Unofferred 2026 Prospects Worthy of Early D1 Looks
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8 2026 prospects have already received offers from college programs at the D1 level to this point. We believe there are still plenty more deserving athletes in the Mountain State worthy of D1 looks who have yet to be offered.…
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Continue Reading8 2026 prospects have already received offers from college programs at the D1 level to this point. We believe there are still plenty more deserving athletes in the Mountain State worthy of D1 looks who have yet to be offered. Here are some unoffered 2026 prospects who are deserving of D1 offers at this early stage of their recruitment.
The highest-ranked 2026 prospect in our rankings who has yet to be offered from the D1 level is Nitro WR Malachi Thompson Malachi Thompson 6'4" | 190 lbs | WR Nitro | 2026 State WV . If you paid any attention to WV high school football in 2023, you’re well aware of the big-time numbers he put up as a sophomore. Thompson caught 57 passes for 1,200 yards and 20 touchdowns with a 22.2 yards per catch average as a Top 3 pass catcher in the state stats-wise. The first thing that stands out about him is his elite size for the position standing at a legit 6’4 190 with the frame to easily eclipse north of 200 pounds. Thompson has a large catch radius due to said length and as he further learns to utilize it and gets stronger, he’ll take his game up another level. The good news is that he has the speed to play at the D1 level and moves like a smaller receiver can even as a bigger-bodied receiver. Thompson does a great job on WR screens and short passes where he’s shown the ability to bust them for big plays and run away from defenders in the open field. He’s also light on his feet and nimble for a bigger receiver with the quickness to accelerate to top speed quickly. Thompson can further learn to maximize his length, show a willingness to be physical as a blocker, making improvements in flexibility, and display more instances of high-pointing passes and outjumping defenders with fewer body catches where he’s shown flashes to be able to do so.
While Thompson is still raw in some areas that may have D1 programs waiting to extend an offer, he has tremendous upside and potential and we’d be surprised if he doesn’t begin his junior year with one if he gets out and performs in front of college coaches at camps.
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2026 Wheeling Park running back Amar’e Johnson Amar’e Johnson 5'11" | 175 lbs | RB Wheeling Park | 2026 State WV went out and earned our #1 RB ranking in the class after a breakout sophomore season for the Patriots. Johnson rushed for just under 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns with a 7.1 yards per carry average. He also proved to be a versatile back who can be used in the passing game where he caught 28 passes for 243 yards out of the backfield and when lining up as a receiver. Johnson is as natural of a runner at running back as you’re going to find in West Virginia where you can clearly tell he has a deep family pedigree at the position. He has tremendous footwork and hips that allow him to change direction and stop and start quickly. Johnson consistently keeps defenders off-balanced and uncomfortable in the open field and in tight spaces with innate make-you-miss ability. He’s versatile in having the ability to run between the tackles but loves to bounce it outside where he can take it the distance if he gets a step on the edge. Having seen him play in person multiple times last season, we can vouch for his ability to take over games and step up late in games to ice it.
It seems to be only a matter of time before Johnson earns his first D1 opportunity and has the potential to earn offers from the P4 level with the trajectory that he’s on.
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We believe 2026 George Washington OL Johvon Davis Johvon Davis 6'4" | 275 lbs | OL George Washington | 2026 State WV has a ton of potential and upside as a prospect whose best days of football are ahead of him. Davis is a raw prospect right now which is to be expected from a sophomore offensive lineman, but you can see flashes of what he can one day develop into. Davis has great early size at 6’4 275 and can continue developing his body and getting stronger which will only further raise his ceiling. He’s an athletic big man with good feet that can also be further developed to maximize his potential. You could see flashes of his physicality on his sophomore highlight tape with a violent punch and strong impact when pulling.
While Davis still has plenty of room to grow in all facets of his game, he has D1 potential if he puts it all together and should finish as one of the top big men in the 2026 class by the time he’s a senior.
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Huntington will have two of the best 2026 offensive linemen in the state with Aryn McPherson Aryn McPherson 6'3" | 310 lbs | OL Huntington | 2026 State WV and the incoming Mason Ramsey Mason Ramsey 6'3" | 285 lbs | OL Huntington | 2026 State WV from Cabell Midland. McPherson has been a consistent Top 10 prospect in the class since our 2026 rankings debuted last summer and has firmly settled in at offensive guard after beginning as a DL in our rankings. He’s a massive young athlete at 6’3 310 with the physicality and nasty streak to match it. McPherson is a true road grader and mauler at guard who can consistently pancake and knockdown defenders. He has quality early physical strength, especially in his upper body and does a great job of finishing blocks. McPherson also showed quality early athleticism for a young lineman his size when pulling and blocking down to the second level and will only continue to improve in that area the more he develops his body.
McPherson has an FCS/G5 floor who could develop into a P4 prospect by the time he’s a senior.
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2026 Princeton QB Chance Barker Chance Barker 6'3" | 175 lbs | QB Princeton | 2026 State WV broke onto the scene more than anyone did in WV in 2023 during his first year as QB1 for the varsity team while helping lead the Tigers to the Class AAA State Championship game. Barker took the state by storm as a sophomore throwing for 3,600 yards and just under 50 touchdowns in his first season as the starter. Barker has a very high ceiling as a quarterback prospect and is the true definition of a gunslinger. He’s an athletic quarterback who may not be considered a true dual threat but certainly has the athleticism to extend plays and escape the pocket to take off and run when needed with natural scrambling ability. Barker operated the prolific Princeton offense like a veteran and showed few instances of being a green varsity sophomore starter. He’s an accurate passer whose 70% completion rate backs up that claim and throws a very catchable ball with good ball placement at all three levels of the route tree. Barker’s footwork is developed well for his age and puts himself in a position to step into throws or use his scrambling ability to buy time or take off and run. He can stretch the field well and will continue to improve his arm strength the more he fills out his 6’3 frame. Barker throws with a nice touch at all three levels and can also throw with velocity over the middle.
The biggest thing to watch with Barker next season is how he performs without his main target and 2023 Moss Award winner Dom Collins who was as good of a safety blanket as you’ll find for a quarterback. He earned our #1 2026 QB ranking last season and should further cement that high acclaim as a junior with continued development. Barker should be a D1 prospect sooner rather than later.
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8 2026 prospects have already received offers from college programs at the D1 level to this point. We believe there are still plenty more deserving athletes in the Mountain State worthy of D1 looks who have yet to be offered. Here are some unoffered 2026 prospects who are deserving of D1 offers at this early stage of their recruitment.
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