Steven Smothers to West Virginia: Mountaineers Land 4-Star WR Prospect

West Virginia's push to become "Wide Receiver U" saw it land its next foundational piece, as 4-star wideout Steven Smothers announced his intention to play in Morgantown on Wednesday:

"

Blessed an proud to say I'm committed to the University of West Virgina 〽️ @Tayaustin01 you know what time it is bro pic.twitter.com/ve2FZiURQk

— 7God ⚡️ (@kingsmoth_) August 5, 2015"

Smothers, who stars at Franklin (Maryland) High School, is the No. 30 wide receiver and the seventh-ranked player in his state, per 247Sports. The Mountaineers have been a heavy favorite since Smothers pared his list to six schools in June, with all but one expert polled predicting he'd land there. Ohio State, which was a finalist with Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska and Illinois, was the only other school to receive consideration.

"West Virginia is ahead by a long stretch but the other schools are still in there. I've been to the school a million times and it's the same coaches that have been there since I got the offer," Smothers said, per Keenan Cummings of Rivals.com. "That's the school I am the most comfortable with."  

Listed at 5'10" and 152 pounds, Smothers has played both sides of the ball throughout his high school career. He made 38 receptions for 696 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, adding 26 tackles, three interceptions and two fumbles recovered as a defensive back. Electric with the ball in his hands, Smothers also scored five touchdowns and had 143 yards out of the backfield.

”Smothers is not the biggest player in stature, but he is special with the ball in his hands,” Scout.com recruiting analyst Brian Dohn said (via Michael Clark of Scout.com). “He has great acceleration, and the speed to score from anywhere on the field. Smothers has good hands, and he gets into and out of breaks well."

Of course, West Virginia is no stranger to smallish wide receivers. Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and Mario Alford have all excelled in Morgantown and been NFL draftees despite being 5'10" or below. West Virginia would most likely prefer to have Kevin White, athletic-freak types making up its receiving corps, but history suggests Smothers is picking a solid school for his skill set.

Smothers also has a special bond with Austin, who has advised him throughout his high school career and is a fellow Marylander. With any luck, Smothers will wind up following in Austin's footsteps.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.