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2008 WVU Football Signees
John Bassler, OL, 6-5, 285, New Windsor, Md./Francis Scott Key HS
Coached by Bill Hyson at Francis Scott Key High School
two-time all-Monocacy Valley Athletic League on offense and defense
two-time all-Carroll County selection
named as an offensive lineman to play in the Super 22 all-star game, featuring the best players from the Baltimore metro area
also played basketball and baseball
son of Robert and Carol Bassler.
Jorge Wright, DL, 6-3, 260, Miami, Fla./Dr. Krop HS
Coached by Rick Divita at Dr. Krop High School
registered 62 tackles and 18 sacks as a senior
selected All-Dade County honorable mention
selected to play in the Dade North-South All-Star game
helped team to a 7-3 record
two-year letterwinner in wrestling
runs a 4.7/40-yard dash and bench presses 275 pounds
son of Jorge and Dr. Ellen Wright.
Bernard Smith, DL, 6-2, 220, Atlanta, Ga./Benjamin E. Mays HS
Coached by Jessie Soloman at Benjamin E. Mays High School
named to the Georgia Sportswriters Association Class 4A first-team all-state
earned All-Atlanta honors
had a team-leading 125 tackles, including 75 solo tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles and four forced fumbles as a senior
led the state of Georgia in solo tackles
punted the ball 25 times for an average of 37.7 yards per punt
rated No. 4 rush end in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal Constitution
helped lead the Raiders to a 9-3 record, a second-place finish to Tucker High School in the conference standings and advance to the second round of the state playoffs
selected to play in the Georgia North-South All-Star Game
had a season-high 15 tackles in 25-0 win over Lakeside High School and four sacks in a 14-0 win over Miller Grove High School
selected honorable mention all-state class 4-A as a junior
led Benjamin E. Mays to a 10-3 record as a junior and advance to the second round of the state playoffs
son of Constance Nealey.
Jeffrey Braun, OL, 6-5, 315, Westminster, Md./Winters Mill HS
Coached by Ken Johnson at Winters Mill High School
three-year, two-way starting center-defensive lineman
runs a 5.1/40-yard dash and benches 405 pounds
considered the best lineman outside the metro areas
finished with 57 tackles as a senior
for his career, he finished with 127 tackles, seven sacks, four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries
2007 Maryland consensus all-state by the Associated Press
named to the Baltimore Suns all-metro team
three-time selection to the all-Monocacy Valley Athletic League and all-Carroll County teams
two-time first-team all-area by The Examiner
two-time first-team small school all-state selection
helped lead Winters Mill to the state playoffs as a sophomore and junior
set the record for the most bench reps at the 2007 Nike Baltimore combine
also played basketball for two years
Vice President of varsity athletic club
son of Stacey and the late Jeff Braun, Sr.
Donovan Miles, LB, 6-2, 225, Stafford, Va./Brooke Point HS
Coached by Jeff Berry at Brooke Point High School
finished with 107 tackles, including eight sacks and 21 tackles for loss as a senior
a two-time all-district and all-area performer
helped lead the Blackhawks to a 9-2 record, including a 7-0 conference record, the Commonwealth District championship and an appearance in the regional playoffs
collected 114 tackles, 10 sacks and 21 tackles for loss as a junior
Brooke Point finished 7-4 and made an appearance in the first round of the region playoffs
runs a 4.5/40-yard dash
son of Michael Robinson.
Joseph Madsen, OL, 6-4, 270, Chardon, Ohio/Chardon HS
Coached by Jim Dipofi at Chardon High School
two-way starter at defensive tackle and offensive tackle
three-year letterwinner and team captain
collected 59 total tackles, including 21 solo stops, five sacks and 18 tackles for loss
also had 16 assisted tackles, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery ... selected first-team All-Ohio guard
first-team All-Premier Athletic Conference honoree
named first-team Northeast Lakes all-district
earned most valuable player honors at the West Virginia summer camp
helped lead Chardon to a 10-3 record and the first round of the playoffs as a junior
son of Eric and Reta Madsen.
