While in Morgantown on Saturday to check out West Virginia’s spring football game, Aliquippa sophomore Daiveon Taylor didn’t punt on his opportunity to talk to media superstar and former West Virginia and NFL punter Pat McAfee, who was in town to serve as one of the honorary coaches.
“It was a lot of fun,” Taylor said of the brief talk. “He’s a down-to-earth person and was very cool. I had a fun conversation with him.”
In a video of the encounter that Taylor tweeted out, McAfee told him, “You guys have got an NFL factory over there. I assume you’re next.”
That’s when Taylor took on the role of reporter and broke some news to McAfee, telling him he had committed to West Virginia earlier in the day.
And that’s what made their conversation extra special, Taylor said.
Said Taylor, “It was cool because I’ll be playing for his old school.”
Taylor, a standout linebacker and one of the WPIAL’s top sophomores, gave West Virginia its first commitment in the class of 2026 when he relayed news of his decision to Mountaineers coach Neal Brown. West Virginia offered Taylor last March, which at the time was his second Power Four offer following only Penn State.
“I feel like West Virginia had the best environment, and they made it to where it felt like home,” said Taylor, who estimates he has visited the school six times. “The coaching staff is great. They’ve shown me love and have always made me feel welcomed.”
Taylor (6 feet 2, 225 pounds), who was accompanied on the latest visit by his dad and sister, also had offers from Pitt, Syracuse, Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green.
Despite being only a sophomore, Taylor has already proven to be very productive and is already a two-time all-conference choice, earning that recognition while playing as a defensive end at Bishop Canevin. He helped the Crusaders reach the WPIAL Class 1A final his freshman season and to the semifinals a season ago.
But, as McAfee made mention of, Taylor is now a Quip. Taylor began taking classes at Aliquippa earlier this month, and said it has been a smooth transition.
“I went to middle school there, so it’s been going pretty good,” said Taylor, whose cousin, Shawntae Spencer, starred at Woodland Hills and Pitt before spending nine years in the NFL as a defensive back.
While at West Virginia on Saturday, Taylor said he chatted it up with former teammate Jason Cross, a senior at Canevin and member of West Virginia’s 2024 recruiting class.
Portal news
North Catholic graduate Tess Myers made a big move last week when she decided to transfer to a Big Ten school. Myers, a 5-9 sharpshooting guard who previously played at Duquesne, committed to Wisconsin. In four seasons at Duquesne, Myers made 93 starts, scored 1,089 points and knocked down 279 3-pointers, tied for most in program history. Myers averaged 7.9 points a game last season when she shot 36% from 3-point range and finished with 74 3-pointers, which included a school and Atlantic 10-record 11 triples in a December game against Longwood. The 11 3s were the most made by an NCAA Division I player last season.
Myers wasn’t the only former North Catholic star to emerge from the transfer portal with a new home recently. Kylee Lewandowski, a 6-1 guard, committed to Samford following four seasons at Richmond, where she played in 21 games last season. Lewandowski’s commitment came a few weeks after her younger sister, Dacia, transferred from Akron to Youngstown State.
First offers
Oakland Catholic sophomore basketball player Josie Fontana was offered by Navy. Fontana’s brother, Drew, plays football for Navy. A 6-2 forward, Fontana joins junior London Creach and freshman Kaylee DeAngelo as Oakland Catholic freshmen with Division I offers. DeAngelo picked up her second offer over the weekend from Youngstown State. Delaware offered DeAngelo last June. … Gateway sophomore wide receiver-defensive back Carlos Diggs picked up his first football offer, and it came from Marshall after visiting the school April 12.
Baseball commitments
Moon’s Nate Barr (Southern Maryland); Moon’s Troy Sallis (La Roche); Uniontown’s Tate Musko (Marietta).
Basketball commitments
Allderdice’s Logan Golle (La Roche); Allderdice’s Major Rainey (La Roche); Bentworth’s Amber Sallee (Waynesburg); Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin (La Roche); Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell (Washington & Jefferson); Lincoln Park’s Abbi Jannuzi (Franciscan); Penn-Trafford’s Ty Freas (Pitt Greensburg); Shaler’s Joe DeSabato (Washington & Jefferson); Shaler’s Keegan Smetanka (Pitt Johnstown); Woodland Hills’ Carmen Vasquez (Salem).
Football commitments
Deer Lakes’ Aiden Fletcher (Westminster); South Fayette’s Tyler Nicholson (Baldwin Wallace).
Soccer commitment
Seton LaSalle’s Nick Cherry (Tiffin).
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.