West Virginia has assembled considerable depth in its backfield, specifically at the running back position, due to tireless recruiting efforts of its football staff. Behind junior running back Noel Devine awaits sophomore Mark Rodgers, along with Shawne Alston, Daquan Hargett and Jordan Roberts, a trio of freshman of tailbacks. Braylon Heard and Trey Johnson are a pair of running backs who have verbally committed for the 2010 recruiting class, so the team appears to have several viable options to hand the ball off to in the future.

Year after year the Mountaineers have reloaded with running backs who carry on the tradition of WVU’s tried-and-true staple on offense.

Though it seems to be a long shot, the Mountaineers may still be in the mix for another star running back in the making.

Storm Johnson, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back from Loganville High School (Loganville, Ga.), was once verbally committed to LSU, but reopened his recruitment earlier this month when LSU reportedly continued recruiting additional tailbacks after Johnson committed.

ESPN Scouts Inc rated Johnson the No. 38 player overall for the 2010 recruiting class and tagged him with an 83 scouts grade. Johnson collected more than a dozen scholarship offers, including offers from college football royalty such as Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma.

Despite the elite list of suitors, WVU is not out of the question as a potential destination for the prep star.

A report surfaced earlier this month citing Johnson had narrowed his list down to WVU, Florida State, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State, along with Kentucky being in the mix, as well.

“Anybody who offers him the chance to touch the ball quite a few times, he’s going to be really interested,” Loganville High School head coach Eric Godfree told EerSports.com. “If you talk to his parents, they are not just interested on local [teams in the south]. They are going to look wherever he can go and get a chance to touch the ball.”

Johnson was reported as taking an official visit to WVU during the Mountaineers’ home-opener against Liberty, back on Sept. 5. However, Godfree does not recall Johnson taking such a visit.

“I don’t believe so.”

Whether or not Johnson has yet to take an official visit to WVU, the Mountaineers coaches are still recruiting Johnson.

“Yes,” Godfree said, “they came back in the spring.”

According to Godfree, Johnson has been on an official visit to Kentucky and plans on taking official visits to Michigan State and Alabama, with the visit to Alabama slated for this weekend when the Crimson Tide play host to Arkansas.

When asked what kind of running back Johnson is, Godfree answered simply: “A good one.”

“He’s got really good size. He’s got really good speed for his size,” the coach said.

Johnson would most likely have no problem fitting in with WVU’s no-huddle spread offense.

“He’s a guy who needs to carry the ball a bunch in a game,” said Godfree. “He can fit in about any offense.”

Godfree explained how he uses Johnson’s talents primarily out of the I-formation, which is something WVU has recently tapped with Devine and found great success in doing so.

Johnson has accumulated more than 500 rush yards and eight touchdowns through three games this season with Loganville.

EerSports will continue to follow this story as it develops and keep you updated with the latest from Johnson.