Menos Hiras: Looking at WVU's British Cornerback Commit

What Menos Hiras likes about WVU is that it is diverse. The campus is home to almost 1,800 international students, many of whom are student-athletes. The football roster alone has two student-athletes from outside the U.S.: redshirt sophomore offensive line Eric Sjostedt of Sweden and redshirt junior cornerback Alonzo Addae of Canada. Menos Hiras appreciates the duo’s experience and approach to the game, and hopes that their eagerness to play rubs off on the rest of the team.

WVU head coach Neal Brown isn’t done yet with recruiting overseas, though. Early this summer, he snagged another recruit from across the Atlantic, getting a commitment from European prospect Jairo Faverus. The Dutch cornerback, who plays for the Bristol Academy of Sport, does not seem like someone who’d merely occupy roster space. Faverus’ high school is a pipeline of football talent, having produced 20 alumni who went on to play Division I football in the U.S. Faverus himself is a three-star recruit and had offers from Minnesota, Penn State, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, and Yale before eventually committing verbally to WVU.

Faverus announced his decision on Twitter, saying “I feel blessed and excited to announce that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at West Virginia University!”

Once Faverus steps into campus, he will be in contention for a starting spot right away as three cornerbacks will be graduating next year. At six feet and 190 pounds, he is definitely built for his position and might be competing against Addae for starter minutes while teaming up with fellow Bristol Academy alumnus Sjostedt on the offense. Menos Hiras feels that Faverus could make an immediate impact, because of his speed, flexibility, and ability to play safety at times. Faverus does have some work left to do when it comes to coverage, but he’s coming along nicely.