Going the Distance: WVU casts a wide net for 2026 football commits
West Virginia is going the distance to build its 2026 football class and in some cases, a very long distance.
So far, the Mountaineers have landed 25 verbal commitments from prospects scattered across the country. The reach has stretched from Nitro, West Virginia, to as far as Fresno, California, and Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Malachi Thompson, from Nitro, WV, is just 127 miles from Morgantown. But the staff also dipped deep into Texas for Rickey Giles and Jett Walker and crossed the country to land Jaylon Jones from Fresno, nearly 2,600 miles away.
In between, there’s plenty of ground covered: recruits from Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Alabama are all part of the class. The Mountaineers have been especially active in Florida, picking up several pledges from the Sunshine State, including Jyron Hughley, Cameron Dwyer, and Antoine Sharp, all nearly 900 miles or more from campus.
The long-distance haul is notable. With Rich Rodriguez back in charge, the Mountaineers appear determined to cast a wider net than the previous coaching staff. So far, the average distance from each 2026 commit’s hometown to Morgantown is 703 miles.
2026 West Virginia Mountaineers Football Commits
| Name | Hometown, State | Distance (Miles) |
|---|---|---|
| Malachi Thompson | Nitro, WV | 127 |
| Lamarcus Dillard | Upper Marlboro, MD | 185 |
| SirPaul Cheeks | Chesterfield, VA | 202 |
| Taj Powell | Springfield, OH | 202 |
| Justyn Lyles | Cincinnati, OH | 241 |
| Sam Hamilton | Cincinnati, OH | 241 |
| Simaj Hill | Philadelphia, PA | 260 |
| Rhett Morris | Ramsey, NJ | 326 |
| Camden Goforth | Athens, TN | 386 |
| Vincent Smith | Orland Park, IL | 431 |
| Charlie Hanafin | Burlington, MA | 501 |
| Cameron Mallory | Moody, AL | 549 |
| Christopher Talley | Memphis, TN | 631 |
| Miles Khatri | Pike Road, AL | 608 |
| Emari Peterson | Orlando, FL | 770 |
| Robert Stith | Niceville, FL | 727 |
| Cameron Dwyer | Royal Palm Beach, FL | 893 |
| Antoine Sharp | West Palm Beach, FL | 892 |
| Jyron Hughley | Belle Glade, FL | 895 |
| Emory Snyder | Bixby, OK | 900 |
| Rickey Giles | Dallas, TX | 1045 |
| Jett Walker | Lampasas, TX | 1176 |
| Aaron Edwards | Putnam, OK | 1226 |
| Noah Tishendorf | Lake Oswego, OR | 2181 |
| Jaylon Jones | Fresno, CA | 2570 |
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