The next Chris Henry (hopefully, just on the field)?
WR Quantavious Leslie, a 6'3" (or 6'4", depending on who you ask) product of Hogansville, GA, has verballed to West Virginia this morning (Scout profile and Rivals profile). Leslie, a coveted outside receiver offered by the likes of LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, and Clemson, bolsters an already strong Mountaineer wide-receiver class.
Leslie chose the Mountaineers primarily over Oklahoma State, which has seen WR recruiting on a huge uptick with the success of Dez Bryant. Will the potential successes of veterans Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks or newcomers Logan Heastie and Stedman Bailey help build those same inroads? Let's hope so.
You really have to hand it to the staff for successfully recruiting tall, physical wide-receivers, while at the same time not allowing our running back recruiting to suffer. We have the makings of a very balanced attack in the years ahead, something that was sorely lacking from recent incarnations of Mountaineer football.
UPDATE: More after the jump.
Here is ESPN's valuation:
Leslie is an explosive, fluid athlete with a wonderful combination of size, speed and athleticism.
He certainly looks the part and has split time on defense between corner and safety and is an outside receiving threat on offense. He looks to end up either at safety or wide receiver. Is tall with long arms and a high cut build. Has the frame to add significant bulk and strength to really become a physical presence.
Defensively, Leslie displays good man coverage skills and should match up nicely on tight ends and slot receivers at the next level. Shows proper knee bend and consistently sinks his hips on his pedal. Transitions smoothly and quickly when turning and running with receivers. He possesses good recovery speed and it is very difficulty to create separation on him, if he initiates contact. Flashes good plant and drive skill and timing when breaking on underneath routes. As a run-supporter, his change-of-direction quickness and footwork are adequate. He is best as a vertical attacker.
Offensively, Leslie has lots of upside. He is raw, but very athletically gifted. He has an explosive first step and he can drive defensive backs off the ball. He is an adequate route-runner and he has the burst coming out of his cuts to create separation underneath. Has the elusiveness to make the first defender miss in the open field. He is a threat after the catch and he has some big-play ability in the vertical passing game with his size/speed ratio. Has huge upside as a red-zone target and is a good leaper with nice body control. Hands are big, soft and he will extend above his head or adjust well to the ball thrown over his shoulder. However, Leslie right now is all athlete, little know how. He is still developing the nuances of the wide receiver position and must hone his route-running skills. Once he settles on one position, expect his game to sharpen up and become more consistent.
Overall, Leslie is a good athlete with excellent measurables. He has shown flashes of being a playmaker and possesses upside to become a good football player.
