Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep 2026 linebacker Matthew Occhipinti held an offer from West Virginia under the old staff but wasn’t sure where he stood with Rich Rodriguez taking over the program.
Now, there’s no doubt.
That’s because West Virginia re-offered the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder after a conversation with special teams coordinator and defensive assistant Pat Kirkland.
“The conversation was good. He said they watched my film as a defensive staff and offered me,” he said.
Occhipinti also holds offers from North Carolina, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, UCF, and a number of other programs but the Mountaineers are a school that certainly has his interest due to the coaching staff.
“I think they are a great staff. They hold their players to a high standard and really are looking to be a powerhouse year in and year out,” he said.
Kirkland let Occhipinti know that the coaches are looking for players who not only will play hard but love football, which is something they believe he certainly represents on the field.
West Virginia is targeting Occhipinti as a MIKE linebacker and coaches have been impressed with his combination of size and speed at the position. He was named both first team-all-county and conference as a junior.
Occhipinti has already visited West Virginia once under the old staff but is now looking into the possibility of taking an official visit to campus in order to get a feel for how things have changed under the new staff.
“We will see about an official after this recruiting period ends,” he said.
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