The NFL season is underway, and a handful of former West Virginia players wasted no time making their presence felt in Week 1.
Jarret Doege? No - Smith was the one who came out sharp for the Jets, helping them pull off a 23-10 upset of the Titans.
He didn’t need to light up the box score to control the game. Smith completed 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards, a 79.2% completion percentage, and kept the football out of trouble while New York leaned on its ground game for the touchdowns.
Pro Football Focus rewarded that kind of clean, steady work with an 84.6 overall grade, the third-highest mark among quarterbacks in Week 1.
Up front, Zach Frazier gave the Steelers exactly what they needed in their narrow win over the Falcons. Pittsburgh’s offense did just enough, and Frazier’s work in the middle helped make that possible.
He finished with the 10th-best overall grade among centers at 62.7, and his 76.9 pass block grade ranked sixth at the position. Aaron Rodgers had time to operate, attempting 40 passes, and Frazier played a big part in keeping the pocket intact.
Brandon McKivitz also opened the season in strong fashion, and he did it on a stage as unusual as it gets. The 49ers spent a full week in Melbourne, Australia, before facing the Rams, while Los Angeles didn’t arrive until the day before the game.
The travel edge showed up on the field, with San Francisco handling the preseason Super Bowl favorites. McKivitz, now in his seventh year in the league, looked as steady as ever for one of the Niners’ longest-tenured players.
His assignment was no picnic, either. McKivitz lined up against Myles Garrett, who had just set the all-time single-season sack record last year, and still came away looking comfortable. Garrett was held without a sack, and McKivitz finished ninth among 62 tackles in Week 1 per PFF with a 75.1 overall grade.
On the defensive side, Dante Stills helped Arizona land one of the weekend’s bigger surprises. The Cardinals beat the Chargers 26-14, and Stills made one of the key plays of the afternoon late in the first half when he picked up his first sack since the 2024 season. He remains a steady piece on Arizona’s defensive front.
In Washington, Rasul Douglas got only a small slice of the action, but he made it count. The veteran corner logged 17 snaps in Week 1 and still managed a pass breakup while working in a defense that needs help. His role may be limited for now, but there’s a path for him to earn more trust in the Commanders’ secondary.
In Other News...
WVU Could Finally Add A Needed Weapon Against Virginia
West Virginia came out of the UT Martin game in good shape, and that alone gave Rich Rodriguez a little more room to breathe heading into a bigger test against Virginia. The Mountaineers are still trying to settle in offensively, but the possibility of getting wide receiver Prince Strachan into the mix offers a timely lift for a group that could use another proven target as quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. continues to build rhythm with the passing game.
Strachan has been practicing with limited contact, and his status for the Virginia game may hinge on how he handles the next stretch of practices. If that goes well, West Virginia could finally add another weapon to an offense that already needs every available piece, especially with the Mountaineers looking to sharpen the connection between Hawkins and a deeper receiver rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Jahiem White Is Already Reopening An Old WVU What-If
Two weeks after his return to the field, Jahiem White is already stirring up one of those old West Virginia questions that never really goes away. Now playing for North Texas under Neal Brown, White opened his season with 61 rushing yards and a touchdown against Indiana, then followed it with a 124-yard, one-score outing that pushed him past 2,000 career rushing yards.
For Mountaineers fans, the pull is obvious. White was already the programs 27th all-time leading rusher before a season-ending knee injury interrupted his time in Morgantown, and his latest run of production only adds fuel to the sense that WVU once had a back capable of being much more than a steady contributor. The what-if is back on the table, even if the answer will have to wait. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Just Framed West Virginias Biggest Concerns Before Virginia
Rich Rodriguez spent part of his media session Wednesday laying out the pressure points West Virginia is carrying into its matchup with Virginia, and the focus started up front. He praised the experience and discipline of his defensive line, the kind of steady interior presence the Mountaineers will need if they want to control the game and avoid chasing it from the opening series.
Rodriguez also pointed to the challenge posed by one of Virginias players, a reminder that this one may hinge on a few individual matchups as much as overall structure. On the roster front, he said one player has a hearing scheduled for Thursday in Indiana, while Talleys injury status remains day-to-day with a possible return in one to two weeks, leaving West Virginia with a little more uncertainty as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]