Gates Mills (Oh.) Hawken Upper School 2026 athlete Kene Obi had been talking to West Virginia since the old coaching staff was in place but things took a turn when the new staff extended a scholarship offer.
Obi, 6-foot-1, 210-pounds, spoke with defensive coordinator Zac Alley who gave him the news that the Mountaineers were jumping into the mix with a scholarship.
It’s his first from the Power Four level.
“First Power Four is very special and all it does is raise the standard I need to prepare myself for the next level,” Obi said.
The conversation with Alley was a productive one as Obi was able to get an understanding of what the new West Virginia staff values about him on the field.
“He liked my knowledge of the game and how much I love the preparation for each Friday night,” he said.
West Virginia sees Obi as an outside linebacker and he is coming off a season where he posted 101 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and a total of six forced fumbles on the defensive side while he accounted for 696 yards and 6 touchdowns on offense.
“Schools see me as a WILL and others like me more at outside backer,” he said.
Obi had been in contact with several coaches on the previous staff including being invited to a game-day but now plans to make it to campus for the Feb. 1 junior day event to get an even closer look.
The Buckeye State native is placing a high priority on academics and wants to find a program that is going to place loyalty high on their list of standards.
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