave school early and take his game to the NFL.

Carter is 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds and had additional offers from Georgia and Miami, among others. He's rated a four-star prospect and the No. 12 cornerback by Rivals.com.

WVU would welcome Carter's early stardom because it needs players at that position. Senior Ellis Lankster graduates and sophomore Brandon Hogan missed the bowl game with a personal mater that remains private. The remaining candidates have question marks.

Redshirt freshman Keith Tandy hardly played before starting in the bowl in Hogan's stead. Guesly Dervil and Kent Richardson will be seniors next season who haven't been able to take hold of the position thus far in their careers. Junior college transfers Brantwon Bowser and Chaz Russell redshirted this season. Bowser rehabilitated a torn ACL and Russell couldn't catch up after enrolling at the start of the fall semester.

Carter and Arthur Render, from San Marcos (Ca.) Palomar Community College, are the only cornerbacks committed to the class, though it's an area the staff has focused on and hopes to add to before signing day next month.