Picture: Head Coach Rich Rodriguez and ERod**This article is property of westvirginia.rivals.com and reprinted for informational purposes only**
Jim Laise
Evan Rodriguez came away from Morgantown Saturday without a commitment, but saying that the Mountaineers were his "first choice for now" over Pitt and Rutgers, where he wants to visit before he makes a final decision.
The Rivals.com 3-star two-way high-school performer had a grand time at WVU, even amid the sporadic showers, when the 8th-ranked Mountaineers knocked off Cincinnati in perhaps their most complete game victory of the season.
Rodriguez and his friends were treated to a tour by lead recruiter Coach Herb Hand when they arrived at the football facilities early in the morning prior to the noon Cincy kickoff.
Just hours earlier back at his North Bergen (N.J.) High, his team had lost a playoff chance when it dropped a regular season game in the final seconds. The E-Rod traveling party drove through the night to be at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Rodriguez says he will make his final decision on a school after he completes his official visits.
"I really did. I had a lot of fun," Rodriguez said Sunday afternoon from his home. "A lot of friendly people, even in stores. As soon as I got out of my car, it was crazy. When I was walking onto the field, the fans were talking about me."
Hand, of course, introduced E-Rod to Rich Rodriguez, the Mountaineer coach, then Evan met several Mountaineers before their Big East game. He was in the locker room when RichRod requested WVU players to chest bump each other and smile before heading out to take out the Bearcats.
"It was wild," he said.
Rodriguez is a high-school quarterback/safety, but is being recruited by the Mountaineers to play in the secondary. He said Hand and Rodriguez had discussed playing either of the strong safety positions or even the free safety should he decide to sign with West Virginia in February.
Obviously, the Mountaineers would like a commitment from the young man, but he said nobody in the Puskar Center pushed for it, which impressed him:
"They didn't pressure me and I liked that," he said.
"Right now, (WVU) is at the top of my choices," he said.
The youngster has yet to set visits with either the Panthers or the Scarlet Knights, both of whom have offered him.
Evan Rodriguez came away from Morgantown Saturday without a commitment, but saying that the Mountaineers were his "first choice for now" over Pitt and Rutgers, where he wants to visit before he makes a final decision.
The Rivals.com 3-star two-way high-school performer had a grand time at WVU, even amid the sporadic showers, when the 8th-ranked Mountaineers knocked off Cincinnati in perhaps their most complete game victory of the season.
Rodriguez and his friends were treated to a tour by lead recruiter Coach Herb Hand when they arrived at the football facilities early in the morning prior to the noon Cincy kickoff.
Just hours earlier back at his North Bergen (N.J.) High, his team had lost a playoff chance when it dropped a regular season game in the final seconds. The E-Rod traveling party drove through the night to be at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Rodriguez says he will make his final decision on a school after he completes his official visits.
"I really did. I had a lot of fun," Rodriguez said Sunday afternoon from his home. "A lot of friendly people, even in stores. As soon as I got out of my car, it was crazy. When I was walking onto the field, the fans were talking about me."
Hand, of course, introduced E-Rod to Rich Rodriguez, the Mountaineer coach, then Evan met several Mountaineers before their Big East game. He was in the locker room when RichRod requested WVU players to chest bump each other and smile before heading out to take out the Bearcats.
"It was wild," he said.
Rodriguez is a high-school quarterback/safety, but is being recruited by the Mountaineers to play in the secondary. He said Hand and Rodriguez had discussed playing either of the strong safety positions or even the free safety should he decide to sign with West Virginia in February.
Obviously, the Mountaineers would like a commitment from the young man, but he said nobody in the Puskar Center pushed for it, which impressed him:
"They didn't pressure me and I liked that," he said.
"Right now, (WVU) is at the top of my choices," he said.
The youngster has yet to set visits with either the Panthers or the Scarlet Knights, both of whom have offered him.
