MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (January 11, 2016) – West Virginia University football coach Dana Holgorsen has announced that nine student-athletes have signed grants-in-aid and enrolled for the 2016 spring semester.
Jacquez Adams, CB, 5-11, 160, Reisterstown, Md./Milford Academy
- Originally signed with West Virginia out of high school in 2015
- Played one season for coach Bill Chaplick at Milford Academy (New Berlin, N.Y.)
- Finished 2015 with six receptions for 189 yards and three touchdowns in four games
- Added 51 rushing yards and one touchdown pass
- Previously played for coach Anthony Burgos at Franklin High
- Two-time Maryland Class 3A/4A First-Team All-State performer
- Led Franklin High to a 13-1 record and a 7-0 mark in the region as a senior
- Team captured the Maryland Class 3A state championship with a 35-21 victory over Damascus
- Four-year career totals were 4,810 yards passing and 51 touchdowns, 1,932 yards rushing and 27 scores
- Totaled 6,740 total yards for his career; also played free safety and had 22 career tackles
- Completed 108-of-175 passes for 1,539 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior
- 2014 rushing totals were 916 yards and 12 touchdowns
- Led Franklin to the 2013 Class 3A state championship, passing for 2,836 yards and 30 touchdowns, while rushing for 885 yards and 14 scores
- Three-star ranking by Rivals, Scout, 247sports and ESPN
- No. 6 player in prep school according to Rivals
- Twin brother, Jordan, redshirted at WVU in 2015
Jacob Buccigrossi, OL, 6-5, 295, Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills HS
- Three-year starter for coach Pat Carey at North Hills High
- Played one game in 2015 before suffering a season-ending injury
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Preseason Fabulous 22 (2015)
- WPIAL All-Northern Eight Conference First Team (2014)
- Three-star recruit according to Scout, 247sports and ESPN
- No. 3 guard in Pennsylvania, No. 7 guard regionally and No. 54 guard nationally according to Scout
- No. 36 player in Pennsylvania according to 247sports
- No. 25 player in Pennsylvania and No. 77 OT nationally according to ESPN
- Also offered by Arizona, Northwestern and Virginia.
Reese Donahue, DL, 6-5, 245, Ona, W.Va./Cabell Midland HS
- Two-year starter for coach Luke Salmons at Cabell Midland High
- First player in West Virginia history to win both the 2015 Stydahar Award (state’s top lineman) and the 2015 Huff Award (state’s best defensive player)
- West Virginia All-State Class AAA Defensive Captain (2015)
- Two-time West Virginia All-State Class AAA First Team (2014-15)
- USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA West Virginia Defensive Player of the Year (2015)
- USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA West Virginia First Team (2015)
- The Herald-Dispatch All-Tri-State Defensive Player of the Year (2015)
- Two-time The Herald-Dispatch All-Tri-State First Team (2014-15)
- Helped team to a 22-3 record and an appearance in the semifinals of the 2015 state playoffs
- Had 167 career tackles, including 99 solo stops, 46 TFLs, 27 sacks and 31 quarterback hurries
- Made 97 tackles, including 53 solo tackles, in 2015 with 25 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and three forced fumbles
- Made eight or more tackles in eight games; had at least one TFL in 11 games
- Had 74 tackles with 25 tackles for loss and 16 sacks in 2014
- Two-time All-Mountain State Athletic Conference First Team (2014-15)
- Played in the Blue-Gray All-American Bowl (2015)
- MVP of Football University Camp and Top Gun Camp (2014)
- Three-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout, 247sports and ESPN
- No. 1 player in West Virginia according to Rivals
- No. 2 player in West Virginia according to ESPN
- No. 3 player in West Virginia according to 247sports
- No. 6 defensive end in the East Region according to Scout
- Also offered by Cornell and Purdue
Kennedy McKoy, RB, 6-2, 194, Lexington, N.C./North Davidson HS
- Three-year starter for coach Mark Holcomb at North Davidson High
- Three-time Winston-Salem Journal All-Northwest Team (2013-15)
- Davidson County Offensive Player of the Year (2014)
- Helped team to a 33-7 record from 2013-15 and the state quarterfinals in 2015
- Rushed for 1,871 yards and 24 touchdowns on 310 attempts in 2015
- Also had 43 receptions for 683 yards and seven touchdowns
- Ran for 2,061 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2014
- Established school records for single-season rushing yards (2,061), career rushing yards (5,331 yards), single-season touchdowns (27) and career touchdowns
- Three-time All-Davidson County First Team (2013-15)
- Central Piedmont Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year (2015)
- Three-time All-Central Piedmont Class 4A Team (2013-15)
- Played in the 2015 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas
- Three-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout, 247sports and ESPN
- No. 31 player in North Carolina according to Rivals
- No. 10 running back in North Carolina and No. 42 running back regionally according to Scout
- No. 21 player in North Carolina and No. 26 running back nationally according to 247sports
- No. 33 player in North Carolina and No. 57 running back nationally according to ESPN
- Also offered by Boston College, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest
Jeffery Pooler, DT, 6-4, 290, Dayton, Ohio/Dunbar HS
- Played for coach Darren Powell at Dunbar High
- AP Division IV All-Ohio Honorable Mention (2015)
- First Team Division III-IV All-Area Team (2015)
- Southwest Ohio – American Defensive Player of the Year (2015)
- Second Team All-Greater Catholic League (2014)
- Scout Southwest Ohio Super 25 Team
