Things are picking up quickly in the recruitment of rising class of 2026 cornerback Jase Rhodes.
The standout athlete out of North Cross High School in Roanoke, Virginia has already garnered four scholarship offers from Power Four schools, including Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. With several visits on deck, his offers list is expected to continue to grow.
The 5-foot-10, 176-pound Rhodes has already visited Virginia and West Virginia so far this fall. He received his offer from the Mountaineers this past weekend while he was on campus.
For Week One of the 2024 season, Rhodes was in Charlottesville to check out the Cavaliers. While there, he was able to connect with director of high school relations Blanda Wolfe and defensive graduate assistant Jonathan Celestin. The trip provided him the opportunity to learn more about the in-state program.
"My visit to Virginia was a good one that allowed me to see their new facilities, which were amazing," Rhodes told Rivals. "I had a game-day visit last season, but this one was more focused, including a conversation with Coach Wolfe and Coach Celestin. A thunderstorm delayed the game, which cut the evening short. I expect to connect with the staff in the near future."
As mentioned, his Week Two trip to Morgantown was a successful one for Rhodes, as he walked away with an offer from West Virginia. He also got to spend some quality time with co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach ShaDon Brown and pass game specialist/spears coach Tre' Bell.
"My visit to WVU was more than I could imagine," Rhodes said. "It was electric! It was straight love from the moment I got there. I could tell they had taken the time to evaluate my skill set on the field. That means something to me, versus being another recruit filling a spot on a game-day visit. Also, I had the opportunity to speak with coaches ShaDon Brown and Tre' Bell, which let me know that they were excited to have me present on campus. That was a visit well worth it."
Rhodes also has family ties to the West Virginia program, as his cousin, King Harvey, played running back for West Virginia in the 1980s.
Next up, Rhodes has a slew of visits scheduled in what will be a busy fall for him.
He will be at Coastal Carolina on Sept. 21, Penn State on Sept. 28, Liberty on Oct. 8, James Madison on Oct. 10, Tennessee on Oct. 12, Michigan on Nov. 2 and Georgia Tech on Nov. 21.
He may add more trips to the docket, if he believes other programs are a good fit for him.
"I have spoken with several other schools that have invited me, so I am working on that with my parents," Rhodes noted about potential additional visits. "I am interested in building relationships and not visiting a school just to say I went. I want to be in places that are serious about getting to know me and my family."
As of right now, still fairly early in his recruiting process, Rhodes is not in a hurry to make any decisions and will "remain open to all possibilities."
Rhodes, who also runs track, has helped lead North Cross to back-to-back Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division II state championships. So far in the 2024 campaign, the Raiders have a 2-1 record.
