Top 2026 Defensive Line Target Excludes West Virginia From Group of Finalists

Brian Harris leaves the Mountaineers out of his top five schools.
WVU Athletic Communication

Jacksonville, Florida defensive lineman Brian Harris (6'3", 290 lbs) recently took a visit to West Virginia and included the Mountaineers in his top 10 list of schools. Not even a full week later, the coveted class of 2026 prospect cut his list in half, excluding West Virginia from his group of finalists.

According to John Garcia Jr. of Rivals, Harris will make his decision between Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, and South Carolina later this month. Auburn, Colorado, Mississippi State, and Stanford were the other four programs that made Harris' top 10 but missed out on being named a finalist.

As a junior at Mandarin High School, Harris totaled 29 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles.

With Harris off the board (for now), the Mountaineers can turn their attention to the likes of Ben Boulware (Winston-Salem, NC), Arthur Scott (Streetsboro, OH), Djidjou Bah (Germantown, TN), Carter Luckie (Norcross, GA), Jude Okeleke (Watertown, CT), Tyson Bacon (Hoover, AL), and several others.

West Virginia's Current 2026 Commits

QB Jyron Hughley, RB Jett Walker, TE Sam Hamilton, LB Cameron Dwyer, S Taj Powell, and S Emory Snyder.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.