Tyler Urban, TE, 6-4, 240, North Huntington, Pa./Norwin Senior HS
Coached by Dan Conwell at Norwin Senior High School
as a senior, rushed for 510 yards on 80 carries and scored seven touchdowns as a fullback
registered 79 tackles and seven sacks
scored two touchdowns and two sacks in a playoff win over Woodland Hills
selected second-team all-state class 4A
Pittsburgh Tribune Reviews Terrific 25
named all-WPIAL Quad-South Conference
helped lead the Knights to a 7-4 record and an appearance in the WPIAL quarterfinals
as a junior, he collected 70 tackles and seven sacks
rushed for 500 yards and a 6.2 yards per carry average
member of the National Honor Society
son of James and Debra Urban.
Ryan Clarke, FB, 6-1, 235, Glen Burnie, Md./DeMatha Catholic HS
Coached by Bill McGregor at Dematha Catholic High School
runs a 4.5/40-yard dash and benches 335 pounds
finished with 35 carries for 456 yards and six touchdowns as a senior
first-team all-Washington, D.C. by all-DCSportsFan.com
second-team all-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference
helped DeMatha to a 10-2 record, the WCAC Conference championship and a No. 4 ranking in Washington D.C. by the Washington Post
also helped lead the Stags to state titles as a sophomore (11-2) and junior (12-0)
he also ran track
son of Greg and Dale Clarke.
Chris Palmer, DL, 6-4, 290, Philadelphia, Pa./St. John Neumann HS
Coached by Bill Sytsma at St. John Neumann High School
played both offensive and defensive lines
described as the quickest offensive guard in the Philadelphia Catholic School League
selected to the Harrisburg Patriot News Platinum 33 team
earned Scout.com and Super Prep All-American honors
offense averaged more than 400 yards a game in total offense, including 250 yards a game rushing
team had a 1,400-yard rusher
collected 64 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks as a senior
earned All-Catholic League honors two years as a defensive lineman and one time on offense
selected to play in the Philadelphia city all-star game
as a junior, finished with 62 tackles, nine tackles for loss and had five sacks
runs a 5.0/40-yard dash, has a 29-inch vertical jump and benches more than 300 pounds
son of Rudy and Grace Palmer.
Jerome Swinton, CB, 5-9, 160, Daytona Beach, Fla./Seabreeze Senior HS
Coached by Mark Beach at Seabreeze Senior High School
finished with 48 tackles and blocked a punt as a senior
a first-team Class 4A all-state defense selection
named all-Central Florida by the Orlando Sentinel
an All-Southeast Region selection by Super Prep
helped lead Seabreeze to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the state semifinals
collected 53 tackles, three interceptions and eight pass breakups as a junior
runs a 4.31/40-yard dash, has a 34-inch vertical jump and bench presses 265 pounds
son of Jerome Swinton and Diane Pollard.
Tyler Bitancurt, K, 6-0, 180, Springfield, Va./West Springfield HS
Coached by Bill Renner at West Springfield High School
connected on 13-of-17 field goal attempts, including a 50-yarder, and made 49-of-50 extra points
the 13 field goals were the most in the state and tied him for the seventh-most in a season in state history
70 of his 81 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks
had a 39.0-yard per punt average with a long of 60 yards
as a senior, he finished with 88 kicking points and had a two-year career total of 152 points
selected Washington, D.C. all-metro by the Washington Post as a senior
two-time first-team all-Patriot district punter and kicker
two-time first-team all-Northern Region punter
selected first-team all-Northern Region kicker as a senior
for his career, he finished with 15-of-20 field goals with a long of 50 yards, 107-of-108 extra point attempts, including consecutive streak of 70, 123 touchbacks on 147 kickoffs, and a 39.4-yard punting average with a long of 60 yards
had 29 punts land inside the opponent 20-yard line and 10 punts of 50 yards or more
three-year letterwinner in soccer
earned first-team all-district honors as a junior
son of Mauro and Teresa Bitancurt.
