Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia are reportedly in the hunt for a 2027 running back who’s already committed to another school.
Georgia Tech commit Tristan Willis, a three-star rusher prospect out of Houston, Texas, is expected to receive an offer from the Mountaineers by the end of the week, according to a report by WVSports.com on Friday.
At 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, Willis is coming off a big junior season (775 yards, 10 touchdowns) at C.E. King High School, and made his verbal commitment to Georgia Tech earlier this month. He’s received numerous Power Four offers, including Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State and TCU.
Now, West Virginia joins the recruiting battle – albeit at the 11th hour.
Decommits aren’t uncommon by any means these days, but the Rodriguez camp finds itself in an interesting spot.
Rodriguez’s first season back in Morgantown ended 4-8, including just 2-7 in Big 12 play, but things are trending upward for his second head coaching stint after the 62-year-old coach pulled in a pretty haul in the transfer portal this offseason.
The lot includes Oklahoma transfer quarterback Michael Hawkins and TCU transfer running back Cam Cook, as well as a veteran pass rusher in Zeke Campbell, transferring in from Coastal Carolina, to build around this season. It’s not a blockbuster cast, but it’s proof Rodriguez can work the portal to his advantage, and could certainly raise Willis’ prospects should the Mountaineers take a step forward with a revised, reworked roster.
Ultimately, there’s another football season to be played at the college and high school level. West Virginia isn’t the first school to hand Willis a competing offer, and they almost certainly won’t be the last.
