It's been a consistent summer for WVU football head coach Rich Rodriguez on the recruiting trail, and he and his staff recently added another commitment for their 2026 class.
The Mountaineers received a commitment Thursday from a defensive back prospect out of Illinois. Vincent Smith committed to the Mountaineers on Thursday. Smith is a cornerback from Orland Park, Illinois, and is a three-star recruit according to 247Sports.
BREAKING - #WVU adds a versatile piece to its 2026 secondary with Orland Park (Ill) DB Vincent Smith committing over Purdue and Iowa.
— WVSports.com (@WVSportsDotCom) July 10, 2025
Details 👉 https://t.co/InQIqiNumZ pic.twitter.com/FFypHcwoGb
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound is the eighth defensive back joining the Mountaineers' 2026 recruiting class. WVU most recently signed another defensive back in Ricky Giles at the end of June. They will join other commitments in the secondary such as Jaylon Jones and Simaj Hill.
WVU edged out Purdue and Iowa in the pursuit of Smith in the recruiting process. Besting some Big 10 schools in the recruitment process of a cornerback is a win for the Mountaineers, Coach Rodriguez, and the recruiting staff.
After the addition of Smith to the class of 2026, WVU now sits at 23 total commitments for the 2026 class, which is currently ranked as the 48th best class according to Rivals.
In his junior season highlights that Smith posted on Hudl, the cornerback has a good ability to get his hands on the ball and knock the pass away. It doesn’t look like Smith is quite ready to be able to turn many of those deflections into interceptions, but he does have a talent for staying attached to the receiver and being able to get a hand on the ball.
Given some time in the WVU program, Smith has a good chance of working and developing into an effective player on the defensive side of the ball. In Zach Alley’s defense, Smith could be a nice depth piece in the next couple of years, and potentially a starter in a few seasons if he doesn’t exit the program.