Miles Sadler arrives at West Virginia with a kind of résumé the program has never really seen before. By 247Sports Composite, he sits at the top of the Mountaineers’ all-time recruiting list, making him the highest-rated recruit in school history.
The closest comparison is Oscar Tshiebwe, who signed with WVU seven years ago before later becoming national player of the year at Kentucky, but Tshiebwe was a forward. Sadler is a point guard.
That alone puts him in rare company, and it also sets him apart from the other guards who have populated West Virginia’s top recruiting classes over the years. He’s the only guard in WVU’s all-time top 10 recruits, a group that also includes fellow freshman Amadou Seini, the 7-foot-1 center who played with Sadler at Bella Vista Prep.
The guard names in the Mountaineers’ top 25 tell the story even more clearly. Amir Jenkins ranks 11th, Noah Cottrill 13th, Jabarie Hinds 15th, Jordan McCabe 16th, Dalton Pepper 18th, Jonathan Powell 21st, Tyler Relph 22nd and Trey Doomes 25th.
None of them were rated among the top 10 players at their position in their class. Jenkins came the closest at No. 12, and that happened just last year.
Sadler is No. 2, and some believe he should be No. 1.
So yes, West Virginia had every reason to chase him hard, and even more reason to celebrate when he signed. His high school and international accomplishments only added to the buzz before he ever arrived on campus.
Still, the bigger question is what comes next. Big recruits can arrive with all the noise in the world attached to them, and that noise doesn’t always match the player.
Sadler’s name already carries weight, but the more useful lens might be the one the Mountaineers are using now: he keeps improving. In the video above, head coach Ross Hodge talks about the freshman’s adjustment to college and the qualities that can help him stay ahead of the hype.
In Other News...
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The most interesting wrinkle is the way the left tackle competition appears to be trending, with a true freshman emerging as a serious factor in the mix. Tricketts depth chart is still very much a work in progress, and the lineup he discussed reflects where players stood after the first stretch of fall practices rather than anything locked in for opening day. Still, the way the line is coming together suggests there is already a clearer pecking order than many expected, even if the final combination remains subject to change. [Read more 🡒]
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For a fan base that wants proof the department can compete at a higher level, the most encouraging part may be how broad the growth has been. WVU also brought in $20.7 million in ticket revenue for FY26, the first time the school has topped $20 million in back-to-back years, a sign that interest and support are translating into steady cash flow as the Mountaineers try to strengthen their footing across the board. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Wants West Virginia To Practice Like Modern Football
The push to reshape college footballs offseason has found a willing supporter in Morgantown, where Rich Rodriguez has made clear he likes the direction of the sports latest practice proposal. The FBS Oversight Committees plan would replace the current setup with two out-of-season practice windows and cap the total at 21 on-field sessions, while also trimming the preseason from 25 practices over a 27-day span to a shorter ramp-up.
For Rodriguez, the appeal is less about tradition than fit, with the West Virginia coach sounding comfortable with a system that looks a little more like the NFL. Coaches have long searched for a way to balance development, recovery and the grind of a long season, and this proposal is aimed at doing exactly that. Whether it gets traction is still a separate question, but it already has at least one prominent Mountaineer voice nodding in agreement. [Read more 🡒]