By: Justin Walker | WV Sports Chat
The future of West Virginia football just seemingly got a whole lot brighter—and a whole lot heavier.
While the Mountaineer baseball team has been busy tearing through the regionals, Rich Rodriguez and the football coaching staff have been working hard on the recruiting trail. On Tuesday, WVU football locked down two more verbal commitments for the 2027 class. We are talking about an SEC flip and a 300-pound mountain of an offensive lineman who committed in the most West Virginia way possible.
1. Bryian Duncan Jr. (RB / ATH) – The SEC Flip
This is a massive recruiting win for Rodriguez. Duncan committed to the Kentucky Wildcats back in March. After spending this past weekend in Morgantown on his official visit, plans changed. The 5-foot-9 athlete saw all he needed to see and flipped his commitment to WVU.
Per a recent article over at West Virginia on SI, Duncan is a pure, electric playmaker. Back in 2024 as a sophomore, he lit up Georgia high school football. He racked up 1,795 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging nearly 200 yards a game. Last season, Cairo High started using him at both running back and wide receiver, where he looked completely natural. He accumulated 736 rushing yards and 767 receiving yards. He scored 19 total touchdowns on the season.
In addition to WVU and Kentucky, the three-star prospect had power four offers from Florida State, Mississippi State, and Pitt.
2. Ethan Lawson (OL) – The Couch-Burner
First of all, let’s talk about the commitment video. Lawson officially announced his pledge on social media in true Mountaineer fashion. He did so by standing in front of a burning couch, ripping off his shirt to reveal a West Virginia tee, and screaming his commitment to WVU football. If that doesn’t earn you immediate legend status in Morgantown, nothing will.
Aside from having elite Mountaineer energy, the Duffield, VA native is an absolute monster on the line. At 6-foot-6 and over 300 pounds, he has the raw size and physicality that offensive line coach Rick Trickett loves. He’s an All-State selection who plays on both sides of the ball at Rye Cove High School, but he’ll be playing offensive line at the next level.
The three-star ultimately chose WVU over Virginia Tech. He also had power four offers from Duke, Syracuse, Louisville, Rutgers, and Wake Forest.
The Big Picture
With these two pieces on board, WVU’s 2027 recruiting class is continuing to build a ton of momentum. They now have 14 total commits in the class and rank number 27 nationally according to 247 Sports.
Photo Credit: Bristol Herald Courier and WVU Athletics