J.D. Woods, WR, 6-2, 180, Naples, Fla./Golden Gate HS
Coached by Dave Tanner at Golden Gate High School
played wide receiver in high school, collecting 54 catches for 851 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior
an all-state selection as a senior
earned first-team All-Southwest Florida accolades
a two-time first team all-district and All-Collier County Athletic Conference honoree
helped Golden Gate to a 6-5 finish and a first-round appearance in the state playoffs
collected 28 receptions for 584 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior
four-year starter on the basketball team
participates in the triple jump, the long jump and the 400m dash on the track team
earned honorable mention all-state honors as a junior in basketball and was all-district and all-conference in track
runs a 4.5/40-yard dash and bench presses 230 pounds
son of Freddie and Williamena McCrary and John Blackmon.
Josh Jenkins, OL, 6-5, 305, Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg HS
Coached by Bernie Buttrey at Parkersburg High School
top recruit in the state of West Virginia
first West Virginia player to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas
graded out at 98 percent for his senior season
collected 158 pancake blocks
finished with 113 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four fumble recoveries
USA Today first-team All-American
Parade Magazine All-American team
a three-time AAA first-team all-state selection
three-time all-MSAC Conference honoree
helped lead the Big Reds to a 13-1 record and the AAA state championship in back-to-back seasons
runs a 5.2/40-yard dash and bench presses 400 pounds
also plays basketball
son of Deborah Johnson.
Jatavious Miller, LB, 6-1, 210, Pahokee, Fla./Pahokee HS
Coached by Blaze Thompson at Pahokee High School
finished with 109 tackles, eight sacks, 20 tackles for loss and two interceptions as a senior
registered 14 tackles against Newberry HS in the state championship game
two-time first-team 2B all-state
two-time 2B all-area
Palm Beach Post first-team small school all-area honoree
played in the Outback Bowl state all-star game and the North-South all-star game
helped lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back 14-0 records and the state 2B championship his junior and senior seasons
as a junior, he collected 125 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries
runs a 4.44/40-yard dash, has a 28.6 vertical jump and has benched 225 pounds 10 times
volunteered with elementary school tutoring and helped with hurricane clean-up
son of Lynora Fulmore.
Robert Sands, S, 6-6, 205, Opa-Locka, Fla./Miami Carol City Senior HS
hed by Walter Frazier at Miami Carol City Senior High School
selected second-team all-state by the Miami Herald
Dade County Top 25 by the Miami Herald
collected 60 tackles as a senior
had two interceptions and broke up five passes against the nations No. 5 team, Booker T. Washington High School
registered 60 tackles as a junior
helped lead the Chiefs to the second round of the state playoffs
he also ran track
finished third in the state in the triple jump
selected first-team All-Dade County
runs a 4.54/40-yard dash and bench presses 265 pounds
son of Veronica Sands.
Brantwon Bowser, CB, 6-0, 180, Phoenix, Ariz./Phoenix College
Enrolled at WVU in January 2008
coached by former Mountaineer standout Dale Wolfley at Phoenix College
runs a 4.5-40-yard dash and benches 300 pounds
played in six games and collected 14 tackles, including 10 solos
coached by Tom Bruney at Maryvale High School in Phoenix, Ariz.
a 2006 first-team all-state selection
a first-team all-region honoree
helped lead the Panthers to the semifinals of the state championships as a senior
also played basketball and ran track
ran a 10.7/100m dash
son of Robin Bowser.
Larry Ford, DE, 6-5, 240, Georgetown, S.C./Coffeyville CC
Enrolled at WVU in January 2008
coached by Jeff Leiker at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas
registered 37 tackles as a sophomore, including 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery
earned second-team all-Region VI honors
helped Coffeyville to a 5-5 record and a first-round appearance in the region playoffs
coached by Barry Avant at Georgetown High School
as a senior, he collected 117 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks
named regional defensive player of the year
selected first-team all-low country
played in the South Carolina North-South All-Star game
member of the basketball team
runs a 4.7/40-yard dash and bench presses 315 pounds
son of Larry and Geneva Ford.
