Phares — a WVU Class of 2024 prospect who played wide receiver and defensive back Morgantown High School (WV) — recently accepted a preferred walk-on offer from the Mountaineers.
He announced his intentions in January but made the decision official on National Signing Day earlier this week. It will be roughly a three minute drive through downtown Morgantown from his high school campus to his chosen collegiate home.
Listed at 5’9, 158-pounds on his Hudl page, Phares isn’t your stereotypical build for a Big 12 football star. Many Mountaineer fans may be wary of his chances to contribute due to his smaller stature. But he punches far above his weight.
During that aforementioned win against Musselman, The Dominion Post details a late-game fourth-down where Musselman brought its offense into the field. Matched up against a 6’4 wide receiver, Phares was still able to bat down an on-target pass to his assignment — it was a play which helped seal a win.
Watching offensive tape on Phares from Next Up Entertainment, he bears a striking similarity to another former Morgantown High athlete who accepted a walk-on offer to the team and is now a scholarship player and major contributor — Preston Fox.
Fox is also undersized for his position. He’s listed at 5’10 — just an inch taller than Phares — and clocks in at just 187 pounds after multiple seasons at the Division 1 level. Yet he would appear in 12games for WVU last season and manage 26 receptions for 368 yards and two touchdowns.
