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Mountaineers add commitment No. 2

West Virginia may disappointed on the field yesterday losing to South Florida, but behind closed doors the Mountaineers picked up a commitment for the 2008 recruiting class.
Westminster (Md.) Winters Mill defensive tackle Jeff Braun received an offer from West Virginia on Halloween. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder made his way to Morgantown over the weekend and committed to the staff on the trip.
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"I got the offer on Halloween and just committed before the game on Saturday," he said. "I can say I was very pleased to get the offer. The program is really high and the academics are great all-around. It's a terrific program and I love the place. I look forward to playing there."
What made the junior lineman decide to commit on the spot?
"I love the coaches and I went there for camp last year and that exposed me to what they have to offer," he said. "I also love the area around Morgantown. It's close to home, only three hours away which helps. It's up in the mountains and that all intrigued me about the place."
Braun first told coach Stewart of his decision.
"I told him I wanted to commit and then he told coach Rodriguez," he said. "Everyone seemed very excited. They talked about how they really need big guys to help out their run support. I hope I can make an impact once I get there and help the defense out."
The news gets even better for West Virginia as their latest commitment is planning to graduate high school early.
"I talked to the coaches about graduating next January to get a head start on everything," he said. "They would love for me to do that and said they aren't sure whether I'll redshirt then if I progress enough. I wanted to graduate early because I have all the credits I need by next fall. I'd rather be productive and try to get a step ahead of my recruiting class."
Recently there has been a lot of speculation on whether Rich Rodriguez would head elsewhere.
"From talking to him I don't feel he is going to go anywhere," he said. "He's a great coach and the fans at West Virginia love him. He's getting that team to rise up and be competitive. Even if he's not there though, I'm committed no matter what."
Braun registered 30 tackles and three sacks as a junior. He earned all-conference, county and honorable mention all-state as a sophomore.
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