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Seneca Valley senior defensive end Josh Miller notched 11 sacks this season on his way to Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 honors.
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WPIAL football standouts among those affected by strange recruiting year

Steph Chambers/Post-Gazette

WPIAL football standouts among those affected by strange recruiting year

Almost unblockable.

That’s what Seneca Valley football coach Ron Butschle said about Josh Miller, a senior defensive end for the Raiders who some believe was one of the best defensive players in the WPIAL this season.

You could say Miller has been blocked in one way, though. That would be in his recruitment, which, like several other uncommitted seniors who made the Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22 team, has been affected by the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on college sports.

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Some players, such as Pine-Richland defensive end Miguel Jackson, have been caught in a numbers game. The NCAA passed a rule in October giving athletes the option of taking an added year of eligibility. Chances are a good number of current college players will take advantage of that opportunity, which in some instances is already having a trickle down effect. Jackson, for example, had verbally committed to Liberty in July. However, he was informed two weeks ago that his offer had been pulled due to several Liberty defensive linemen deciding to use their extra year next season.

Miller has only three offers — Dayton, Valparaiso and Edinboro. It’s not exactly the list you would expect for a 6-foot-2, 230-pound defensive end who had 11 sacks — including four in one game — and 49 tackles for a team that reached the semifinals in the WPIAL’s largest class. Dayton and Valparaiso are FCS programs, but neither offers athletic scholarships. Edinboro is a Division II program.

“There is no doubt in my mind that if things were normal, Josh would have more opportunities than he’s getting right now,” Butschle said. “Teams are limited in scholarships and limited in the types of guys they’re recruiting. [Seneca Valley senior] Ethan West had an offer from Richmond, but they stopped recruiting him because they weren’t taking any linebackers. And he was their No. 1 guy.

“The landscape of recruiting this year is dictating what’s going on. I feel bad for these seniors. I have some guys on the bubble, [FCS] or Division II guys who could be losing out on some money.”

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Among the other adverse effects on recruiting caused by the pandemic have been athletes being unable to take official visits (or, in some cases, no visits at all), coaches being unable to visit schools or attend recruits games, and financial problems at some colleges forcing teams to scale back their recruiting budgets.

Vernon Redd rushed for 1,292 yards and scored 18 touchdowns this season for WPIAL Class 4A finalist Aliquippa. A few programs, FCS and Division II, have shown interest. When asked what he felt has been the hardest thing to deal with during the pandemic, Redd was blunt — “The recruitment. And it still is.”

Miller said he is hearing from some other PSAC schools. His older brother, Gabe, plays linebacker at California (Pa.). While the younger Miller is grateful for the offers he does have, he said he can’t help but think how his recruitment might look in a “normal” year.

“[The pandemic] has hurt it,” he said. “It’s been frustrating knowing my class has been the one that’s been affected by it.”

College football’s early signing period begins Dec. 16.

West to Colgate

A teammate and close friend of Miller’s made his college decision last week. Seneca Valley senior linebacker Ethan West (6-3, 220) verbally committed to Colgate, which plays in the Patriot League.

“They’re getting a superstar,” Butschle said. “Ethan, besides being a very talented player, I’ve got to put him up there in the top five hardest working kids I’ve ever coached. He’s got the total package going as far as physical ability and his drive and determination. … I think Colgate is a great place for him.”

West played just three games this season due to an injury. But in them, he excelled. That included a 260-yard, three-touchdown performance at running back against Norwin. Despite being sidelined for so long, West still ended up second on the team in rushing. He was an all-conference pick at linebacker his junior season.

Cross country commitment

South Fayette’s Baylee Carpenter (Saint Francis).

Football commitment

West Allegheny’s Paul Newton (Robert Morris).

Lacrosse commitment

Mars’ Quinn Fuller (Jacksonville).

Brad Everett: beverett@post-gazette.com and Twitter: @BREAL412.

First Published: December 2, 2020, 11:00 a.m.

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Seneca Valley senior defensive end Josh Miller notched 11 sacks this season on his way to Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 honors.  (Steph Chambers/Post-Gazette)
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