Hopewell High School Football

With the start of the 2026 College Football Season in full swing, that means high school recruiting is picking up especially with players making GameDay visits.

One of the most talented players on the Hopewell Vikings 2026 roster is junior running back Nasir Wade and over the weekend, he made an unofficial visit to a Big 12 program.

Wade received a GameDay invite from HC Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia Mountaineers football program for this game last Saturday against UT-Martin.

For those not aware, GameDay visits are when a football program extend an invitation for a player to attend the game as their guest. While at the game, players meet up with other recruits, tour the facility, usually talk with coaches from the team, get to be on the sidelines during pregame warmups and then all the recruits sit together during the game.

Receiving a GameDay doesn’t mean that the team is going to extend a scholarship offer but does mean that the program is aware of you and that you could be on their radar.

It appears as though Wade is on West Virginia’s radar considering this is the 3rd GameDay invite and game he’s attended in Morgantown over the past year.

At this stage of his recruitment, Wade holds D-1 offers from Akron, Kent State and Buffalo. As the season progresses, it’s very likely that you’ll see more teams get involved with this extremely talented running back/defensive back/kick returner.

Wade appears to be one of those recruits that’s just going to have to be patient with his recruitment because the talent and skill set is certainly there. Because of the game in college recruiting due to the transfer portal, Wade is going to have to wait a little longer until a wave of offers come in.

Vikings Sports Now had the chance to get Wade’s reaction to his latest visit to West Virginia and asked him about what stood out to him.

“One thing I really like about West Virginia University is how much the fans interact with you,” Wade tells VSN. “Like they really know you, and they’re really in tune with West Virginia football. The fans are really football fans and they know their football.”

Another thing that’s very apparent to Wade is how much the Mountaineer faithful dislike his hometown team.

“They really hate the Pitt Panthers and I’m A Pittsburgh kid, LOL. They have a thing there where they ask somebody a question, anybody & any question and the response is,” I hate Pitt ” OR ” beat Pitt”. For example, ‘Hey Nasir do you have the time? Ahhhhhhhhh BEAT PITT! That’s the funniest thing ever.”

“The thing I like most about my visits to West Virginia is the fact that the coaching staff really know the players that are visiting even if he or she isn’t your position coach. Even the student workers know who you are. The fact that there’s no NFL team in West Virginia might be one of the reasons why it’s like that there. Either way it’s a great vibe and reaction I get from the West Virginia coaches.”

With that in mind, I asked Wade where he felt his relationship stood with West Virginia and if he gets a sense that an offer could come down the road?

“A couple different coaches keeps in touch with me, and they show me love by sending me mail, texting me before every game wishing me luck,” said Wade. “Also, before their home games asking me do I want to come to the game & when I get to the game, they really go out their way to show me hospitality. Every time I go there it’s the same kind of love and hospitality. I say every time because I have been to and invited 3 times in less than a year and a half.”

“It really means a lot because, I feel the interest and I feel like I could play there because their style of play fits my capabilities on the football field. The fast pace and the mix up of run & pass with the running back being heavy involved is right up my alley I’ve talked to Coach Rodriguez and other coaches as well and they have said that my speed and my ability to make people miss is why they want to keep track of me and my progress and one of the reasons why they keep inviting me back. So hopefully after we win the WPIAL and go on to states and I have 2500 total offensive yards and 25 touchdowns and 1st team all-conference defense, they will eventually offer me the scholarship.”