West Virginia added another piece to its future on Saturday evening, landing a commitment from Blount High School offensive lineman Tristan Hardin-Roberts.
The 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman from Mobile, Alabama chose the Mountaineers over Oklahoma State, South Florida and Tulane. He also held offers from Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Louisiana, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy, UAB and several others.
Hardin-Roberts has built a reputation as a punishing run blocker, the kind of player who can clear out defenders and keep driving into the second level. That’s a big reason Rich Rodriguez and Rick Trickett made him a priority.
At Blount, he played left tackle, and that’s likely where he’ll begin at the next level. Still, his power in the run game is so pronounced that a move inside could eventually be on the table. If that happens, he would need to add roughly 20 to 30 pounds.
The upside is obvious. Hardin-Roberts looks like a future multi-year starter with the kind of ceiling that could put him in All-Conference territory, especially with Trickett working with him.
West Virginia’s latest commitment joins a growing list that includes QB Andre Phillip II, RB Bryian Duncan, RB Lee Prince Jr., WR Brock Burrus, WR Carter Davis, WR Chase Guers, WR Roscoe Hayes, WR Jacobi Pasley, TE Luke Linder, OL Jajuan Graham, OL Ethan Lawson, DL Zai'Vion Meads, DL DaJour Webb, EDGE Trevoris Finley, EDGE Chris Wilson, LB Broncs Baker, LB Rick Brown, LB Mason Cerovac, LB Wesley Flamer, CB Carter Bonner, CB Zachary Gleason Jr. and LS Warren Flatt.
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Now Latimer is back with coaches he knows, which matters in a program that has leaned on familiarity and versatility in the secondary. After stops at Jacksonville State and Wisconsin, he arrived in Morgantown with a chance to settle into a role that fits his skill set, and the expectation is that he will work at nickel back. For West Virginia, that kind of adaptable defender can be especially useful, and Latimers journey suggests he may be ready to make the most of it. [Read more 🡒]