Morgantown is on fire—again. And this time, it’s a mountain-sized addition in the trenches.
The 2026 recruiting class continues to heat up like a summer blaze in the hills of West Virginia, as the Mountaineers just landed a massive commitment from Justyn Lyles, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound offensive lineman out of Withrow High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. The pledge came on Father’s Day, turning a day of celebration into a recruiting masterstroke for Neal Brown and his staff.
While families across the country were grilling burgers and exchanging hugs, West Virginia’s coaching staff was busy adding a cornerstone to their offensive front of the future.
“First and foremost, I want to express my utmost gratitude to God, as without his guidance and blessings, I wouldn’t be in the position I stand in today,” Lyles wrote in a heartfelt post on X.
“I want to thank my family and coaches for believing in me… I am thrilled to announce my commitment to West Virginia University!”
And thrilled he should be—because WVU isn’t just a destination, it’s a launchpad.
Lyles becomes the latest building block in a fast-growing 2026 class that’s quickly earning national attention for its balance, explosiveness, and physical edge. Standing at 6’5″ with a lean frame and room to pack on power, Lyles is the kind of high-ceiling lineman that offensive line coaches dream about molding. He brings raw athleticism, excellent footwork, and a nasty streak that screams Big 12-ready.
Make no mistake—this was not a quiet recruitment. Lyles was being pursued by a long list of suitors across the country, including offers from Maryland, Marshall, Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, Kent State, Akron, Ball State, Ohio, Toledo, UMass, Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, and Western Michigan. Yet when it came time to make the call, Lyles chose the culture, the vision, and the trajectory of West Virginia football.
Why? Because WVU didn’t just offer a scholarship—they offered a plan.
Offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. has been methodically assembling his future unit like a master architect, and Lyles fits the blueprint perfectly. He’s versatile, coachable, and built to maul defenders at both tackle and guard positions. With proper development in Morgantown’s strength and conditioning program, Lyles could emerge as a future anchor on the Mountaineer line.
And he’s not coming alone.
West Virginia’s 2026 recruiting class is swelling with talent and momentum. Lyles joins a rapidly growing brotherhood that already features:
- QB Jyron Hughley – a confident field general and leader of the class
- RB Jett Walker – shifty, strong, and built to punish defenses
- WR Robert Stith – a deep-ball burner with elite acceleration
- TE Sam Hamilton – a red-zone menace and mismatch machine
- OL Rhett Morris & Cameron Goforth – bulldozers in the making
- EDGE Noah Tishendorf – relentless pressure off the edge
- DL Cam Mallory – interior disruptor with twitchy burst
- LBs Cameron Dwyer, Antoine Sharp, and Miles Khatri – sideline-to-sideline hunters
- DBs Simaj Hill and Jaylon Jones (JUCO) – sticky coverage and ballhawks
- Safeties Taj Powell, Aaron Edwards, and Emory Snyder – rangy, cerebral, and physical
This is more than a class—it’s a foundation, and Justyn Lyles is one of its critical support beams.
So while fans may have spent the day honoring fathers, Neal Brown and his crew spent it delivering a message to the college football world: WVU is coming—and they’re building from the inside out.
Strap in, Mountaineer Nation. The 2026 class isn’t just promising—it’s powering up, and Justyn Lyles might be one of the biggest reasons why.
