A big official visit weekend has already yielded two 2026 commitments for Appalachian State football.
The Mountaineers received pledges from defensive lineman Manny Lewis (Waxhaw | Marvin Ridge HS) and wide receiver Kamauri Austin (Bryant, AR | Bryant HS) on Sunday. Both are considered three-star prospects by 247Sports.
The additions bring Dowell Loggains’ first full high school recruiting class to nine players — including two from North Carolina.
App State currently has the top recruiting class in the Sun Belt Conference, according to 247Sports, and the No. 73 recruiting class in FBS football. The next closest Sun Belt school in the national rankings is Texas State, whose seven commitments currently ranked No. 82.
Lewis is considered the No. 22 overall player from North Carolina’s 2026 class and is listed No. 28 in our latest NC Football News composite rankings, which take into account four major recruiting outlets.
Lewis racked up 15 sacks and 18 tackles-for-loss in 2024. He has 23.5 career sacks and 26.0 TFLs. He’s a team captain, a high-academic baller (4.425 GPA) and spurned ACC programs like Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech (as well as other P4 programs like Colorado) to start his college career in Boone.
Austin is the second wide receiver to join Loggains’ 2026 recruiting class, joining Kabran Paul (Tallahassee, FL). Austin caught 15 touchdown passes for a state championship team in 2024. He’s tall and rangy at 6-4.
Sun Belt Conference 2026 Recruiting Rankings
(per 247Sports)
- Appalachian State – 9 commits, three 3-stars
- Texas State – 7 commits, two 3-stars
- James Madison – 2 commits, one 3-star
- Southern Miss – 2 commits, one 3-star
- Old Dominion – 4 commits, one 3-star
- Coastal Carolina – 3 commits, one 3-star
- Georgia State – 1 commit, one 3-star
- Georgia Southern – 1 commit, one 3-star
Appalachian State 2026 Recruiting Class – At a Glance
9 total commits
3 three-star prospects
No. 1-ranked class in the Sun Belt
No. 73 overall (FBS), per 247Sports
2 in-state players (NC)
👉 Read more about the Mountaineers’ 2026 recruiting class as well as other players committed to North Carolina college programs HERE.
📊Manny Lewis | App State Commit
🧩 Position: Defensive Line/Edge
📍 Hometown: Waxhaw, NC
🎓 High School: Marvin Ridge Mavericks
🧢 High School Coach: Aubrey Carter
📏 Height/Weight: 6-1, 265
📚 GPA: 4.425
🏅 247Sports Ranking: Lewis is considered a three-star prospect and the No. 22 player in North Carolina’s 2026 recruiting class
🎯 Offers/Interest: Lewis reports 19 offers from FBS and FCS programs. Charlotte and East Carolina offered in-state. Other FBS schools included Air Force, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Houston, James Madison, Liberty, Miami (OH), Navy, Troy and Virginia Tech. Cornell, Yale and Dartmouth were among those extending offers from the FCS ranks.
🎥 View Manny Lewis’ Hudl highlights HERE
💪 Career Rewind: A force in opposing backfields, Lewis made 67 tackles last season for Marvin Ridge, including 18.0 tackles-for-loss and 15 sacks. He recorded 21 quarterback hurries and has 44 hurries over his three-year career with the Mavericks. Lewis is a two-time all-conference performer and has been named all-region and all-state.
📊Kamauri Austin | App State Commit
🧩 Position: Wide Receiver
📍 Hometown: Bryant, Ark.
🎓 High School: Bryant High School
🧢 High School Coach: Quad Sanders
📏 Height/Weight: 6-4, 205
🏅 247Sports Ranking: Austin is considered a three-star prospect, the No. 6 overall player from Arkansas and the No. 76 wide receiver nationally.
🎯 Offers/Interest: Multiple schools beginning with the letter “A” offered Austin, including Air Force, Arkansas State, Army and Arkansas Baptist. He also garnered offers, per 247Sports, from Marshall, Central Arkansas, Kennesaw State and Sacramento State.
🎥 View Kamauri Austin’s Hudl highlights HERE
💪 Career Rewind: Austin had a big 2024 season, helping Bryant win its sixth state championship during a seven-year span. He caught 15 touchdown passes and made 38 receptions in all for 699 yards. The Arkansas Coaches Association named Austin to its all-state team.
