eli lederman
West Virginia And coach Rich Rodriguez on Tuesday secured a major commitment from the four-star offensive tackle in the 2026 class kevin brownWho would go down as the Mountaineers’ highest-ranked signing in at least 15 years.
in number 78 2026 sc next 300Brown is 6-foot-5, 265 pounds from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Before that he had spent more than a year committed to penn stateThe incoming recruiting class before reopening its process following Coach’s firing james franklin Last month.
Brown, whose father is former West Virginia offensive lineman Tim Brown, announced his commitment to the Mountaineers over finalists Ohio State And North Carolina On “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN. After this he recalled that moment on-air by setting a sofa on fire Outside his family’s home, embracing one of the school’s most beloved and controversial traditions.
He is the first SC Next 300 pledge in West Virginia’s 2026 class, which joins 28 high school commitments in the final stages of the program’s full recruiting cycle since Rodriguez returned last December. When Brown signs during the Dec. 3-5 early signing period, he will arrive as West Virginia’s highest-ranked player since eventual three-time all-conference quarterback Geno Smith joined the program in the class of 2009.
Brown, a multisport athlete with the potential to earn playing time early next fall, initially committed to the in-state Nittany Lions in July 2024. He stood as Penn State’s second-ranked 2026 pledge when Franklin was fired on October 12, his 12th season with the program, and Brown remained publicly committed to the Nittany Lions as of last Sunday.
However, Brown visited both Ohio State and West Virginia last month. North Carolina was another program to emerge with significant late interest in ESPN’s No. 13 offensive tackle prior to his commitment to the Mountaineers.
“He has a long-term plan there,” Tim Brown, who played under Rodriguez in the early 2000s, recently told ESPN. “You look at all the programs that are being created and the support they’re getting. West Virginia didn’t have that and now they have this. It might be an emerging thing. And Kevin really feels that way.”
Brown debuted Tuesday as ESPN’s top-ranked uncommitted offensive tackle for 2026. East Virginia Tech Pledge thomas wilder The only uncommitted offensive line prospect remains in the cycle.
