German defensive end Aric Burton commits to West Virginia as Mountaineers dip into foreign recruit pool once again
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (BVM) — The West Virginia University football team has adopted a new recruiting pipeline under the leadership of head coach Neal Brown: Europe. During Brown’s time leading the program, the Mountaineers have seen six international players commit to the team including three players who came from the PPI Recruits family, an organization dedicated to helping European players connect with Division I college programs. In June, the Mountaineers added their seventh international commit and fourth who was part of the PPI pipeline.
On June 28, Clearwater International Academy (Fla.) defensive end Aric Burton committed to the Mountaineers following a successful visit to the campus just two days prior. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound three-star prospect is the 14th commit to the Mountaineers’ Class of 2022 and the first “edge” defender in the class according to 247Sports.
“I chose West Virginia because it felt like home to me,” Burton said. “All the people are friendly, the coaches are amazing and they really know what they’re doing. I just fell in love with the program.”
Committed 💙💛⛰🇺🇸🇩🇪 #COMMITTED #TrustTheClimb #AlmostHeaven @WVUfootball @CoachLesley_WVU @CoachJaxDL @NealBrown_WVU @BCollierPPI @PPIRecruits pic.twitter.com/PT03h9hmNc
— Aric Burton (AB) (@BurtonAric) June 28, 2021
Burton, who is from Bavaria, Germany originally, played football last season for the Munich Cowboys as a defensive end before finishing his schooling and enrolling at Clearwater for his final prep season. While the tape on him looks good, it is against newer players to American football which doesn’t necessarily give college coaches a sense on how talented a player like Burton is.
“I started playing football in ninth grade, we had an after school program for flag football,” Burton said. “My gym teacher told me I was very skilled in the game and I should try out for the local team and I fell in love with the game. After a couple months, I switched to tackle football and in 2019 I played defensive end for two days because of COVID and now I’m in Clearwater.”
However, when Burton stood out during a camp at Mercer University, he was immediately invited to a camp in Morgantown, where he again would impress enough to earn a scholarship from the Mountaineers.
“That was breathtaking,” Burton said. “You don’t really know what to say because you worked so many years for this and it all just falls into place.”
During his time on the recruitment trail, where he earned six DI offers from Arizona State, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Kansas, Minnesota and the Mountaineers, Burton leaned on his mentor Brandon Collier, the founder of PPI Recruits who has helped the young football player understand the process and adjust his game to best impress scouts. Unsurprisingly, Collier had good things to say about the Mountaineers as he has worked with the team for current Mountaineers Edward Vesterinen and Viktor Wikstrom, European recruits in the 2021 recruiting class.
“I think it was 2018 at a scouting camp…Brandon Collier came up to me and said I was a good player but I had to work on some things and we exchanged numbers and a week later I drove to Frankfort to practice with him,” Burton said. “I went with him to Sweden, Switzerland and two times to the states to get recruited. … They told me West Virginia really takes care of the international students and they really like it because it’s more like a family and the teamwork is just amazing over there.”
While Collier’s expertise and advice helped Burton become more comfortable with his options, it was official visit to Morgantown that put the final nail in the coffin. Being his first official visit to any school, the Mountaineers left no stone unturned during his visit and treated the prospective recruit with all the attention and care of a top prospect. It was that attitude that made the decision an easy one for the defensive end.
“The visit was amazing because they flew my mom to Germany to the states,” Burton said. “I had the honor to be there with her and show her what this is all about. They took really good care of us and it was just amazing.”
Now, Burton will have one more year of prep football experience before making his way to Almost Heaven. Having only played contact football for a few years, this time at an elite football academy such as Clearwater will only be beneficial for a player making the jump to the Division I level.
On Aug. 20, Burton put on his Knights jersey and took part in a football game on American soil for the first time. During the contest, Burton showed off all the promise that made him an intriguing prospect to the Mountaineers, scoring a 50-yard fumble return touchdown while also recovering another fumble later in the contest. Not bad for a first game in a different country.
“It felt amazing after a year almost to stand on a football field,” Burton said. “It was my third game playing as a defensive end, but you could really tell I improved my skills.”
First game in the USA‼️@PPIRecruits @BCollierPPI @LucasSimmons55 @CoachJesse18 @CoachMeyerCAI @CoachFeldman81 @BobCefail @CAIKnightsFB pic.twitter.com/eTFGwfUxKB
— Aric Burton (AB) (@BurtonAric) August 21, 2021
While the transition from Germany to the United States High School football to NCAA FBS competition may not be the easiest for a relatively new football player, Burton is unafraid and excited for the opportunity presented to him.
“I hope that I’m starting my freshman year and I’m just trying to be the best I can be and do my job every play,” Burton said. “I hope I can still work on my craft and get as many sacks and tackles as I can get.”
