The optimism around West Virginia feels different this time.
Even after a four-win debut in Rich Rodriguez’s return, the Mountaineers enter 2026 with the bar raised. A top-15 recruiting class nationally, help from the transfer portal and a coaching staff that still has Rodriguez feeling good about the way his team practices have all fed the buzz. With a little more than a week left before the opener, the energy around the program is building fast.
Former WVU running back Eugene Napoleon didn’t exactly pour cold water on it.
In The Walk Thru Game Day Show preseason kickoff special, Napoleon laid out a bold outlook for the Mountaineers.
“The floor is 7-5. Looking at the schedule and seeing what West Virginia has on this roster, there is no conceivable way they don’t go at least 8-4," he said.
“With the talent that West Virginia has, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing; you know what you have, and you know what you are. It all comes down to coaching it.
I know it sounds arrogant; I really do. I know how it sounds.
Do you know who said we were going to be undefeated and playing for a national championship in early August about that ’88 team? Beano Cook.
Beano Cook came to a handful of practices; he said it, and people thought he was out of his mind. I’m not saying West Virginia is going undefeated.
What I’m saying is when you know what you have at each key position, now the only thing you have to do is coach ‘em up because you have the talent. Imagine if we reverse-engineered this.
Imagine if you had great coaching and you don’t have the talent. Now you’re talking…they squeezed out six wins; they just don’t have the talent, but they have great coaching.
Now, they have the talent, so all you have to focus on is getting them coached up, and I believe he can do that.”
Napoleon’s confidence ties directly to the roster. Last season was a grind because of the talent level WVU had in its two-deep, and that is why another roster reset is not as alarming as outside voices have made it sound. This time, the Mountaineers brought in a much stronger group of players through the portal.
Napoleon has long said, “Rich has won everywhere he's been,” and the numbers back up some of the optimism. In year two, he averages 7.7 wins, which makes 8-4 look very much within reach.
He may be more bullish on this team than I am, but the bigger point stands: West Virginia now has the talent to win games and beat expectations.
In Other News...
Rich Rodriguez Just Pushed WVUs NIL Fight Into State Politics
Rich Rodriguez has already made it clear he wants West Virginia football to compete in a new era, and now he is pushing the conversation beyond the athletic department. The Mountaineers head coach floated the idea of using a tourism tax in West Virginia to help fund NIL opportunities for his players, tying the programs future directly to the states biggest sport and broader economic interests.
It is still only a discussion, not an active legislative push, but the suggestion brings a familiar college-football problem into state politics. Rodriguez is essentially asking political leaders to see the Mountaineers as more than a team and to consider whether public dollars tied to tourism could help keep WVU in the race for talent. Whether that idea gets traction is another matter entirely. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Just Gave Fans A New Reason To Get To Milan Early
West Virginia is already giving fans a little more incentive to make a full morning of the 2026 season opener. Athletics announced that Almost Heaven Village, the pregame gathering tied to the home football slate, is moving to a new spot on the North Lawn next to the Blue Lot at Milan Puskar Stadium, with the gates set to open at 8:30 a.m. ahead of the matchup with Coastal Carolina. The idea is to give Mountaineer supporters a bigger and easier starting point for game day, with activities and entertainment helping set the tone before kickoff.
For a fan base that treats Saturdays like an event long before the first snap, the location change could matter as much as the timing. WVU is also pushing tickets for the home opener and the full season, including a 304 Mobile Pass for all seven home games, as it continues building around a home schedule that should make the atmosphere around Milan Puskar Stadium feel busy from the moment people start arriving. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Faces A Real Recruiting Question After Latest Rankings Shakeup
The latest 2027 basketball recruiting rankings offered a reminder that the board is always moving, and West Virginias pursuit of elite talent is now dealing with a few more question marks. Paul Osaruyi, one of the Mountaineers most closely watched targets, slid from No. 13 to No. 18 nationally after a small rating dip, and he was not alone in seeing his stock shift. Other players from CIA Bella Vista, including Jalen White and Lyris Robinson, also took notable hits in the update.
For WVU, the bigger issue is not just where those prospects sit today, but how much volatility remains before the cycle really takes shape. Rankings changes do not end a recruitment, but they can alter momentum, perception, and the way schools prioritize their next steps. With several familiar names trending down at once, the Mountaineers have a real evaluation test ahead as they sort out which targets still fit the programs long-term plan. [Read more 🡒]