West Virginia Football: 5 early signees who’ll have instant impact in 2019
By Phil Poling
No. 3: Taijh Alston, Defensive Line
The Mountaineers continue to add valuable talent from the junior college level, this time in the form of defensive lineman Taijh Alston. Alston cracked the two-deep at East Carolina before leaving for Copiah-Lincoln Community College where he spent the last year developing his game and his body.
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Alston’s bulked up since playing at ECU and is ready to make an impact at WVU in the near future. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, and was a key contributor for Copiah-Lincoln C.C. this past season.
He racked up 78 total tackles (51 solo), seven sacks, and recovered two fumbles in 10 games, including a season-high 12 stops in their final contest of the season. His contributions would be welcomed with open arms by the Mountaineers who rotate a number of players along their three defensive lineman front.
With the departures of Kenny Bigelow and Ezekiel Rose on the defensive line, Alston will have an opportunity to earn playing time immediately. Bigelow was a graduate transfer from USC, while Rose played JuCo football prior to heading to Morgantown. It’s safe to say the blueprint is there for Alston to contribute.