Austin (Tx.) Vandegrift linebacker Jax McCauley had never been to West Virginia but had always dreamt of suiting up for the Mountaineers. Sometimes, dreams really do come true.

McCauley, 6-foot-0, 207-pounds, has committed to the Mountaineers after a productive trip to Morgantown over the weekend where he was able to see some of the things he long admired from afar.

“I grew up watching every game on Saturday, signing Country Roads and I’ve always dreamed of being a Mountaineer,” he said.

West Virginia had started showing interest in McCauley during the season and things only continued to build as he develop a connection with Matt Jansen.

“Coach Jansen was a guy that showed me the most interest and recruited me hard,” he said. “I reached out and told him it was a dream and as time went on, we built a good relationship.”

The seeds were already sewn however considering his father Brian McCauley played for West Virginia in the early 1990’s. That helped to cement a bond with the school that has been there for his entire life.

McCauley selected the Mountaineers as a preferred walk-on over other scholarship opportunities from Morehead State and division two schools such as Arkansas Tech, Southwest Minnesota State, UT Permian Basin and West Texas A&M. But ultimately the draw of playing in Morgantown was too much to pass up after confirming what he long believed so he committed during his visit.

A hyper productive high school linebacker, McCauley was a two-time 6A all-state player in Texas and finished this past year with 176 tackles after 156 in 2018. The West Virginia coaches see him as a fit as several of the linebacker spots but think he can make an immediate impact on special teams.

“They want me to be a special teams player and they recruited me as a linebacker,” he said.

McCauley is an instinctive player that excels with his motor as well as his nose for the ball.

“My first step and my instincts, especially my aggressiveness. Coach (Jeff) Koonz likes how I strike opponents and how aggressive I play,” he said.

McCauley plans to arrive at West Virginia June 29 in order to start his college career.

Musings from the Mountains | West Virginia Basketball and Recruiting | Episode 58

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