Orangeburg Prep (S.C.) 2026 tight end Tilden Riley came to West Virginia wanting to learn more about the football program and his fit.
Those questions were certainly answered.
Riley, 6-foot-5, 205-pounds, was able to take an unofficial visit to Morgantown for a spring practice where he was able to get a look at the offense and how things operate.
“The practice was really fast paced. I didn’t know they played with so much tempo,” he said. “Coach (Rich) Rodriguez was very intense and seemed to hold everyone accountable. I knew he was a great coach so it was cool to watch him in practice.”
Riley felt like a priority while he was on campus as the coaching staff treated him well, especially when he was able to speak with tight ends coach Michael Nysewander.
“He’s an awesome dude and seems like he has a lot of experience. He’s someone I feel I can just chill with and feel relaxed around but I know he coaches his guys hard, too,” he said.
The athletic tight end also was able to meet with inside wide receivers coach Blaine Stewart and senior offensive assistant Travis Trickett and both of them also left a strong impression. On top of meeting with the coaches, Riley also was able to tour the facilities and it all passed the eye test.
“Everything is top notch,” he said.
Riley closes the visit by meeting with Rodriguez and that’s when the head coach extended him an invitation to come back to campus for an official visit June 6-8. It’s something that he definitely plans on doing with his family and wants to learn even more about the school with an extended look.
“Just want to spend more time around the players and coaches and get a feel for what college life would be like there,” he said.
Riley admitted that the visit was an awesome experience and he really enjoyed his time in Morgantown in large part because of the energy and excitement around the program.
The plan now is to try to take visits to some other programs involved in his recruitment for spring practices but he is still setting those dates with baseball games scheduled over the next six weeks.
But the Mountaineers definitely made a strong impression during his time on campus.
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