Whitney visits WVU, ready to announce

With his trips done, juco wide receiver Isaac Whitney is ready to announce where he'll be playing college football next fall.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound prospect from Riverside (Calif.) City College officially visited West Virginia this weekend and returned home with all the information to sit down and make a decision.

"The visit to West Virginia was really good," Whitney said. "I enjoyed it a lot. The best part was hanging out with Kevin White, who was my host. He was just telling me that he was in the same position that I'm in two years ago. He told me West Virginia would a good fit. He's leaving and so is Mario Alford on other side, so it's pretty much wide open in terms of early playing time and a chance to make an impact right away."

Whitney has a final three of USC, Washington State and West Virginia. He's set to announce Thursday in Anaheim (Calif.) at a ceremony that's scheduled for 1:30 p.m. PT.

Wednesday marks the first day junior college midyear transfers can sign a national letter of intent. The period extends to January 15.

Whitney visited the Trojans on the weekend of Dec. 5, and was able to contrast two of his finalists in a short amount of time.

"West Virginia is definitely different," Whitney said. "It's a different feel and I like that it's a smaller college town. Los Angeles is a big city and Morgantown is smaller, so that's really what's different about the two schools. It's location. Coach [Lonnie] Galloway is real cool. The way he interacts makes you feel like family. You can talk about other stuff and not just football."

For Whitney, comfort appears to be the biggest factor in his upcoming choice.

"It's probably where I fit in best," he said. "That's really it. I want to go somewhere I could come in and make a big impact in my first season."

All three of his finalists are viable options for different reasons, Whitney said.

"I would go to West Virginia because of the situation there," he added. "Kevin White is leaving and playing time would be available. That would be wide open. It's kind of the same thing with Washington State. They throw the ball so much that it means a lot of touches and yards for receivers like me. Playing in coach [Mike] Leach's system would be ideal. And with USC, it would probably be a good fit for me because I have family in L.A. and I have a good relationship with coach [Tee] Martin."

Whitney, who transferred to Riverside from the University of Central Oklahoma, said he's ready to sign and move onto the next chapter of his life. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

"The process was very long and stressful, and I'm happy it's finally coming to a close," Whitney said.

In 12 games this fall, Whitney led Riverside with 49 receptions, 809 yards and four touchdowns.