Corey Freeman, DL, 6-3, 220, Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights
Coached by Jeff Rotsky at Cleveland Heights High School
four-year letterwinner
as a senior, he finished with 91 tackles, 14.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss
Blocked four field goals, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery
named first-team all-state
selected All-Lake Erie League first-team
a first-team all-district honoree
runs a 4.55/40-yard dash, has a 35-inch vertical jump and benches 310 pounds
son of Corey Locke and Pamela Sloan.
Coley White, QB, 6-1, 175, Daphne, Ala./Daphne HS
Coached by Glenn Vickery at Daphne High School
brother of two-time BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Pat White
accounted for almost 2,500 yards of total offense as a senior, 964 yards rushing and 1,500 yards passing
selected all-county and named conference player of the week
helped Daphne to an 11-2 record and a state 6A runner-up finish
named Daphne High Schools Student of the Month
also runs track
runs a 4.5/40-yard dash and bench presses 230 pounds
son of James and Vonametris White.
D.J. Shaw, DL, 6-1, 290, Bude, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln CC
Coached by Glenn Davis at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Miss.
registered 56 total tackles, including 34 solo stops, three sacks, seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 15 quarterback hits
selected honorable mention all-state
collected 23 tackles as a freshman, including 13 unassisted tackles and a sack
helped lead Co-Lin to a 9-3 record, the South Division Championship and a runner-up finish in the state championship game
Co-Lin won the Sea Island Company Golden Isles Bowl Championship
prepped at Franklin County High School in Meadville, Miss.
used as a fullback in high school
ran 113 times for 558 yards and seven touchdowns
helped lead Franklin County to a 6-4 record and the first round of the state playoffs
named all-division 7-3A and one of the Clarion Ledgers Top 125 prospects in the state
runs a 5.0/40-yard dash, benches 425 pounds and squats 650 pounds.
J.J. Dorsey, CB, 6-0, 180, Winchester, Va./Handley HS
Coached by Tony Rayburn at Handley High School
ran and passed for more than 1,000 yards for three-straight years
accumulated 4,111 yards rushing and 5,643 passing yards over his career for a total of 9,754 yards of total offense, fourth best for career yardage all-time in Virginia
accounted for 2,872 yards of total offense as a senior, running for 1,175 yards and passing for 1,697
collected 3,122 yards of total offense as a junior (1,344 run/1,778 pass)
selected all-state as a senior
three-year all-district and all-region and was named the Region II Player of the Year in 2006
helped guide the Judges to the playoffs all four years and to the region championship as a sophomore and the district championship as a junior
an all-district and all-region selection in basketball
son of James and Yevette Dorsey.
Tevita Finau, DL, 6-5, 290, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii/Phoenix College
Coached by former Mountaineer standout Dale Wolfley at Phoenix College
2007 second-team NJCAA All-American
collected 90 tackles, including 58 solo tackles, nine sacks, 20 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and six pass breakups
runs a 4.7/40-yard dash and benches 365 pounds
coached by Suaki Livai at Kahuku High School
helped guide the Red Raiders to the 2004 Hawaii state championship
also participated in basketball
three-year first-team all-state honoree
son of Tolu and Takinima Finau.
Courtney Stuart, S, 6-3, 220, Chandler, Ariz./Phoenix College
Coached by former Mountaineer standout Dale Wolfley at Phoenix College
registered 56 tackles, four forced fumbles and one interception as a sophomore in 2007
selected honorable mention all-Western States Football League
runs a 4.45/40-yard dash and benches 315 pounds
coached by John Wrenn at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz.
selected honorable mention all-state as a senior
helped lead Hamilton to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the state championship game
son of Greg and Lisa Smith.
Source: MSNsportsnet.com
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