Film Breakdown: Emari Peterson Shows the Ability to be a Lockdown Corner for WVU

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Josh Wolfe | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 8:03 AM ET

West Virginia has been blazing hot on the recruiting trail, as they have increased their 2026 class to 18 total commits. One of the new additions is cornerback Emari Peterson, and today we will break down what the Mountaineers are getting with him.

Peterson picked the Mountaineers over offers from Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Liberty, LSU, Southern Miss, Texas A&M, Toledo, UMass, USF, Wake Forest, and a few others.

Highlights:

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Evaluation:

His coaches show a lot of trust in him, as almost his entire highlight reel has him lined up in bump and run man coverage. He uses his length and long strides to go step for step down the field with opposing wideouts. There are multiple examples of him showing an impressive ability to get his head turned around to see the ball, which is a skill a lot of college corners don't possess. In the few plays where he lines up in zone coverage, he shows good instinct, reacting to the quarterback's eyes. I don't think he will make an impact as a true freshman, but I do think he starts making appearances in year two. I project him to be a multi-year starter at West Virginia.