West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez has managed to flip three-star cornerback Zachary Gleason from his Penn State commitment. On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported the news on the recruit in the Class of 2027.
The 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback had been committed to Penn State Nittany Lions since March. Despite what appeared to be a solid commitment, Rodriguez’s persistent recruiting efforts finally brought the results.
The Mountaineers made an offer to the defensive back in September. His recruitment was led by cornerbacks coach Rod West and defensive coordinator Zac Alley. Gleason reportedly visited Morgantown during the May 29 weekend and also for the Junior Day event before. He also visited Penn State last weekend before flipping his pledge on Thursday.
Gleason also received offers from other programs, including Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Michigan State, Ole Miss, North Carolina, and Cincinnati.
In his junior season, the cornerback from Pittsburgh recorded 45 tackles, 10 passes defended, and three interceptions. He now becomes the 16th commitment of Rich Rodriguez in the Class of 2027.
Rich Rodriguez Enjoyed West Virginia’s Baseball Game With Pat McAfee
Former West Virginia legend Pat McAfee was spotted with West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez for the Mountaineers’ playoff game.
Rodriguez even joined McAfee in singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” after West Virginia baseball’s postseason win. After the event, during his show on ESPN, McAfee also commented on the squad Rodriguez is building at West Virginia.
“Football team looks good,” he said. “Hey! It looks a lot different than it had been looking. We got some dogs out there. It does appear as if we got some dogs.”
West Virginia did a lot of work this offseason after the four-win season post the return of head coach Rodriguez. They brought back Rick Trickett and landed Kevin Brown and Matt Sieg in the 2026 recruiting class.
The quarterback problems won’t continue in 2026, with dual-threat quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. expected to take charge. He will have great receivers to throw to, including Prince Strachan, Jaden Bray, DJ Epps, TaRon Francis, Keon Hutchins, Kedrick Triplett, and John Neider.
Moreover, at running back, the leading rusher last season, Cam Cook, is expected to thrive in the position. It remains to be seen if Rodriguez can help West Virginia return to its glory days.
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