WVU Sits in Top 3 for 2023 Safety Tawfiq Byard

The Mountaineers are squarely in the mix for the Philadelphia product.

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With the 2022 signing class officially in the books, the WVU coaching staff now gets to start the grind on the 2023 class. 

One of West Virginia's top safety targets, Tawfiq Byard (6'1, 190) of Philadelphia, PA was recently in Morgantown for a visit and came away falling in love with the program. 

"My visit at WVU went really good," Byard told Mountaineer Maven. "I got to see the whole campus and football facilities. The biggest takeaway was how tight the community was and the support they give the team every Saturday. It's definitely something I would love to be apart of!"

Despite West Virginia's struggles over the past three years, Byard's interest in the Mountaineers will not waver.

"Them struggling in the past is even more of a reason to go there. You get a chance to bring back Mountaineer football and the atmosphere. There's no better story than an underdog story!"

Byard has spent most of his time with the WVU staff talking with defensive grad assistant Mickeel Stewart, but has started having conversations with co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, Sha'Don Brown.

"I have a good relationship with him [Stewart] we talk from time to time and he’s a real cool dude. Also coach Brown. I don’t really know too much about him as a coach and hopefully that can change when I get up there in the spring for a practice. But coach Brown is a a good dude and a family first person which is big for me."

Following the visit, Byard has moved WVU into his top list of schools along with Ole Miss and South Florida. 

There is no decision timeline at this moment but Byard does expect to make another trip to WVU very soon. "I 100% plan on coming to a practice in the spring and for a game in the fall."

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