Analyzing WVU's Chances of Landing 2022 CB Jacolby Spells
The West Virginia coaching staff is hoping to receive some good news on the 4th of July as class of 2022 safety Jacolby Spells is set to bring an end to his recruitment and choose his college destination.
Spells will be announcing his decision at 1 p.m. on CBS Sports HQ and will be choosing from Arizona State, Arkansas, Indiana, Miami, and West Virginia. Seeing Arizona State and Arkansas in the mix is a bit interesting considering Spells released his top three schools last week and neither school made the cut. That being said, it would appear that the frontrunners are Indiana, Miami, and West Virginia.
How much of a chance do the Mountaineers have compared to the other four finalists? Let's take a look.
Why West Virginia might win - by Schuyler Callihan of Mountaineer Maven
West Virginia has been pursuing Spells for quite some time and has put themselves out in front. WVU received several “silent commitments” back in the month of June, including the weekend that Spells took his official visit. Daryl Porter Jr. is a former American Heritage teammate of his which could factor into the decision. The coaching staff has been tweeting out hints over the past few days about news coming on the 4th of July. It only makes sense that Spells’ commitment is what all the hype is about. In my opinion, I believe Spells will end up a Mountaineer.
Quote from Spells: "It was great, I really enjoyed it. I got to see the whole stadium, meet with the people over in academics, and also had one on one position meetings. Just talking to the coaches, it feels like somewhere I can be."
Why Miami might win
The best thing Miami has going for them is home field advantage. The Coral Gables campus isn't just south of Fort Lauderdale. He's done his official visit with the Hurricanes and also went to an invite-only cookout at Miami.
Quote from Spells: "It's close to home, and that means my mom wouldn't have to travel far. It's right around the corner and I would be close to her. Coach [Travaris Robinson] and Coach [Demarcus Van Dyke] are also great people. Especially T-Rob. I love the way he coaches. We have built a great relationship. And it's Miami. Why would anyone want to leave Miami?"
Why Indiana might win - by Tom Brew of Hoosiers Now
There are a LOT of reasons why Indiana might close out its late rally and get Spells' commitment, and it all comes down to relationships. Spells loves Indiana's coaching staff and has a great relationship with all of them, including cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby, who played at a national championship level at Oklahoma and has been producing NFL-ready corners at Indiana for 11 years now. There's also the closeness with players. Indiana already has a commitment from four-star cornerback Trevell Mullen of Coconut Creek, Fla., and he and Spells have a relationship, too. Both can picture being a great lock-down corner tandem for years. Mullen is the younger brother of current Indiana All-American cornerback Tiawan Mullen, and he was a big part of Spells' recruiting during his official visit to Bloomington. Lastly, his American Heritage teammate, defensive end Richard Thomas, is also committed to Indiana. That's a lot of ties, and it also helps that Indiana was his final official visit. Those memories are the most fresh, and just might tip the scales enough in Indiana's favor.
Quote from Spells: "I love the (Indiana) coaches," Spells said. "They got great coaches. They have a ton of experience. So, I know if I choose Indiana, then I'm going to be developed by some great people."
Why Arizona State or Arkansas might win - by Schuyler Callihan of Mountaineer Maven
I don't believe either of these schools stands much of a chance but there has to be a reason why Spells decided to include them among his other finalists. My guess is that Spells likes what each program offers and has a good relationship with the coaching staffs but it's not going to be enough to compete with the top three.
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