A 4-star wide receiver from West Virginia headlines the ’24 recruiting class.
Over the past year, Ric’Darious Farmer made commitments to three different schools. Officially, West Virginia was the last state.
As part of the Mountaineers’ 22-player class, the four-star wide receiver from Melbourne Central Catholic in Florida signed a letter of intent with West Virginia on Wednesday.
In West Virginia’s class, “Day Day” Farmer (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) is the only four-star recruit. Farmer, a two-time all-state pick and ESPN’s 45th-ranked wide receiver in the country, verbally committed to Pitt in December of last year but changed his mind and chose UCF in August.
He was still being pursued by West Virginia coaches until the day of the national signing.
WVU coach Neal Brown said of the player, “He’s been really productive; he’s a great kick returner.” “He needs to put on some weight, but he’ll join us early.
“He is going to take the slot. Looking back, we’ve had a lot of success with slots, with some incredibly productive individuals, starting around 2007.
Brown also emphasized how West Virginia was able to bring in “local” recruits. Of the 22 players who signed on Wednesday, sixteen went to high school six hours away from Morgantown.
After five seasons at WVU, Brown is 30-29. “I’ve got a much better feel for who we can get and what’s the right fit,” Brown said. “Here, you need to hire a sizable area. I believe that if you’re not careful, you could end up overextended. Placing the right people in the right places takes time. We still have some things to improve. It’s been an educational experience. We are drawing nearer to our destination.
One of those local players is the only player from the WPIAL, defensive back Jason Cross of Bishop Canevin, who stands 6-1 and weighs 171 pounds. Cross started for three years. Cross, a three-time all-conference safety who also played wide receiver and quarterback, contributed to the Crusaders’ 2021 WPIAL Class A championship. He racked up 41 solo stops, 18 assisted stops, 11 tackles for loss, 528 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns this season.
Brown remarked, “We really like his body control.” “We believe he will fill in and contribute here as a safety.”
Three players from within the state were signed by the Mountaineers, one of whom is linebacker Curtis Jones Jr. from Cabell Midland.
Regarding Jones, Brown remarked, “I believe he might be the best football player overall in the state (West Virginia) as a senior.” “He was excellent. Back there, he played running. We anticipate him playing linebacker. I believe he has a very, very big upside.
Athlete Keyshawn Robinson of Jefferson, West Virginia, and wide receiver Dom Collins of Princeton, West Virginia, also signed.
“I have always believed that having 20–25 scholarship players who are natives of West Virginia indicates that slightly more than 25% of your team members are aware of the significance of the program to the state,” Brown remarked. “They truly have the ability to not only establish the benchmark but also convey the significance of this to our state and the people we represent.”
In January, seven players will enrol: DB QB Khalil Wilkins, OLB Obinna Onwuka, TE Jack Sammarco, DB Zae Jennings, DL Elijah Kinsler, and DL Israel Boyce.
Brown remarked, “Huge day for our program.” “Our goal is to recruit, develop, and then retain elite high school student-athletes to fill out our roster. This process takes more than two years for the majority of these signees. It really does take a village.
