This week, West Virginia Mountaineer fans will start receiving updates on the team at Big 12 Media Days. Just weeks later, Fall camp will begin. Before we head into our regular preseason coverage, we provide our Mountaineers recruiting update heading into the dead period that lasts until July 31.
Mountaineers Recruiting Update: July 2025
According to 247Sports, the Mountaineers rank 44th among FBS teams in team recruiting rankings as of July 6, 2025. The players in the following table compose the recruits committed to Head Coach Rich Rodriguez in his first true recruiting cycle. So far, WVU has earned 23 commitments.
| Player | State | Position | 247 | Rivals | On3 |
| Jyron Hughley | FL | QB | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Aaron Edwards | OK | S | 3 | N/A | N/A |
| Taj Powell | OH | S | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Emory Snyder | OK | S | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Christopher Talley | TN | RB | 3 | 3 | N/A |
| Cameron Mallory | AL | DL | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Antoine Sharp | FL | LB | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Cameron Dwyer | FL | S | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jett Walker | TX | RB | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Noah Tishendorf | OR | DE | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Sam Hamilton | OH | TE | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Lamarcus Dillard | MD | OL | 3 | 3 | N/A |
| Emari Peterson | FL | CB | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Robert Stith | FL | WR | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Justyn Lyles | OH | OL | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Charlie Hanafin | MA | WR | 3 | N/A | N/A |
| Simaj Hill | PA | CB | 3 | N/A | 3 |
| Rickey Giles | TX | S | 3 | N/A | N/A |
| Rhett Morris | NJ | OL | 3 | 3 | N/A |
| Camden Goforth | TN | OL | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jaylon Jones | CA (JuCo) | S | 3 | N/A | N/A |
| Miles Khatri | AL | LB | 3 | N/A | 3 |
| Malachi Thompson | WV | WR | 3 | N/A | N/A |
Loading Up the Secondary
Deep attrition out of the secondary became a steady theme during the Neal Brown era in Morgantown. As a result, while the official Mountaineers’ 2025 roster as of July 6 (according to the school’s own website) features 10 cornerbacks and 13 safeties (including nickel backs), 12 of those players enter their final year of eligibility. At the end of the season, assuming all of the underclassmen stay in Morgantown, that leaves just 11 members of the secondary heading into 2026.
This past off-season, West Virginia clearly focused on adding veteran corners and safeties for Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley’s unit. For the 2026 recruiting class, the Mountaineers feature more of the same. Indeed, the class accumulated to date includes six safeties and two cornerbacks. In total, the secondary comprises 35% of the total incoming class. Apparently, Rodriguez saw the attrition, too, and he and his staff are proactively fighting against it.
Fitting the Scheme at Skill Positions
By now, fans know well what kind of offense Rodriguez runs. While evolved in its nuances, Rodriguez operates a run-heavy spread relying on zone reads. In recent years, Rodriguez has incorporated more versatile tight ends into the system, and his recruiting focus on that side of the ball plays into that system.
First, we look at Jyron Hughley, a six foot two inch dual threat quarterback out of West Palm Beach. Hughley committed to West Virginia over offers from Indiana, Penn State, Pitt, Florida State, and others. Hughley absorbs contact perhaps a bit more wisely than some of Rodriguez’s former signal callers, but he remains willing to break contain and find green space an opposing defense yields. He still throws the ball plenty, and, in high school at least, he does so efficiently.
Next, we look at the talented Sam Hamilton, a tight end out of Ohio. Of his versatile skill set, one thing should jump off the scouting report to Mountaineer fans. Hamilton remains keenly aware of his position on the field, and he uses that to deliver punishing blocks effectively even when moving downfield. In Jacksonville State’s iteration of the Rodriguez spread, the Gamecocks use tight ends as safety valves, but require them to be able and willing downfield blockers. In a system that relies heavily on zone blocking to spring playmakers into space, Hamilton offers a great fit.
Finally, we look at Christopher Talley, the most recent addition to the 2026 class. Talley flashed dozens of moments of explosiveness across his junior season. He finished that season with over 1,600 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Talley became a priority for the staff this Summer, and his addition to the class should certainly turn a few heads.
What Next?
We conclude our Mountaineers’ recruiting update by asking, “what next?” In many ways, the answer depends on how many players West Virginia “grandfathers” into the program under the new roster limitations. While the NCAA, per the House settlement, abandoned scholarship caps for hard roster limits, those limits will be phased in over time. Heading into 2025, the Mountaineers feature 117 players on the current roster. 41 of them graduate after this season. This leaves a minimum of six open roster spots, not accounting for the inevitable wave of outbound transfers after the season ends. We expect Rodriguez to plan for what he knows and to add to the current class.
As it stands, the biggest need from a numbers standpoint remains at linebacker. The Mountaineers have two current linebacker commitments, but they will lose at least six after the season. We expect them to add two more bodies here. We also expect they would add another cornerback, another defensive tackle or nose guard, another edge rusher, and another wide receiver. In short, the class is certainly not done yet, giving the Mountaineers plenty of space to build on their strong early momentum.
Main Image: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
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