- As a senior, he finished with 82 tackles, including eight sacks, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries
- As a junior, he registered 67 tackles, including two sacks and two forced fumbles
- Three-star recruit according to ESPN
- Two-star recruit according to Rivals
- No. 77 player in Ohio according to 247sports
- No. 67 player in Ohio and No. 96 defensive tackle nationally according to ESPN
- Also offered by Louisville, Maryland and Tennessee
Cody Saunders, QB, 6-1, 200, Panama City Beach, Fla./Arnold HS
- Three-year starter for coach Josh Wright at Arnold High
- Florida All-State Class 5A Honorable Mention (2015)
- Finished high school career with 4,753 passing yards, completing 345-of-601 passes with 37 touchdowns
- Also rushed for 2,230 yards on 345 carries with 24 touchdowns
- Completed 165-of-259 passes for 2,005 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2015
- Rushed for 1,003 yards on 165 carries with 13 touchdowns
- Had one game with more than 300 yards passing, four games with more than 200 yards passing and six games with more than 100 yards rushing
- Rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the season-opener against Florida State University HS (8/28)
- Went 20-of-25 for 301 passing yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 182 yards and four touchdowns against Fort Walton Beach HS (9/4)
- Threw for 273 yards; three touchdowns on 18-of-28 passing against Milton HS (11/6)
- Starting quarterback in the 2015 FACA North/South Florida All-Star Game
- FloridaHSFootball.com All-Panhandle Honorable Mention (2014)
- Four-star recruit according to ESPN
- Three-star recruit according to Scout and 247sports
- No. 16 quarterback nationally according to ESPN
- Also offered by South Florida
Marcus Simms, WR, 6-0, 171, Sandy Spring, Md./Sherwood HS
- Two-year starter and team captain for coach Chris Grier at Sherwood High
- Maryland Consensus All-State First Team (2015)
- Maryland Big School All-State First Team (2015)
- Maryland Big School All-State Honorable Mention (2014)
- USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA Maryland Second Team (2015)
- Helped team to a 10-2 record in 2015, falling in the state quarterfinals
- Recorded 43 receptions for 1,020 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2015
- Hauled in 36 receptions for 712 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014
- The Washington Post All-Met First Team (2015)
- Montgomery County Class 4A Player of the Year (2015)
- All-Montgomery County First Team (2015)
- Four-star recruit according to ESPN
- Three-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout and 247sports
- No. 23 player in Maryland according to Rivals
- No. 5 wide receiver in Maryland; No. 19 wide receiver regionally according to Scout
- No. 15 player in Maryland; No. 77 wide receiver nationally according to 247sports
- No. 12 player in Maryland; No. 45 player regionally; No. 77 wide receiver nationally according to ESPN
- Also offered by Boston College, Maryland, Pitt, Rutgers and Wake Forest
Logan Thimons, LB, 6-1, 220, Sarver, Pa./Freeport Area Senior HS
- Three-year starter for coach John Gaillot at Freeport Area Senior High
- Pennsylvania Class 2A All-State First Team (2015)
- Pennsylvania Football News Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year
- Pennsylvania Football News Class 2A All-State First Team (2015)
- USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA Pennsylvania First Team (2015)
- Helped team to a 10-2 record in 2015 and the WPIAL quarterfinals
- Had 401 career tackles in 204 solo stops, 77 TFL, 23 sacks and 13 forced fumbles
- Set the single-season record for tackles (161), TFLs (33) and sacks (15.5) in 2015
- Made 10 or more tackles in 10 games, including 24 tackles and five TFLs vs. West Shamokin (9/25)
- Had 122 tackles with 24 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2014
- Registered 97 tackles with 20 tackles for loss and one sack in 2013
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 (2015)
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 (2015)
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Preseason Fabulous 22 (2015)
- Three-time WPIAL All-Allegheny Conference First Team (2013-15)
- Three-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout, 247sports and ESPN
- No. 28 player in Pennsylvania according to Rivals
- No. 1 inside linebacker in Pennsylvania, No. 2 inside linebacker regionally and No. 12 inside linebacker nationally according to Scout
- No. 34 player in Pennsylvania according to 247sports
- No. 40 player in Pennsylvania according to ESPN
Dylan Tonkery, S, 6-0, 195, Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport HS
- Three-year starter for coach Josh Nicewarmer at Bridgeport High
- Two-time West Virginia All-State Class AA First Team (2014-15)
- USA TODAY American Family Insurance All-USA West Virginia First Team (2015)
- Helped team to three state championships and a 39-2-1 record
- Started three years at safety and recorded 72 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and two interceptions
- Had 34 tackles with five tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in 2015
- Started at running back for two seasons, recording 3,401 yards on 378 carries with 40 touchdowns
- Ran for 1,534 yards on 152 carries, averaging 10.1 yards per carry, with 19 touchdowns in 2015
- Ran for 200 or more yards in two games and 100 or more yards in eight games
- Two-time All-Harrison County First Team (2014-15)
- All-Harrison County Second Team (2013)
- All-Big Ten First Team (2015)
- All-Big Ten Second Team (2014)
- Three-star recruit according to Scout
- No. 2 player in West Virginia according to Rivals
- No. 4 player in West Virginia according to 247sports and ESPN
- No. 7 safety in the East Region according to Scout
Press Release courtesy WVU Athletic Communication
