Tonight's edition of EerSports on the Recruiting Trail takes us down South to the Sunshine State, where the WVU football staff has been focusing much of its efforts for the 2010 recruiting class. Click below to read the latest updates, ones you'll only find here at EerSports.com ...
WVU the Favorite for Florida DB Clarke
The way things stand now, West Virginia is the leader for Fort Lauderdale, Fla. corner back Steven Clarke, a name hardly mentioned on the recruiting trail, for the Mountaineers.
“I would say that,” he told EERSports.com on Wednesday. “I’m really interested in the Mountaineers. I like that they run a 3-3-5 based defense. That’s the same thing my team runs right now, so I think it’s a pretty good fit for me.”
Clarke has not taken any official visits this fall, but said, “After the season wraps up, I’m supposed to be taking visits to WVU, Southern Miss, Vanderbilt and Florida State.” 
Those four schools, however, do not necessarily form a final four for Clarke. “I’m waiting for more opportunities. Oregon just started talking to my coach about me,” he said. “They asked for my highlight tape and I think they’re about to pull the trigger.”
If the Ducks do materialize a written offer, things would still not change for WVU, Clarke said. “It would probably be out of them or WVU.”
WVU defensive backs coach David Lockwood has been recruiting Clarke for the Mountaineers. “He’s a good guy,” said Clarke, who has a 4.5 40-yard dash time. “We talk twice a week. He likes my physicality and I have great speed and I get to the ball a lot.”
While starring for Boyd Anderson High School (5-5), Clarke has racked up about 75 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Clarke is already familiar with two current Mountaineers. “I knew Geno Smith and Stedman Bailey,” he said. “We talked when we were at the 7-on-7 combines.”
Clarke has no exact timetable set to make a commitment, but said he expects to announce the news before National Signing Day, which will be Feb. 3, 2010.
Friday, Boyd Anderson will play West Boca Raton in the first round of the state playoffs.
Rutgers, WVU for WR Smith?
What makes Fort Pierce, Fla. athlete Tim Smith an attractive recruit to more than a dozen high-major programs, including West Virginia, centers around his speed and versatility.
“Speed is probably the thing that sticks out most and he has good size,” said Chris Hutchings, Fort Pierce Central High head coach.
Hutchings said Smith, who is 6-foot, 179 pounds, has received at least 15 scholarship offers, which he has whittled down to five finalists. “I actually talked to him the other day and he has a list,” the coach said, but added that he is not yet aware of which schools made the cut.
ESPN Scouts Inc lists Tennessee, South Florida, WVU, Boston College and Iowa State as the schools Smith is considering. The service rated Smith the No. 40 overall athlete for the 2010 class and evaluated him with a 78 scouts grade.
WVU seems to be among the remaining schools who may end up getting a commitment from Smith and the Mountaineers still appear to be recruiting him. “As far as I know he is,” Hutchings said. “But I haven’t spoken with the coach for a while so who knows.” Hutchings added that because of the high number of coaches who have been recruiting Smith, he did not recall which particular WVU coach it was who is recruiting Smith.
“The school that’s on him the most in Rutgers,” Hutchings said, adding that RU recruiters have been to watch Smith play this fall.
Smith has not yet taken any official visits, but plans to take his five allotted visits after his season ends. He did schedule a visit at Purdue, but those plans changed and the trip was canceled, Hutchings said.
Where Smith will go on official visits has not yet been determined. “I don’t know for sure,” Hutchings said. “He and I have talked about it. I’ve heard West Virginia from a lot of people. Their coaching staff has not spoken to me in a while.”
Smith has proven to be an integral player for Fort Pierce, who is 6-4 on the season and is preparing for the state playoffs. This year, Smith is being used as a quarterback, wide receiver, corner back and kick returner. Hutchings said as a junior, Smith was featured primarily at quarterback, where he passed for around 1,400 yards and rushed for 900 yards.
Clarke Talks Elam
Dwyer High School (Fla.) is off to a sizzling 9-1 start behind the play of wide receiver/corner back Robert Clark, a class of 2010 verbal commit for WVU.
Clark is proving his worth by playing both sides of the ball this season. He’s totaled 21 receptions for 445 yards and seven touchdowns on offense, while racking up 27 tackles and three interceptions, on defense.
Clarke said Dwyer is ranked No. 2 in Palm Beach County and will start the state playoffs this Friday, against Hollywood Hills High, at Ft. Lauderdale.
He has taken just two official visits this fall -- the first to WVU and the last to Wisconsin -- but maintains he is still “pretty solid” with the Mountaineers. Clarke added that he may take an official visit to South Florida, on Dec. 11.
WVU recruiting coordinator Doc Holliday has stayed hot on the trail for Clark and appears to keep regular contact with the prep star. “Yeah, I talked to him today,” Clark said.
Clark got a chance to watch WVU play on TV this year, when the Mountaineers lost on the road at South Florida and at Cincinnati. “They need help on defense,” Clark said, “a lot.”
Playing alongside Clark, at Dwyer, is the immensely-sought after athlete Matt Elam, a current Florida Gator commit, who has been taking official visits to several elite programs over the past several weeks. “He’s doing great,” Clark said. “He just came from a visit from Georgia. He said he liked it a lot. He loved Florida State.”
Back in early October, Elam said he was favoring the Mountaineers and it sounds like WVU is still a possible destination for him. “He’s still got WVU in mind,” Clark said.
But the mystery of who Elam will sign with appears to be an ongoing saga. “I don’t know what he’s going to do,” Clark said.
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