GULF SHORES — It wasn't exactly like old home week when Carter Davis took an official visit to West Virginia to consider continuing his football days with the Mountaineers.

But when the country road dropped Carter and family off in Morgantown, West Virginia, a familiar face from Baldwin County was there to greet the guests.

Carter, a three-star wide receiver in the 2027 class, announced his commitment to play for the Mountaineers on June 8. Also a track star, Carter was deemed the fastest person in Alabama when his 6.76 time in 60 meters at the state indoor meet was quicker than any 60-meter across all school classifications. He didn't compete in Alabama's outdoor track season to concentrate on football.

Pat White, a former Daphne and West Virginia superstar quarterback with a short stint in the NFL, was one of the assistant coaches greeting the Davises on that first visit. Carter went to elementary school in Daphne before winding up in Gulf Shores as a freshman and had a family member quite familiar with White's exploits.

"My dad and Coach Pat played high school ball together, and it was like family at a family reunion you haven't seen in a while," Carter said. "From the first time I got to West Virginia, it just felt like home. Coach (Rich) Rodriguez, Coach Pat, Coach (Logan) Bradley and everyone just made me and my parents feel welcomed from day one. Coach Bradley was consistent and always kept his word."

Upon making a second trip, Carter said the reception grew even warmer and he had found where he would start his college career.

"When we came back everyone was the same, and it just felt like home to me, and I felt the same love, same energy, and the belief they had in me. That meant a lot to me and my family because it showed me that I wasn't just another recruit," Carter said. "They genuinely cared about me as a person. The relationships I built with the coaches and staff made this decision easy and it was just time."

Carter is coming off a junior season where he put up modest numbers catching 45 passes for 715 yards and nine touchdowns. He also rushed for 118 yards and four touchdowns. He's listed at 6 feet, 170 pounds. Initially, it was thought Carter maybe was leaning toward LSU where his first cousin, Tre'Davious White, was a five-star cornerback in 2013-18 and is still playing in the NFL for the Bills. He is not related to Pat White, according to published reports.

Carter's fellow Baldwin County connection, White, widely considered the greatest player in Mountaineer history, recently learned his No. 5 jersey will be retired at a home game this season.

Accomplishments include being the starting quarterback for four consecutive bowl wins and leaving school as the top rushing quarterback in NCAA history with 4,480 yards. Additionally, he was the first quarterback in Big East history to surpass 10,000 yards passing.

White was the Big East Offensive Player of the year in 2006 and 2007 and was a finalist for several national awards including the Heisman Trophy, the Davey O'Brien Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year. He was a first-ballot inductee into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Pro stops include Miami, Washington and Edmonton in the Canadian Football League. He coaches quarterbacks and is an assistant head coach for the Mountaineers.