West Virginia Football Recruiting: Breaking Down the Latest Mountaineer News

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As the West Virginia Mountaineers get ready for the Big 12 Conference, the talk about recruiting is certainly building.

Will the Mountaineers start getting better talent with a preseason top-10 ranking and following a BCS victory?  How much better will West Virginia's recruiting be going to the Big 12?  All valid questions to ponder. 

Well, West Virginia has already landed a four-star recruit through a verbal commit. Through coaches Steve Dunlap, Bill Bedenbaugh, Robert Gillespie, Jake Spavital and Shannon Dawson, the Mountaineers look to be in solid position for a promising future. 

Here's a look at some of the latest Mountaineer news on the recent commits. 

Darrien Howard

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Recruited by Bedenbaugh, Darrien Howard is a four-star recruit who has verbally committed to West Virginia according to Rivals. 

Howard is a powerful inside linebacker. He comes in at 6'2, 250 lbs. 

Other offers included Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky and N.C. State. 

Howard has certainly made his presence known at Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio. 

As a junior he had 154 tackles, five sacks, three interceptions and four fumble returns. 

The Mountaineers are certainly getting a winner with Howard. 

Isaac McDonald

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Isaac McDonald is an outside linebacker out of Hialeah, Fla.  At 6'5, 205 lbs, McDonald is a three-star recruit who brings a bit of everything to the table.

On Saturday, McDonald committed to West Virginia, according to Rivals.  It looked as if McDonald would be a Clemson Tiger but the two sides parted ways. 

Other worthy offers included Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Stanford and Mississippi State.

As a sophomore in 2010, McDonald had 75 tackles, 14 of them being for loss, five sacks and two interceptions. 

West Virginia will be able to work with McDonald as a safety. He has tremendous length and size. Don't be surprised to see another Robert Sands-type of player at Milan Puskar Stadium. 

The ninth member of the 2013 class actually sees Sands as an idol for the way he played the position at WVU. 

Marcell Lazard

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The three-star recruit out of Bloomfield N.J. verbally committed to West Virginia in April.  Lazard, an offensive tackle, was certainly on the radar of many schools. 

Lazard had offers from Boston College, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Miami(FL), Michigan, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina and South Florida. 

Lazard actually attended the annual Gold-Blue Game in the spring. He was impressed with the loyalty of the fans who showed up in 40 degree weather. 

The 6'6, 293-pound behemoth feels very comfortable at WVU and with the coaching staff.  It seems like a perfect fit for both parties.

Lazard will provide physicality on the offensive line, an area West Virginia hopes to improve as time passes. 

Zaire Williams

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Zaire Williams, a running back out of Sicklerville, N.J., is a recent commitment to West Virginia. 

Williams verbally committed to the Mountaineers on July 9 according to Rivals.  His first visit to campus was during the Gold-Blue Game last spring.  Since then, he has made a few more trips to make sure that Morgantown is where he wants to spend his college career.

Williams has seen his numbers increase at Timber Creek High School. As a sophomore, the running back ran for 512 yards on 79 carries. He had five touchdowns and averaged 6.5 yards a carry. Williams also had 166 yards receiving for two touchdowns.

As a junior, the Sickerville native ran for 1,621 yards on 195 carries, good for 8.3 yards per run. He had 28 touchdowns on the season.

Even though WVU is primarily a throwing offense, Williams can provide a solid rushing attack for the Mountaineers. 

Tyler Tezeno

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Tyler Tezeno, a 6'3, 280-pound offensive guard, committed to West Virginia in June 2012, according to Rivals. 

Tezeno comes out of the Lone Star state, more specifically Houston. He had offers from the likes of LSU, Arizona State, Boise State, Northwestern and Indiana. 

Tezeno chose WVU over LSU and is one of the first recruits the Mountaineers got out of Texas. The move to the Big 12 Conference really shaped his decision.

Tezeno moves very well for an offensive guard. He's a physical specimen and a great pickup for the Mountaineers as they move forward.