BREAKING: West Virginia Flips Cincinnati Tight End Commit Xavier Anderson

The best in West Virginia stay in West Virginia. Well, that's at least the goal for head coach Rich Rodriguez, and moments ago, he landed another top player in the state, flipping the commitment of Xavier Anderson, who was verbaled to Cincinnati.

TE Xavier Anderson's Recruiting Profile

Follow him on X: @Xavier16wv

Height: 6'7" Weight: 220

Hometown: Martinsburg, WV

High School: Spring Mills

Other offers: Appalachian State, Cincinnati, Liberty, Marshall, Morgan State, Virginia Tech, Western Michigan.

Scouting Report

A long, lanky tight end that is currently trapped in a wide receiver's body. Or maybe a small forward. Heck, does Ross Hodge need some help on the wing? Anderson is a true athlete who can do just about anything you ask of him. In much of his tape, he's lined up either in the slot or out wide, so it remains to be seen how well he can roll out of his stance and into a route and stay on schedule with a route with a defender trying to knock him off course. Physically, he's got a long way to go, but the willingness to be an impact player in the run game as a blocker is there. Once he fills out his frame and cleans up his technique, he could be more than an above-average blocker.

Projected Playing Time

Two to three years, maybe? It's always difficult to project these guys who are immensely talented, but need their bodies to catch up with them. Everyone's body has a different timeline, so really it comes down to how long it takes him to get into that 235-240 range to be able to withstand some of those battles up front. The only two ways I could see him getting on the field much earlier are if he converts to wide receiver, which I don't see happening, or if he can be an impact player on special teams.

TUNE IN TONIGHT TO WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Later tonight, we will have our annual National Signing Day special on our YouTube Page (West Virginia On SI). Be sure to subscribe to the channel to get a notification the second the episode drops. On this year's show, we'll be joined by offensive lineman Camden Goforth and pass rusher Noah Tishendorf. We'll offer a full breakdown of the 2026 class, discussing who could contribute or start from day one, who may need some time to develop, under-the-radar signees, and what the remaining needs are for the Mountaineers in the transfer portal.