BREAKING NEWS REPORT
“Mountaineer Raiders in Black!”
WVU Pulls Off Daring Recruiting Heist in Pitt Territory
In a move already shaking the foundations of the college football recruiting world, the West Virginia Mountaineers have pulled off a bold, stunning maneuver—snatching top linebacker prospect Jalen “J-Rock” Dorsey right out of Pittsburgh’s backyard in a move some insiders are calling “the Appalachian Ambush.”
Dorsey, a 6’3″, 230-pound linebacker out of Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, had long been viewed as a near-lock for the Panthers. He grew up minutes from Acrisure Stadium. His uncle played defensive back at Pitt in the early 2000s. And his bedroom, according to a local feature last year, was painted Pitt blue and gold.
But in a jaw-dropping twist that unfolded over Memorial Day weekend, Dorsey took an unannounced visit to Morgantown—cloaked in secrecy, transported under the radar, and met by none other than WVU head coach Marcus Glenn in a private film room beneath Milan Puskar Stadium.
Sources close to the recruitment say WVU’s staff arrived at Dorsey’s home late Friday night in black SUVs, escorted by alumni and key NIL figures. Their pitch? A defensive scheme built around his sideline-to-sideline explosiveness, a guaranteed first-year impact role, and a substantial NIL package that dwarfed Pitt’s current offer—reportedly in the mid-six figures.
Pitt’s coaching staff was blindsided. One insider claimed linebackers coach Ryan Manley attempted a last-minute video call Saturday afternoon, only to be “sent to voicemail.” Sunday morning, the bombshell dropped on social media: a photo of Dorsey standing at midfield in full WVU gear, captioned simply, “Let’s Ride.”
The backlash from Pitt fans was immediate—and vicious. Dorsey’s social media accounts were flooded with accusations of betrayal. But Mountaineer Nation? Ecstatic. “This is more than a commitment,” wrote one prominent WVU blogger. “This is a declaration of war.”
Analysts say Dorsey is a game-changer: a high-IQ tackler with 4.5 speed and a knack for diagnosing plays before they unfold. Recruiting expert T.J. Kerns put it bluntly: “Dorsey is a Sunday player. This is a loss Pitt will feel for years. WVU just stole a franchise piece.”
For West Virginia, the move signals a reawakening under Glenn, who has vowed to restore the program’s national presence. But it also reignites the long-dormant Backyard Brawl—a rivalry steeped in tradition, contempt, and now, high-stakes NIL warfare.
Whether WVU’s midnight raid sets a precedent or sparks further chaos remains to be seen. But one thing’s certain: the line between strategy and sabotage in college football recruiting has never been thinner.
And in this new era, the Mountaineers just proved—they’re not afraid to cross it.
