2025 DL Amir Leonard-Jean Charles Explains Decision to Sign with WVU This Week

Neal Brown or not, Amir Leonard-Jean Charles wants to be a Mountaineer.

One of the several key pieces in West Virginia's 2025 recruiting class, defensive lineman Amir Leonard-Jean Charles, informed me earlier this week that he plans to remain committed to the Mountaineers and sign his NLI this week.

Despite the coaching change, Charles feels at home in Morgantown and believes that it's the best place for him to continue his career.

Here's what he said when I asked why the coaching change doesn't sway his decision to play at WVU.

"It's a couple of things. 1) I feel a big connection to WVU because of my mom. She was a swimmer at WVU, and playing at the school that my mom attended is something special to me. 2) Coach Brown was a big reason why I chose WVU, but Coach Jackson, Coach Hall, my relationship with some of the players, and my relationship with the rest of the coaching staff is crazy strong. 3) My parents have always told me to see the bigger picture, and right now, the bigger picture is getting myself ready for the next level of football, keeping myself focused, and working on getting better. No matter who's the coach, I want to get on the field and play."

Charles (6'4", 305 lbs) out of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, picked the Mountaineers over finalists Syracuse and Tennessee. He also held offers from Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Ole Miss, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, and several others.

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