It takes something extraordinary to impress Pat McAfee. And that’s what happened on his show when he interviewed HC Rich Rodriguez‘s newest recruit. The 4-star OT pulled off a 55-year-old banned move that excited McAfee and fans on social media.

Kevin Brown, the new 2026 class offensive tackle recruit for West Virginia, had made it his mission to surprise Pat McAfee. He revealed on the show that he was committing to WVU for the next three to four seasons. This got McAfee excited, as he himself is a WVU alumni. The duo then started to sing the lyrics to “Country Roads” by John Denver as a sign to celebrate the commitment. However, the celebrations didn’t stop there. Brown decided to take it up a notch and bring back a tradition that was banned by the program.

Brown went on McAfee’s show, dragged a couch into his backyard, and set it on fire. He shouted, “I’m bringing couch burning back to Morgantown. We’re bringing it back,” which left McAfee both excited and slightly concerned. The tradition was banned years ago because it caused property damage and posed serious safety risks, even though WVU fans famously kept it alive after big wins. McAfee reacted to the revived tradition by saying, “The Morgantown police are not going to like it,” though his tone mixed humor with genuine excitement.

Kevin Brown had programs like Alabama, Penn State, and Auburn chasing his signature, but he chose the Mountaineers instead. ESPN gave him a grade of 83, marking him as a highly touted offensive tackle who could fit seamlessly into Rich Rodriguez’s system next year.

With a 6’5″ 265 lbs frame, Kevin Brown is set to bring his physique and skills from Harrisburg High School to the WVU team next season.

Can Rich Rodriguez do better at WVU next season?

This season has not quite gone the way Rich Rodriguez would have wanted. Sitting 13th in the Big 12 with a 4-7 overall record, the Mountaineers are not in playoff contention or bowl eligible. However, they have started building for the next season. With four-star Kevin Brown already committed, it shows positive signs for a rebuild.

West Virginia University has seen commits from some three-star players like WR Keon Hutchins, RB Christopher Tally, CB Vincent Smith and DT Cameron Mallory. Rich Rodriguez also has set sights on four-star players like DE Jordan Carter, WR Davion Brown, TE Jamel Howse, and DT Dylan Berymon. This shows that Rodriguez is serious about rebuilding his team, especially after such a poor season.

Currently, they only have one game left in the season. That is against Big 12 conference leaders Texas Tech at the Mountaineer Field. The timing has not yet been decided for the game. That is probably due to the BYU vs Cincinnati game, the results of which would decide which game gets a prime-time slot.