Andrews – Though Andrews senior lineman Tyler West had privately committed to North Carolina State University a week earlier, he wanted to announce his verbal commitment publicly in front of his teammates. And with Cherokee County not starting the school year until Aug. 28, the best way to ensure most of his teammates were there would be on a Friday night.
So after the Wildcats opened the 2023 season with a 35-0 win over Rosman, the 6-foot-5, 270 pound West stood up in the postgame huddle. He choked up when talking briefly about how much his teammates and coaches meant to him, then made it official, announcing his intentions to play for the Wolfpack.
“I’ve dreamed of that since I was a little boy,” West said. “When I first started, I always told my parents I wanted to play at the next level. Just announcing it in front of my brothers was huge to me. They helped me get to where I’m at.”
West visited Raleigh during N.C. State’s spring game on April 13, then again for an official visit in June. That’s when West said he fell in love with the school.
“I feel like it fit me,” West said. “There’s a great coaching staff. It really felt like home on my visits there.”
In conversations he’s had with Wolfpack offensive line coach Garett Tujague, West said Tujague plans to try to develop him as a tackle in college, and he currently plays left tackle on Andrews offensive line. West plans to study business in college, and was excited about the information they sent him about the Poole College of Management, which is N.C. State’s business school. West will also join former Murphy offensive lineman Yousef Mugharbil in Raleigh.
West has started for the last two years on both the Andrews offensive and defensive lines, and was named all-conference last season. He is a three-star recruit and the No. 30 player in North Carolina according to the 247 Sports Composite. With his commitment out of the way, West can fully focus on meeting his individual goals and team goals for the Wildcats.
“We know what we need to fix,” West said. “But a great first game for us.”