The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
PERRY’S ANDERSON PICKS WEST VIRGINIA
Nationally ranked running back picks Mountaineers over colleges from Big Ten, ACC, SEC and others
Jaylen Anderson is headed for the hills.
A junior at Perry, Anderson announced on April 16 his verbal commitment to the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Coach Neal Brown’s Mountaineers won out for Anderson’s services over two dozen colleges who offered an athletic scholarship.
“I just fell in love with it when I went there,” said Anderson of an unofficial visit he took to the school on Feb. 1. “It was just a feeling. I didn’t have a final five or anything like that. It’s not like there was an urgency (to commit) or anything like that. But ever since I talked to the coaches that first time, it’s like I knew that’s where I was meant to be.
“Today is like a dream come true.”
The 5-foot-11, 212-pounder is one of the highest-ranked junior running backs in the nation. Rivals.com ranks Anderson the ninth-best junior in Ohio and the 11th-best junior running back in the nation, while 24/7 Sports ranks him four stars, the eight-best prospect in Ohio and the 14th-best running back in the nation in his class.
His February visit opened his eyes on multiple levels, from the facilities to the educational opportunities — he plans to major in sports nutrition — to the atmosphere.
“I went to a basketball game there and at halftime went to get a pretzel,” he said. “I had like 50 fans come up to me. They knew who I was. They were telling me that WVU is the place for me.” Anderson spent a good chunk for April 16 calling coaches across the nation to tell them he wasn’t taking their scholarship offer.
The FaceTime group chat with Brown and WVU running backs coach/co-offensive coordinator Chad Scott was one Anderson will always remember.
“They were really happy when I told them I was committing,” Anderson said. “It was like they just got a new puppy. They couldn’t stop smiling.”
Anderson’s list of offers was an impressive one, including the likes of Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska from the Big Ten, and other high-profile programs such as Florida, Louisville, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Duke, Boston College
and Kentucky.
“It was enjoyable,” Anderson said of the recruiting hoopla, “but it was crazy at times too. Overall, it was a good experience.”
Anderson said the proximity to home in Northeast Ohio is another plus of playing for West Virginia.
“Not that distance is a problem, but being only a three-hour drive away from my games is a big deal for my family,” Anderson said.
Anderson is coming off a junior year in which he ran for 1,086 yards (on a 9.9-yard average), and also caught 51 passes for 883 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named first team Division IV All-Ohio.
In an injury-plagued sophomore season in which he missed four games because
of meniscus surgery, he ran for 638 yards and caught 16 passes for 241, scoring a total of 10 touchdowns.
As a freshman, he earned All-Ohio honors after piling up 1,436 yards of total offense.
He heads into his senior year having rushed for 2,642 yards (an 8.5-yard average) with 34 rushing touchdowns, 108 career receptions for 1,642 yards (a 15.2-yard average) and 29 touchdowns, a kick return for a touchdown and a defensive touchdown.
In all, he has 4,803 allpurpose yards (rushing, receiving and returns) with 65 touchdowns and a two-point conversion — equaling 392 career points through three seasons.
“My first year playing when I was five, I was literally the worst player on the team,” Anderson said with a laugh. “Both at basketball and football. I hated football. No one knows that. Year 2 came around and I was still horrible. By my third year I finally started to figure it out.”
Perry coach Matt Rosati was ecstatic with Anderson’s decision to go to West Virginia.
“Jaylen is one of the best running backs in the country,” Rosati said. “If you take a look at the schools that recruited him, that’s an impressive list. West Virginia recruited him hard for a long time.”
Rosati noted that Anderson has been a talented player since arriving on the
varsity scene as a freshman, but said the most impressive part of his development over the past few years has been his leadership.
“When he was a freshman, he rolled with the punches,” Rosati said. “He had a lot of injuries his sophomore year. But last year as a junior, he really started to turn into a really good leader and role model for the younger kids. That’s what impresses me the most.”
Anderson is the latest in a line of Perry football players who have gone on to high-level college programs, a list that includes Ohio State starting tight end Luke Farrell, Josh Petruccelli and Andy Foley at Division III powerhouse
Mount Union, Jacob Allen at Bowling Green, Anthony Kukwa to Ball State (and then to Lake Erie College) and Chad West to Cincinnati. Anderson’s brother, Jadynn, looks to be the next in line, as the sophomore linebacker has offers from Akron and Bowling Green to date.
Despite the graduation of a decorated senior class, Anderson said he and his Perry teammates have some unfinished business to take care of.
“I want my senior year to be great,” he said. “We’re young and people are going to underestimate us, but I’m never backing down. I still want that state championship, and I think we can do it. I’m ready to go.”