WVU football lands 6-foot-8 2026 OT prospect over pair of SEC blue blood programs

After featuring one of the worst offensive line units in the country this past season, WVU football head coach Rich Rodriguez and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. are looking to make sure they don't have a similar problem in the future by building quite an impressive collection of offensive line commits in the Class of 2026.

On Tuesday, the Mountaineers landed a commitment from Jonas Muya, a 6-foot-8, 285 pound offensive tackle from Bishop Luers in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Muya is a three-star commit and is ranked as the 45th-best offensive tackle in his class by the 247Sports composite rankings. He chose the Mountaineers over offers from prominent SEC powers Oklahoma and Tennessee, as well as Big Ten program Minnesota. He joins a class that includes former four-star prospect and top JUCO interior lineman Deshawn Woods and four-star, Top 10 tackle Kevin Brown.

"Today, I proudly announce my commitment to WVU football. Coming from far away, this represents a significant step towards the future I’ve envisioned for myself. I’ve faced numerous sacrifices and trials, including the pain of putting aside my first love for basketball, but I persevered and grew stronger as a result. Each obstacle has fueled my determination to achieve my goals," Muya said in a post on his account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"With honor and unwavering resolve, I commit to West Virginia University. This is the new next chapter. Just take me home."

247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu, who covers the midwest, described Muya as "one of the more physically impressive prospects in the region." Bringing a bulky frame with a 7-foot-4 wingspan to the WVU offensive line, Muya is a raw prospect who is in his first season of playing football after emigrating to the US from the Democratic Republic of Congo to pursue a basketball career.

Trieu reported that Bicknell and Rodriguez made Muya feel "comfortable with the developmental plan" and that he is expected to be more of a developmental play, albeit one that has potential NFL upside.