The latest 247Sports update for the class of 2027 brought a rough run of news for several West Virginia hoops targets, with multiple names tied to the Mountaineers taking noticeable hits in the rankings.
The biggest headline belonged to Paul Osaruyi. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound center from CIA Bella Vista, one of WVU’s top targets, lost his fifth star on 247Sports.
His rating dipped from 98 to 97, and he slid from No. 13 nationally to No. 18.
That drop came after a shaky Peach Jam stretch in which he struggled offensively and on the glass.
Another Bella Vista prospect on West Virginia’s radar also took a sizable tumble. Jalen White, a 6-foot-5 wing who was offered by WVU just last week, dropped 47 spots to No. 109 nationally and now carries a 90 rating. He’s still listed as a four-star, but only just.
Lyris Robinson, who announced West Virginia in his top-10 earlier this summer, also moved down, falling nine places to No. 94 nationally.
With those three all sliding, it means every one of Miles Sadler’s class of 2027 teammates at Bella Vista has seen a significant drop since being separated from WVU’s freshman floor general. Talk about a point guard who makes his teammates better?
The movement wasn’t limited to that group, either. DJ Hawkins dropped 11 spots to No. 106, top point guard target Javion Tyndale fell 11 places to No. 66, and recently-scheduled visitor Tyran Frazier Micah Gordon now sits at No. 33 nationally, with Justin Frison at No. 126.
In Other News...
Rich Rodriguez Just Pushed WVUs NIL Fight Into State Politics
Rich Rodriguez has already made it clear he wants West Virginia football to compete in a new era, and now he is pushing the conversation beyond the athletic department. The Mountaineers head coach floated the idea of using a tourism tax in West Virginia to help fund NIL opportunities for his players, tying the programs future directly to the states biggest sport and broader economic interests.
It is still only a discussion, not an active legislative push, but the suggestion brings a familiar college-football problem into state politics. Rodriguez is essentially asking political leaders to see the Mountaineers as more than a team and to consider whether public dollars tied to tourism could help keep WVU in the race for talent. Whether that idea gets traction is another matter entirely. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Just Gave Fans A New Reason To Get To Milan Early
West Virginia is already giving fans a little more incentive to make a full morning of the 2026 season opener. Athletics announced that Almost Heaven Village, the pregame gathering tied to the home football slate, is moving to a new spot on the North Lawn next to the Blue Lot at Milan Puskar Stadium, with the gates set to open at 8:30 a.m. ahead of the matchup with Coastal Carolina. The idea is to give Mountaineer supporters a bigger and easier starting point for game day, with activities and entertainment helping set the tone before kickoff.
For a fan base that treats Saturdays like an event long before the first snap, the location change could matter as much as the timing. WVU is also pushing tickets for the home opener and the full season, including a 304 Mobile Pass for all seven home games, as it continues building around a home schedule that should make the atmosphere around Milan Puskar Stadium feel busy from the moment people start arriving. [Read more 🡒]
Why Rich Rodriguez Year 2 Feels Different For West Virginia
Rich Rodriguez has built a long track record of making his second season look a lot better than his first, and that history is part of what makes the coming year in Morgantown feel so intriguing. West Virginia is still sorting through the same broad questions that define most offseasons, from how the offense will look to whether the defense can stabilize, but the foundation appears different this time with Rodriguez back in place and Rick Trickett alongside him.
The roster also gives the Mountaineers a few names to watch as that next step takes shape, including Jaden Bray, Cam Cook, Amari Latimer and Scotty Fox Jr. If Rodriguezs past is any guide, Year 2 is often where the pieces start to fit more cleanly, and that matters for a team trying to turn strengths into something more consistent while masking the areas that still need work. [Read more 🡒]