MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Devon Lyons is heading for West Virginia, but not necessarily to continue a childhood competition and attempt to beat out his baby -- but taller -- brother, 6-foot-8 Wes.

"I'm coming there playing receiver," the elder, 6-4 Lyons said last night from Columbus, Ohio, where he is planning to graduate from Ohio State in June with a degree in consumer affairs. He will then officially transfer to West Virginia as a graduate student and regain his eligibility to play next fall.

He added that coach Bill Stewart and his staff also are talking about him playing in the secondary, which this former Post-Gazette Fab 22 selection also played at Woodland Hills High. "I'm keeping my options open. Really, it's wherever they need me, I guess."

Lyons, who played only three games last season and 21 in his career at Ohio State, applied to the NCAA in early January for a hardship case so he could transfer closer to home because of his father's heart condition. The NCAA granted him another year of eligibility under the same, since-revoked rule that allowed his cousin and fellow Woodland Hills alumnus Ryan Mundy to graduate from Michigan and transfer to West Virginia, where he started at free safety last fall.

"I'm super excited; a second opportunity has been given me. I'll try to make the most of it," Devon said.

Added Wes Jr., "We both have to go out there and do our thing. It's going to make us more competitive, and we were always competitive growing up."

Benji Kemoeatu, the 6-6, 315-pound brother of Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu, and former Portland State recruit Mark Rodgers of Lawndale, Calif., signed letters of intent this week.

Kemoeatu switched late in the recruiting period from Utah to West Virginia -- a school barely an hour's drive from Chris in Pittsburgh. Another brother, Maake, is a defensive tackle with Carolina.

Kemoeatu played guard-center at two-time state champion Kahuku High School, where he was a two-time all-Hawaii pick and rated the state's second-best prospect.

Rodgers, 5-9, 185, never enrolled at Portland State after graduating in 2006 from Leuzinger High School, where he rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his junior and senior seasons.

Backup quarterback Jarrett Brown reported to practice this week after a two-month stint on the Mountaineers basketball team. The coaches are preparing to use him and Patrick White on certain plays next fall. "That's a lot of threats out there. That would be awesome." ... Converted tailback/receiver Eddie Davis lined up as a first-team cornerback until an ankle injury in practice yesterday. ... Liberty, the school founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, has replaced fellow Division I-AA Villanova on the 2009 schedule at a guarantee of $360,000.