The West Virginia Mountaineers have landed their first transfer addition to the 2026 roster.
On Saturday, it was announced that WVU football had landed a commitment from UT-Permian Basin defensive lineman Will LeBlanc has committed to the Mountaineers, per reports from 247Sports. LeBlanc, who will join the Mountaineers with three years of eligibility remaining, finished this past season with 32 tackles (5 TFLs) and 1.5 sacks as he helped take the Falcons to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division 2 playoffs.
UT-Permian Basin d-lineman Will LeBlanc (@WillLeBlanc98) has committed to West Virginia, @thebizofathlete tells @mzenitz and me.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 3, 2026
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound redshirt freshman had 32 total tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, FR and 4 QBHs this season. https://t.co/5dogbaWpsn pic.twitter.com/belQ7cA1bd
The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder visited Morgantown as soon as the portal opened, and decided West Virginia was the right landing spot despite still having visits set up with North Carolina State, Washington State, and Wisconsin. The Mountaineers lost seven players to the portal and six more saw their eligibility end – they also added nine players in the trenches with the 2026 high school/JUCO signing class.
The Mountaineers will be hopeful that LeBlanc is not the only player they land from the Falcons, as they also have arranged a visit with UT-Permian Basin linebacker Tristan Exline. Exline was a two-time All-Lone Star Conference selection and two-time LSC Linebacker of the Year, and is also a two-time Division 2 All-American. This past season, he finished the year with 143 total tackles and 5.5 sacks. He also set program records with the Falcons for both single-season solo tackles (80) and tackles for loss (19.5) in 2025.
The Mountaineers will continue to be hitting portal recruiting heavy over the next month as they look to replace over 40 players who have entered the portal – keep track of who is in and who is out at this link.