West Virginia has already landed one prospect from Nitro (W.Va.) but could be in the mix for another in 2026 defensive lineman Xavier Patterson.
Patterson, 6-foot-2, 265-pounds, made his way up to the Mountaineers 7-on-7 camp in June and he received positive feedback from the coaching staff with his performance on the field.
Patterson had the chance to speak with tight ends coach Michael Nysewander and his coach heard from wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett about what he was able to showcase in front of the coaches.
“Coach Garrett told me head coach that the staff liked how I moved for my size,” he said.
Patterson already holds offers from Elon, Morgan State and Mercyhust but also has been in communication with Charlotte and Eastern Kentucky. Coaches have discussed targeting him at the three tech or defensive end depending on the scheme.
“Coaches like how good I am able to move,” he said.
He is coming off a season where he recorded 96 tackles, 31 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks on defense while hauling in 12 catches for 190 yards and 3 scores.
Paterson plans to visit Mercyhurst at some point in July and at this point is keeping an open mind about his recruitment including West Virginia and whether their interest increases.
“I’m looking for a school that will treat me with respect and will be transparent with me,” he said.
———-
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @wesleyshoe