The West Virginia Mountaineers have been in a bit of a strange place in terms of a Power Five college football program in recent years. When former head coach Dana Holgorsen left West Virginia for then Group of Five Houston, it was a surprise and a blow to a proud program. Neal Brown was hired from Troy to take over, and has been able to guide the program to some recent success. Despite that, the Mountaineer program has been impacted by conference realignment and the potential demise of the Big XII. Now that the dust seems to have settled on that front, at least for the time being, the Mountaineers can focus on the field. That focus should be excitement following a convincing road win over rival Virginia Tech on Thursday in the Battle for the Black Diamond Trophy, which will now begin it’s second year in Morgantown. If Brown wants to continue this success, he needs to recruit well, and bring in players that care about the program and what it means. That is just one of the reasons why University High School (Morgantown, West Virginia) product Noah Braham makes so much sense for the Mountaineers.
Braham is 6’3” and 230 pounds. He is a well built athlete with a thick frame and developed physique. Braham currently works at defensive end and tight end, though basically playing wide receiver, for the Hawks. Coach Brown has plans to use Braham as a tight end once he enrolls, and.he should.immediately find a versatile weapon. Brown has shown his willingness to use talented freshman this season with the success of running back CJ Donaldson. Much like Donaldson, Braham should slot right into the offense for the Mountaineers, poised to make an early impact. The Hawks and Mountaineers run a very similar offense, and Braham feels that the mental transition at the next level should be a smooth one.
The game against Wheeling Park, another perennial power in West Virginia High School Football, was the first one back from injury for Braham. Watching him play on both sides of the ball the entire game, it never appeared that Braham was struggling with conditioning or any lingering effects. On defense, Braham did a nice job setting the edge and generating quarterback pressures most of the night, but it was on offense where he impressed the most. While he basically plays wide receiver for University, Braham still has the body of a tight end. Watching him run routes and get into the open, looking much more like a receiver is still surprising with his size. Braham feels coverage and attacks it well. He also give his quarterback opportunities, giving a large target. He uses his body well to shield defenders away from the ball. Again, his speed and quickness at his size, the way he jumps, and his body control is much more like a wide receiver.
Braham showed just what a dangerous weapon he can be late in the game against Wheeling Park. On third and long in the fourth quarter, the Hawks were down two scores. They dialed up essentially a Hail Mary, and after scrambling to his left, setting up, and firing to the end zone, University quarterback Luke Hudson got to watch Braham leap above the crowd, drag a foot, and score. “I just saw it and then went up and got it,” Braham said smiling after the game. While his efforts ultimately weren’t enough to get his team the win, Braham played an impressive game, particularly coming off an injury.
While Noah Braham still has some areas to develop in his game as a tight end, like consistently bringing the physicality he shows on defense to his blocking on offense, where he has a distinct size and strength advantage, he should slot in immediately to the West Virginia offense. Brown is more interested in Braham as a receiver in his offense anyway, and the positive impact and leadership Braham should bring to the locker room should also excite WVU fans. Braham is a Mountaineer legacy, grew up in Morgantown, and calls playing for West Virginia, “A dream come true.” This is a young man that should bring on field talent and off field leadership and program pride once he enrolls.
