After qualifying for the Division II playoffs for the first time in program history, the University of Charleston football coaching staff set out in search of players who could help the Golden Eagles get even further into the postseason.
UC believes it accomplished that with a deep recruiting class that includes several players with Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision experience. The names of many of those likely are familiar to college football fans around West Virginia.
Of the 33 signees UC announced Wednesday, five of them have played at either the FBS or FCS level - former Ohio receiver Cedric Brown, former Akron defensive end Jamel Turner, former James Madison receiver Blaine Stewart and former West Virginia defensive back Vance Roberts and his brother, former WVU running back Vernard Roberts. They come with top-notch credentials. Brown was a Semper Fidelis All-American at Martinsburg High School. Stewart was captain for West Virginia in the OVAC All-Star Game following his career at Morgantown High.
The recruiting website 247Sports.com ranks Vance Roberts the No. 42 recruit and Vernard Roberts the No. 91 recruit in WVU history. Turner is a former four-star high school recruit who originally signed a letter of intent with Ohio State.
UC coach Pat Kirkland has deep ties with all of them. He worked with Stewart's father, the late former WVU head coach Bill Stewart, for five years on the Mountaineers staff, and helped the team recruit the Roberts brothers. Brown's younger brother Eric is a redshirt freshman on the UC football team. And Kirkland has a long relationship with Turner's coach at Ursuline High School, Dan Reardon.
"A lot of those guys, I've had a good relationship with, whether it's their parents, their families or their coaches," Kirkland said. "That's exciting that we've got some of those guys who have that experience.
"It's a long way to next August and there's a lot of work between here and there," he added, "but it's encouraging. It's continued to put more excitement around the program."
That group is joined by wide receiver Cody Saul of Mesa Community College in Arizona, who led the nation's junior colleges with 1,267 receiving yards on 69 catches with 14 touchdowns.
Kirkland also made sure the signing class featured quantity along with quality. Among the reasons for that long list was Charleston's mission to scoop up as much size as possible. Of the 33 signees announced Wednesday, 16 of them are listed at 6-foot-3 or taller.
Size is a prized commodity at the Division II level, Kirkland said. When a large recruit is willing to join the team, it's in the coaches' best interest to say yes.
"The thing that's tough to find at this level is big kids," Kirkland said. "It's just one of those years where we were really blessed to find some big offensive and defensive linemen. And those are guys you don't turn down, because you can't have enough. If you don't have a big kid and you're down an offensive lineman, you can't create one. You just don't have one."
In the end, Kirkland said UC became a popular choice because of its unprecedented accomplishments in 2015. The Golden Eagles finished the regular season ranked 15th in the country and, with a final record of 10-2, tied the program's best mark for wins in a season. UC hosted a playoff game, but fell to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 47-21.
The prospect of helping Charleston return to that level and possibly exceed it was enticing to a lot of recruits, Kirkland said.
"I think it's an exciting time right now," Kirkland said. "Last year was really good and was close to being great. When the recruits kind of put it all together ... it's really appealing to these guys."