In the 1989 movie, Field of Dreams, as Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella browses across his cornfield, he hears the whispering voice in the air bellowing… “If you build it, they will come”
Well over the past couple of months on the campus of West Point, home of the Army Black Knights, the vibe could easily be translated to, “If they (recruits) visit, they may truly commit”.
The “post-covid” unofficial & official visits surely have made a difference in how prospects see Army West Point and there’s no better example of that than athlete Isaiah West.
West, who is out of Bethesda (MD) Georgetown Prep has been on campus twice … one unofficial and this weekend’s OV.
The 6-foot-0, 218 pound athlete reached out to us here at GoBlackKnights.com to inform us that he had officially committed to the Army staff and became one of the latest members of the growing 2022 recruiting class.
The Commitment Moment
“I committed today while having breakfast with coaches Courtney Bradwell and Coach Matt Drinkall,” explained West of this very special moment in his young life. “It was this morning while my family was eating breakfast with Coach Braswell. Coach and I were having a conversation about my future and that’s when I made my decision to him and Coach Drinkall.”
“We got to speak with Coach (Jeff) Monken a second time. We got to speak with him before my commitment, then when he heard the news, he had to get us back there to show his excitement and take pictures.”
“He (Monken) is very excited and is happy I made my decision not only for football, but also for the rest of my life and that was a huge emphasis he didn’t want me and my family to forget,” added the talented prospect.
Deciding Factors
Throughout his recruiting process, West did not hesitate to let it be known that the Black Knights were his No. 1 school and it was rated accordingly in his Rivals football profile.
“I’ve always had Army at the top, not only they were one of the first to give me an opportunity, but their consistency was amazing,” shared the very excited athlete, as continued to describe consistent vibe from the coaching staff, current players and the West Point atmosphere.
“The amount of hand written letter from the coaching staff is crazy, the constant text and calls from the staff making sure I’m doing what I need to do is what got me hooked.”
“Also, the players … they were genuine when I was asking them questions, they weren’t fluffing to make the school sound better than it is because they want me to know the truth, and that’s what I got.”
Positionally Speaking
At Georgetown Prep, West is an equally effective performer on both sides of the ball, so where does he see himself fitting in for the Black Knights?
“My best fit would be at linebacker with Coach Braswell by my side,” said a confident, but joyful West, who also indicated that he has been in contact with several of the other commits. “I got to talk to Ryan Nolan, he is a DB who committed during the OV yesterday. Mason Davis, who also committed during the OV, Donovan Baker, Cale (Hellums), and Sylas Gomez: We all are very excited and I feel that we will bring a great future to West Point. By the way, my school plays Donovan’s week two, so that’s how I know him.”
Next Step
West currently holds a 3.0 GPA and although it has not been officially determine if he is coming in direct or prep, the two-way player is more than comfortable taking the prep route.
“I am pretty sure I’ll be going to the prep school since I heard beneficial things about it from the players,” West declared, as he also stated that he will not be going on any other visits to other school.
“My commitment to Army is 100%, other than going up for games. That’s my home for the next 4-5 years.”
Stay tuned as GoBlackKnights.com will have the breakdown of West’s commitment and the impact his pledge will have on this 2022 recruiting class, so keep it right here as we have you covered with all the latest.
**To chat with other Army fans about this article and more, please visit The 12th Knight message board**
