MORGANTOWN -
Marcell Lazard saw all he needed Saturday to commit to the
West Virginia football team and as it turns out, the fans were a big part of
his decision.
"The turnout," Lazard said after the Gold-Blue Game. "It was
like 40 degrees outside, it was cold and rainy and there were still people out
there coming to support the team."
That support is something the 6-foot-6, 293-pound offensive
tackle is excited to feel in a little over a year's time when he has the chance
to join the team, but he already feels like he is part of the Mountaineer
family.
"100 percent. I feel welcome there, I feel like I'm part of the team now even with
just a verbal commitment, I'm part of the team," says Lazard. "I've spoken with
some of the offensive linemen, they're really cool guys. Coach [Bill] Bedenbaugh,
I guarantee I can call him anytime and he'll answer his phone."
Bedenbaugh, West Virginia's offensive line coach, has been
in touch with Lazard for over a year now. Lazard says he has become very close
with Bedenbaugh and the trust the two share is a major part of his affinity for
the Mountaineers.
But his appreciation for the coaches in Morgantown does not
stop at Bedenbaugh.
"The coaching staff is amazing," he says. "I've been around,
I've met a lot of coaching staffs and this is probably one of the best coaching
staffs I've seen."
Lazard says he's been struck by the manner in which the
staff carries itself and the atmosphere it creates around the program. The
confidence that the team will win, rather than just hoping it will, stood out
in the time he spent with Dana Holgorsen and his assistants.
"On a personal side, Coach Holgorsen assured my family today
and I know this about him – it's an open-door policy where if I have a problem,
I can come and talk to him," Lazard says.
Any number of offensive recruits have reason to be intrigued
by the system the Mountaineers run, and Lazard is no different. He feels he
will find success at WVU because his Bloomfield (N.J.) team implements a
similar offense. He recognizes the switch to the college game will still be a
challenge, but he believes he already has a grasp of the plays West Virginia
runs.
His knowledge of the scheme isn't the only reason he thinks
he will work well alongside the rest of WVU's offensive line.
"They work hard and I work hard. That's basically it," he says. "They're
hard workers, they grind, they get their schoolwork done, they get to practice
and they put in work. That's the type of player and person I am, so I think
I'll fit right in."
Lazard is glad to know the pressures of the recruiting
process are now behind him.
"I'm extremely relieved to have this off me," he says. "Everybody's
like, ‘Oh, you're so lucky,' but they don't understand that this is a burden.
It really is. It's tough. You have to remember to call the coach, you have to
remember to do this and that."
He no longer has to worry about what college he will attend.
Now Lazard can focus on his academics and finishing out his high school career
with success this fall.
"I'm just so excited to be part of Mountaineer Nation," says
Lazard. "I'm so excited to be part of the West Virginia football team."
Marcell poses with Holgorsen during a previous visit to campus.
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