Emari Peterson Chooses West Virginia Over SEC, Big Ten Offers

Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia Mountaineers continued stacking talent in the secondary with the addition of Emari Peterson, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound cornerback from Evans High in Orlando, Florida, to their 2026 recruiting class.

Peterson brings size, length, and fluidity to the perimeter — a polished defensive back at the high school level. On the camp circuit, he flashed sub-4.6 speed, strong ball skills, and tight coverage technique.

At 6’2″ and 185 pounds, he combines hand usage with competent footwork, keeping receivers in front of him. His ability to bounce between boundary corner and slot gives the Mountaineers some positional flexibility heading into spring ball and beyond.

After hosting Peterson on an official visit this past weekend, WVU cornerbacks coach Rod West made a strong impression. Despite serious interest from SEC and Big Ten programs like Texas A&M, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and Illinois, that connection helped to convince Peterson that Morgantown offered the best pathway forward.

Peterson becomes the seventh defensive back commit to join West Virginia’s class, joining a well-rounded secondary group that includes Cameron Dwyer, Emory Snyder, Simaj Hill, Taj Powell, Aaron Edwards, and Jaylon Jones.

Landing Emari Peterson is a high-caliber win for West Virginia, and this strategic, in-state and out-of-state recruiting haul reinforces Rich Rodriguez’s vision for the next-generation secondary.