Derrick Davis | The Valdosta Daily TimesValdosta High defensive back Jayce Rogers committed to West Virginia University on Saturday.

VALDOSTA — Valdosta High defensive back Jayce Rogers has chosen the home for his college football career.

Now he’s hoping to lure a few Wildcats up to the mountains with him.

Rogers has been enamored with West Virginia University since the 5-foot-8, 165-pound corner was offered by the school in February, and after visiting Morgantown, W.V., himself this past weekend, Rogers decided he’d seen all he needed and committed to the Mountaineers.

Rogers tweeted out his decision Saturday evening.

“It felt like home,” Rogers said after practice Monday morning. “It felt like Valdosta. All the coaches there are real cool. Everything was like I wanted it to be, so that’s where I wanted to be.

“I asked my mom and she said that’s where she wanted me to be, so…”

A Rivals.com three-star prospect, Rogers began picking up steam on the recruiting trail with some impressive camps coming off a junior season in which he picked off two passes and defended 12 more while generally shutting down his man in coverage.

A dynamic player in the open field, Rogers returned 14 kicks for an average of 33.14 yards, one going for a touchdown. He also averaged 13 yards on 30 punt returns, including two scores, en route to earning the nod as Region 1-6A’s Special Teams Player of the Year.

Rogers also got his first taste of offense a season ago when he touched the ball 32 times at 7.5 yards per carry and completed a 29-yard touchdown pass. He’s gone on to spend a majority of this summer on the offensive side of the ball as well.

While Rogers isn’t opposed to stepping into an offensive role if the coaching staff should ask, he’ll likely be sticking to special teams and defense at West Virginia — where Wildcats could eventually make up 27 percent of the Mountaineers’ defensive lineup.

If Rogers has it his way, West Virginia will also end up home to a couple of his Valdosta teammates within its 2018 recruiting class.

Fellow defensive back Jalen Harrell and four-star linebacker prospect Zakoby McClain also made the trip with Rogers, and there’s a possibility the trio could all land in Morgantown by the end of for the recruiting cycle.

“We got Jalen in a workout and we’re trying to get him to be there,” Rogers said. “If we can get all three of us up there, then it can be a group thing.

“Right now, I’m the only one hard committed. Zakoby’s got them in his top three, so hopefully I can get them up there with me. That’s the plan.”

McClain is ranked as the No. 12 player in the state by Rivals.com with more than 20 offers. The 6’1, 200-pound senior recently narrowed down the list of schools to a top 10, which included West Virginia alongside: Auburn, Michigan State, Nebraska, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Tulane and Oregon.

Harrell is not yet ranked, but the 5’8, 170-pound corner has began to generate some interest from teams, recently earning his first offer from Shorter University.

Rogers is hoping to bring both his teammates along with him.

“I’m a top recruiter,” Rogers said.

Derrick Davis is the sports editor at the Valdosta Daily Times.