West Virginia’s rotation could be headed for a noticeable shake-up as the season moves past the midpoint, with Rich Rodriguez pointing to several players who may be ready for bigger roles on both sides of the ball.
On offense, Rodriguez named a cluster of running backs and receivers who could see more chances in the weeks ahead. Among the backs, he highlighted Naq Rogers, along with Chris Talley, Martavious Boswell and Amari Latimer. He also noted that Cam remains difficult to pull off the field because of how well he’s playing, but added that the Mountaineers have more depth there than they’ve been using.
“Naq (Rogers), who’s a new running back we got. I really should have tried to get Chris Talley and (Martavious) Boswell) in the game and get Amari (Latimer) some carries).
We’ve got more running backs ready to go. Cam is such a good player; it’s hard to take him out.
But I think we got some more guys there that I think can help us. TaRon Francis at wide receiver, Keon Hutchins at wide receiver; those guys are getting ready to go.
Cyrus (Traugh) is playing more and more each week. Defensively, we’re still searching in a lot of ways for certain guys that could help us.
Jason Hall has played a lot of special teams; I think you’ll see him playing more and more defense.”
Rodriguez also mentioned TaRon Francis and Keon Hutchins at wide receiver, while saying Cyrus Traugh is getting more involved every week. Defensively, he said the staff is still trying to identify the right answers, and Jason Hall is a name to watch after doing a lot of work on special teams.
Hall’s role, in particular, appears poised to grow. He has already been around the field plenty on special teams, and Rodriguez indicated that more defensive snaps are coming.
That fits with what West Virginia has already started to do defensively. Last week, coordinator Zac Alley mixed in some new faces, including freshman linebacker Antoine Sharp Jr., as the staff continued looking for solutions.
Rogers, meanwhile, is still getting up to speed, but Rodriguez sounded encouraged by what he’s seen so far. On his radio show Monday night, he said Rogers had just completed his first full week of practice in pads and is only two weeks into the system.
"Last week was really his first week of practice, so he had a week of acclimation wearing pads and all that. It was his first week, but he's two weeks in the system.
He's a mature guy. He's a very conscientious guy, and just the little bit I've seen in practice, this guy's got some skills.
He played for Utah, and I really like his approach to it. He spent the first week on the scout team, and he was like, 'Coach, I'll go down there and give them a look.'
I'm anxious to see what he can do."
In Other News...
Rich Rod Just Made WVUs Biggest Problem Impossible To Ignore
West Virginias defense has reached a point where the problems are impossible to overlook, and Rich Rodriguez is treating them that way. After back-to-back rough weeks that saw the Mountaineers give up more than 1,100 yards and 86 points, Rodriguez pointed to the basics, saying the unit needs clearer coaching instructions and better execution from the players.
Arizona arrives next with a dangerous offense led by quarterback Noah Fifita, which only sharpens the urgency for West Virginia to clean things up quickly. For a team already trying to steady itself, this is the kind of matchup that can expose every loose end, and the Mountaineers will need a far sharper defensive answer than they have shown lately. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Mourns Young Commit As Program Rallies Around His Family
Chris Wilson Jr., a defensive line commit in West Virginias class of 2027, was shot and killed in Muncie, Indiana, leaving the Mountaineers facing the kind of loss that reaches far beyond football. Rich Rodriguez and defensive line coach Deke Adams both publicly shared condolences for Wilsons family and the community around him, a reflection of how deeply the news landed inside the program even though he had not yet arrived on campus.
West Virginia is now working to support Wilsons family in the days ahead and plans to honor him during an upcoming home game. For a program still trying to build toward the future, the response around Wilson has underscored something more immediate and more human: the bonds that form as soon as a player is welcomed into the fold, and the responsibility that comes with them. [Read more 🡒]
Zac Alleys Brutal WVU Reality Check Puts Defense Under Pressure
West Virginias defense has taken some hard lessons in recent Big 12 play, and the numbers tell the story: 86 points and 1,186 yards of total offense allowed. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley didnt try to dodge the issue, instead pointing to the complexity of the scheme and the need to make things simpler so players can execute faster and more cleanly.
Alley also put the burden on himself, saying the staff has to do a better job helping the unit function at a higher level. The immediate emphasis has been clear enough, stop the run and put players in better position to use what they do best, but the bigger question is whether that reset can happen quickly enough to steady a defense that has been under constant pressure. [Read more 🡒]