Win some, lose some
WVU gains TE, loses top RB on recruiting trail
AP Photo/Tyler Tate
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia had an interesting Father’s Day on the recruiting trail for the class of 2027. The Mountaineers almost finished the day with only positives, but received some unfortunate news Sunday night.
Three-star running back Khamoni Williams has reportedly flipped his commitment from the Mountaineers to Auburn after picking WVU just nine days prior, according to On3. Williams was a top-three recruit for WVU’s 2027 class and was the highest-rated running back.
Williams picked the Tigers after taking an official visit on June 19 and decided to join former Mountaineers running backs coach Larry Porter. Porter was WVU’s running backs coach for the 2025 season before rejoining Auburn for the 2026 season.
Rich Rodriguez and the gold and blue did add two players earlier on Sunday. 3-star tight end Luke Linder announced he’ll be furthering his football career in Morgantown. He’s tight end coach Michael Nysewander’s first tight end for the class of 2027.
Linder is from Mableton, Georgia, and picked WVU over multiple Georgia schools. He had offers from Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State and Big 12 foe Cincinnati. He had an official visit with the Bearcats on June 19. Linder took an official visit to Morgantown on June 12.
At Whitefield Academy, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound tight end had 17 catches for 247 yards and a touchdown in his junior season. He also had five tackles and a tackle for loss on defense. Linder is rated as the No. 172 player in Georgia and the 78th-ranked tight end in the class.
Linder also attended multiple showcases for baseball. He graded as an 8.5/10 Perfect Game score, which, according to its scale, makes him a potential draft pick or an excellent college prospect. Linder plays infield primarily on the corners, but he can play outfield, too.
Offensive line coach Rick Trickett earned another offensive line commit. 3-star offensive lineman Ryan Moore joined the Mountaineers 2027 class, according to multiple outlets. He’s the third offensive lineman.
WVU beat out a lot of local schools for Moore. Georgia Tech, Pitt, North Carolina and Louisville were in hot pursuit of the 6-foot-2, 290-pound lineman. Moore recently took an official visit with Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels on June 19. Moore is another Georgia prospect and now is WVU’s seventh. He’s rated as the 135th player in the state and the 82nd-rated interior offensive lineman.
Linder and Moore tally up to 22 commits for the class of 2027, even after losing Williams later in the day. The Mountaineers are just outside the top 30 of classes and are tied with the 15th-most players committed in college football. WVU trails Pitt by two spots and is still third in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech and Kansas State.