By james art 
Cartersville (Ga.) 2026 wide receiver Brady Marchese had been in contact with West Virginia for several months, but things picked up when the Mountaineers became his first power-four offer.
Marchese, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, was offered by quarterbacks coach Tyler Allen after visiting his school during the second bye week.
But he had actually been in contact with wide receivers coach Bilal Marshall a few months prior, so he was well aware of the school’s interest.
“I was stoked to be offered West Virginia. It was my first Power Four offer and West Virginia has a great program,” he said.
In addition to the interest in the program, Marchese has another connection to the school in the fact that he is on the same offseason 7-on-7 team as quarterback Brody McWhorter, a 2026 commit. And the signal-caller is already recruiting Marchese.
“I built up a pretty good chemistry,” he said.
West Virginia is lining up Marchese as a wide receiver and has been impressed with his explosiveness, quickness and aggressiveness at the position, as well as his willingness to block on the perimeter. Marchese has the ability to line up either in the slot or on the outside with his skill set.
In 10 regular season games, he caught 32 passes for 812 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Marchese also holds offers from UTSA, FAU, Coastal Carolina, Miami (Oh.) and Georgia State, but is hearing from a number of programs. He has already visited places like Georgia, Clemson, Virginia, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech and wants to make a stop in Morgantown as well.
“I would love to go to West Virginia before the season is over,” he said.
Marchese will not rush into a decision when it comes to signing him, but would like to see things wrapped up by next summer. In the meantime, he’s looking for a program where he can play and contribute early in his career.
“I want to make sure it’s a good fit for me and the program, where I can help my team win and also grow as a player and a person,” he said.