Andrews tackle Tyler West goes from 0 to 8 offers in span of 45 days

Andrews High School, one of the state's smallest, had a breakout 13-1 overall season in 2022. One of the big reasons behind the Wildcats' success last fall was junior offensive tackle Tyler West. The rising senior has a 6-foot-5, 275-pound frame that he used to trounce opponents out in Western North Carolina.

After virtually no recruiting buzz leading up to it, West picked up his first offer in late March by way of Appalachian State University. West, one of less than 2,000 people in all of Andrews, had never been to a recruiting camp before. The offer came because App State was thoroughly impressed with his game film.

"It was exciting, especially coming from a program from App State," West told HighSchoolOT. "Getting your first offer is a good experience."

Seven schools have followed the Mountaineers in offering West: Lenoir-Rhyne University on Apr. 12, Duke University on Apr. 13, East Carolina University on Apr. 28, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on May 1, Wake Forest University on May 3, NC State University on May 3, and Virginia Tech on May 9.

West says his ability to move with the frame has been the biggest reason why schools are excited.

"They like my size, they say I have good feet, and they say I can move good for my size," West said.

The mild-mannered West is taking everything in stride. Having rapid recruiting success requires a rapid adjustment in future planning. Thanks to having football scholarship opportunities in hand, West has more potential paths today than he did a couple of months ago. Still, education will be at the heart of his decision on where to take his life after high school.

"The number one factor is definitely education, football ain't forever, so being able to have a good education coming out of there is good," West said.