4-star DT Amir Leonard-Jean Charles is formally off the board.
Charles, the Incorrect. 28-ranked defensive take on within the public out of Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy in Tennessee, picked West Virginia. Texas and Syracuse have been additionally finalists for the 6-foot-4, 305-plus-pounder.
The Mountaineers run in Charles’ crowd. His mom is a West Virginia alum and the four-star DL nonetheless has sturdy ties in and across the climate.
“They won me over because of my relationship with Coach Jackson,” Charles informed Opponents of his resolution to word to West Virginia. “Me and Coach Jackson would talk a lot and he would come down to Tennessee, to see the family, and really to hang out with us. In that time, we really made a connection.”
“It was a crazy difficult decision, and to be honest, playing for either of those programs is an honor and privilege that as an athlete you just cannot overlook, but that connection to West Virginia runs deep in my heart,” he added. “Seeing my mom smile and tear up because she understands what that means, hearing my dad tell me that I made the right decision because he understands what that means â¦it doesnât get any betterâ¦West Virginia, Country Road, I’m coming home!”
Charles spent June navigating via reputable visits — with pivotal stops at Syracuse and Texas earlier than turning back Morgantown endmost weekend.
That reputable consult with shot West Virginia up the ladder for one in every of Tennessee’s easiest recruits.
“The thing that caught my eye was how the players treated each other and the whole team, including coaches … All they talked about was family and that means a lot to me,” he defined. “As for the Morgantown culture, with my mom graduating from West Virginia, the connection to Morgantown is crazy! I’m super excited to make Morgantown my home.”
A part of the Mountaineers’ sound to the four-star DT got here from head schoolmaster Neal Brown, who performed a obese function in dipping into Tennessee for Charles’ constancy.
“Coach Brown just makes you want to be better, he just makes you want to play hard,” he began. “His approach to coaching is exactly what I admire as a coach, he knows the game, he understands how to relate to his players and he just wants to make everyone around him better.”