Welcome to the 2020 Early Signing Period for the Class of 2021!

We’ll be kicking things off bright and early Wednesday morning, as the top high school and junior college athletes across the country make their commitments official. The faxes are being dusted off, Twitter is fired up and probably already rocking with rumors and breaking news.

Neal Brown and the West Virginia Mountaineers coaching staff expect to sign somewhere in the neighborhood of 16-18 recruits, and have put in the work to close strong on some previously uncommitted prospects. Coming off a weird season where everyone was essentially granted a free year of eligibility, college football coaches will have to work within the scholarship limits. Add in the fact that no on-campus visits have taken place since the pandemic began in March, and we’ve got ourselves some Weird Crootin’.

Think of this article as homebase for signing day coverage, and check back frequently for updates, news, and fresh links. In addition to the live coverage, please consider this your OPEN THREAD to talk about everything Early Signing period in the comments!

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We’ve broken this Early Signing Period Command Center into 2 sections below:

• Early Signing Period News: This is where we’ll continuously put any big news, rumors, or important tidbits. Just like the Big Board, this will be updated all day and will include links to new articles about Early Signing Period topics.
• Big Board: This section shows which verbal commits have already signed, who we’re still waiting on, and notes about anyone of interest that may have signed with someone other than the Mountaineers.

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If work is keeping you from staying glued to The Smoking Musket on Wednesday, be sure to follow us on Twitter or our Facebook page. When a story goes on the site it’ll be tweeted out and we’ll get it on Facebook too. If you’re tight on time, I’d suggest following along on Facebook for the most straight forward information. If you’re joining us on Twitter, and already follow us, I’m sure you know we have a tendency to go a little off the rails

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Early Signing Period News

News is in reverse chronological order. All times listed below are Eastern Time, as God intended.

• 6:15PM: West Virginia’s last signed Letter of Intent just came in from four-star all-purpose back Jaylen Anderson. Other than a couple impending incoming transfers, that’ll wrap up recruiting until February 3rd when the staff wraps up the ‘21 class on National Signing Day.
• 12:30PM: There’s just two commitments out there that still need to sign — Jaylen Anderson and Justin Johnson — but there is some big news on the Transfer Portal front. Former four-star lineman Doug Nester has officially entered the portal. The sophomore from Spring Valley H.S. (Huntington, WV) made 16 starts in two seasons for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Keep an eye on this one. I’d expect an announcement on his new home to come relatively quick.
• 9:30AM: While I was driving into work through a blizzard, the Mountaineers announced six more signings — highlighted by Ohio offensive lineman Tomas Rimac.
• 8:05AM: West Virginia has managed to hold off a late push from Penn State, and Kaden Prather is officially a Mountaineer! LET’S GO!
• 8:00AM: The European pipeline is very real. The Mountaineers just signed Sweden’s top prospect, tight end Victor Wikstrom
• 7:30AM: The first official signing is in, and it’s a big one! The top ranked player in West Virginia — Spring Valley’s Wyatt Milum — has made it official.
• 7:00PM (12/15): Merry ‘Crootmas Eve, everyone! See ya in the morning.

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The Big Board

Signed National Letter of Intent

• Wyatt Milum, Offensive Lineman
• Andrew Wilson-Lamp, Wide Receiver
• Victor Wikstrom, Tight End
• Kaden Prather, Wide Receiver
• Ja’Corey Hammett, Linebacker
• Edward Vesterinen, Defensive Lineman
• Aubrey Burks, Safety
• Tomas Rimac, Offensive Lineman
• Davis Mallinger, Wide Receiver
• Treylan Davis, Tight End
• Will Crowder, Quarterback
• Hammond Russell, Defensive Lineman
• Brayden Dudley, Defensive Lineman
• Saint McLeod, Safety
• Justin Johnson, Running Back
• Jaylen Anderson, Running Back