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With the recruiting class of 2016 already so full, there is going to be a selective process for the remaining candidates. As of now the two greatest needs really seem to be along the defensive line and in the secondary. WVU won't lose a ton of people off the d-line after this season (Rose and Kinsey will hurt though) but we will be dropping almost the whole crew after next season which means we need to get some boys on campus and beefing up ASAP or we will be converting some offensive linemen.
That being said the secondary has to be a concern as well, with at least three of the five starters graduating after this season. Due to the 2015 class (primarily Cole and Douglas), there should be corner backs that can step up and compete. Still you can never have too many corners in the Big 12 though, and Douglas only has 2 years to play 2. Tony Butler, 3 star corner out of Ohio, has a long list of offers that has been steadily getting narrowed down. Guess whose name is still on there though (hint: WVU).
Butler is a long rangy corner at 6'2", 197 lbs. that can play the man-to-man island coverage that Coach Gibson loves as it really frees up the blitz. His size would allow him battle with bigger wide-receivers on his own and could be a great combination with speedster Tyrek Cole across the field one day. His film shows that he is already very comfortable playing in the island, very rarely does he even get help from a safety. He may need time to develop as a freshman but after a year in college I think he would be a solid team contributor.
Right now West Virginia is competing primarily with Clemson and Arizona State for his services, but is definitely heavily in the mix. He has a late visit with ASU coming up, and a lot of people are predicting that he will end up out there following a successful visit. The timing is not ideal to be sure; he visits the end of September and is making a decision at the beginning of October. That being said, he has been to West Virginia plenty of times and really does seem to enjoy the atmosphere. In fact, guess where he was the other day.
Morgantown!!
— T.Butler (@TonyKnows2) August 29, 2015
It remains to be seen but I have a good feeling about his recruitment so far, I think the staff could end up bringing him home. Todd Graham is no slouch in the recruiting department, but neither is Dana or his staff behind him. And Big 12 football is becoming known as a proving ground for defensive backs, hold your own and you could be NFL-material. With all that being said, it will be a close decision but I think Mountaineers fans should tune in on Oct. 5th, our recruiting class could be getting its 20th member.