Lake Charles (La.) Sam Houston 2027 offensive lineman Albert Simien wasn’t expecting to receive an offer from West Virginia when he did but he was excited about the news.

Simien, 6-foot-5, 280-pounds, spoke with offensive line coach Jack Bicknell and he was able to touch on a number of topics, including football, family, and his school life.

But after that is when Simien found out the news that West Virginia was offering.

The Rivals.com four-star prospect was impressed with how Bicknell carried himself on that first call between the pair and the message from him was clear.

“Keep working and playing the game how I do and have fun,” he said.

Simien doesn’t know a whole lot about West Virginia yet but is interested in learning more as the recruiting process continues to develop.

The Mountaineers are targeting Simien at either offensive tackle or guard, which is what many programs are targeting him between at this stage of his recruitment.

“It will depend on if I get better at one or the other,” he said.

Simien plans to stay in state to train and prepare for his season in terms of visits but then could look at taking trips in the fall or winter. That includes a possible trip to Morgantown.

“If I have an opportunity to visit, I will,” he said.

Simien plans to major in psychology at the college level.

The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history. To read more, go to e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia at www.wvencyclopedia.org.

June 22, 1926: Earl Olgebay died in Cleveland. He was one of West Virginia’s most successful industrialists and a generous benefactor.

June 22, 1949: Artist Paula Clendenin was born in Cedar Grove, Kanawha County. She has earned national acclaim for her paintings, richly colored, textured shapes that merge West Virginia’s mountain landscape with mystical and spiritual symbols.

June 23, 1944: A tornado struck Shinnston and the surrounding area, killing 103 people and injuring hundreds more.

June 23, 1952: The Toledo Mud Hens moved to West Virginia’s capital city, making the Charleston Senators part of the Class AAA American Association for the first time.

June 23, 2016: Eight inches of rain fell in a 12-hour period. The Meadow, Cherry and Elk rivers, as well as Howard Creek, flooded downtowns and The Greenbrier resort, killing 23 people.

June 24, 1842: Author Ambrose Bierce was born. Bierce found the setting for some of his famous short stories in the mountains of Civil War-era West Virginia.

June 25, 1811: Bridge builder Lemuel Chenoweth was born near Beverly, Randolph County. His many bridges also included the earliest covered bridge at Beverly and the famous Philippi covered bridge.

June 25, 1950: The Korean War began when the armies of Communist North Korea pushed across the 38th parallel into South Korea. Army private Kenneth Shadrick of Wyoming County was among the first U.S. servicemen killed in action, on July 5, 1950.

June 26, 1887: Sheriff Don Chafin was born in Logan County. Chafin was a bitter foe of union organizers and, with financial support from coal companies, used his many deputies to keep labor organizers out of Logan County, most notably during the Battle of Blair Mountain.

June 26, 1892: Pearl Buck was born in Hillsboro in the home of her maternal grandparents. She received the Pulitzer Prize for The Good Earth and was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

June 26, 1936: Basketball star Hal Greer was born in Huntington. Greer was the first Black athlete to play at Marshall College (now University). When his pro career ended in 1973, he held the NBA record for most games played and ranked in the top 10 in points scored, field goals attempted, and field goals made.

June 27, 1897: Musician Maceo Pinkard was born in Bluefield. Pinkard became one of the most successful songwriters of the 1920s Jazz Era.

June 27, 1961: Honey in the Rock was first performed at Grandview State Park near Beckley. The play by Kermit Hunter depicts the founding of the Mountain State in 1863.

June 28, 1936: Athlete Chuck Howley was born in Wheeling. Howley played linebacker for 12 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys. He was an All-Pro six times and named to six Pro Bowls.

June 28, 2010: Robert C. Byrd died at the age of 92. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1958 and served until his death.

The month of June continues to be friendly to coach Rich Rodriguez, as West Virginia gains another commit. This time it comes from the state of West Virginia’s best wide receiver, Malachi Thompson.

Thompson recently earned an offer from West Virginia after having a great 7v7 camp in front of all the coaches. He chose the Mountaineers over Marshall, Ohio, Miami(OH), Temple, Kent State, Eastern Kentucky, Youngstown State, and Akron.

The 6’4″ 200-pound receiver from Nitro High School proves to be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. In his sophomore and junior seasons, he totaled 131 receptions, 2,900 yards, and 38 touchdowns. These performances helped him get rewarded with the illustrious Randy Moss award, which is given to the state’s top wide receiver.

With Thompson’s commitment, the last four Randy Moss award winners have been Mountaineers. Cyrus Traugh (2022) is currently on the roster, while Dom Collins (2023) and Hudson Clement (2021) both entered the transfer portal this past offseason.

Stayed tuned as we’ll have more in-depth analysis on this breaking story on West Virginia On SI, soon.

QB Jyron Hughley, RB Jett Walker, WR Robert Stith, WR Charlie Hanafin, WR Malachi Thompson, TE Sam Hamilton, OL Rhett Morris, OL Justyn Lyles, OL Cameron Goforth, EDGE Noah Tishendorf, DL Cam Mallory, LB Cameron Dwyer, LB Antoine Sharp, LB Miles Khatri, CB Emari Peterson, DB Simaj Hill, DB Jaylon Jones (JUCO), S Taj Powell, S Aaron Edwards, and S Emory Snyder.

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