West Virginia football has an enormous day for its 2026 recruiting class

West Virginia football kicked off the week right on the recruiting trail Monday, as they stacked up a slew of commitments in their 2026 recruiting class -- including flipping a pair of defensive weapons that had already committed to other programs -- and found themselves making the Top 4 schools for a massive 4-star recruit out of Texas.

The action technically got underway on Sunday for West Virginia, as they landed a defensive back from the JUCO level in Fresno City College safety Jaylon Jones. Jones played for the Rams last season as a true freshman, tallying 13 tackles, four interceptions, and three pass breakups in 10 games -- he is listed as a Class of 2026 JUCO recruit, meaning he will play one more year at the level before coming to Morgantown.

The Mountaineers then really began to rack up commitments on Monday, with Philadelphia native defensive back Simaj Hill kicking off the action. Hill was initially committed to a Group of 5 program in James Madison, but was convinced to make an official visit this past weekend after increasing interest from WVU cornerbacks coach Rod West. Hill claims it's "always been a dream" to play at the Power 4 level.

"The relationship I've built with Coach West has me comfortable that they will utilize my skillset and put me in a position to succeed," said Hill. "After sitting with [Zac] Alley and [seeing] the success his defenses had in the past, I know he's going to build a dominant defense."

The Mountaineers also flipped a top-ten recruit in the state of Oregon from an in-state school as they landed a commitment from EDGE Noah Tishendorf, who had previously committed to Oregon State. Reports indicate he privately parted ways with Oregon State before his official visit to West Virginia this past weekend, and quickly decided Morgantown was his new home once arriving.

The Mountaineers also secured another commitment along the defensive line on Monday in three-star defensive tackle Cameron Mallory out of Alabama. Mallory had multiple Power 4 offers, including Missouri and Boston College, but chose the Mountaineers after official visits to both Chestnut Hill and Morgantown. He finished his junior prep season with 96 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.

Offensive lineman Rhett Morris out of New Jersey -- a three-star prospect initially offered by Neal Brown's staff -- also announced his intent to join the program on Monday. New head coach Rich Rodriguez and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell worked hard to keep a relationship alive with Morris after taking over, and secured his commitment after an official visit this past weekend.

The day's commitment cycle was topped off with Miles Khatri, a linebacker out of Alabama, signaling he had also made his collegiate decision and had landed on the Mountaineers. Khatri had an impressive junior season, tallying 117 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and four sacks.

And while not yet earning an official commitment, West Virginia closed the day finding themselves in a great position to land a four-star safety prospect out of Texas as Chance Collins narrowed his options to a Top 4 that includes the Mountaineers. WVU will be competing with Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Utah to land the highly touted defender who has been ranked one of the Top 50 prospects in the state of Texas in the Class of 2026.