Securing home-state talent is the first step in building a successful program that can sustain success. WVU tries to dominate its in-state recruits, being the only Power 4 conference team in the state.
A little over a week ago, on June 22, wide receiver Malachi Thompson announced his commitment to WVU. Thompson is a class of 2026 from Nitro High School in Nitro, West Virginia. The 6’4” 200 200-pound receiver announced his commitment to his home-state team on June 22 via his own X account.
Home💙💛 #commited @WVUfootball @CoachRGarrett pic.twitter.com/a6p4eBOacB
— Malachi Thompson (@Malachi2300) June 23, 2025
According to 247 Sports, Thompson is a three-star recruit and the third-ranked recruit in the class of 2026. Thompson will be playing his senior season for the Wildcats. Last season, per MaxPreps, Thompson hauled in 74 passes for 1,593 yards and 18 touchdowns in only 12 games for the Wildcats.
Getting another talented in-state recruit, Coach Rodriguez is showing his commitment to keeping players in WVU
Whoever will be under center for the Mountaineers in 2026 will have another threat to distribute the ball to. Thompson, at 6’4” and 200 pounds, has a great frame and has a chance to put on more muscle when he arrives on campus in the summer of 2026 (or maybe sooner). Very few QBs will complain about having a receiver with a 6’4” 200-pound frame to target, especially in the red zone or on third downs.
Thompson is not the only in-state receiver that is getting recruitment attention from Rodriguez and staff. University High’s Kaleil Lewis, class of 2027, is picking up a lot of steam. Just like Thompson, Lewis is a 6’4” big body receiver, and you can seldom have too much size in your receiver room.
When Thompson gets to Morgantown in the summer of 2026, he should be considered to earn a lot of snaps even as a true freshman. He can provide a large frame that quarterbacks love to throw at. WVU football fans should be excited about the arrival of Thompson.