West Virginia enters Rich Rodriguez’s second year in his second stint with a roster that looks built for steady growth, not a one-year sprint. After a rough 2025, the Mountaineers turned over the group, landed a top-25 high school class and put together a strong portal haul, which has raised expectations around Morgantown heading into this fall.
The ceiling this season may not be a College Football Playoff run, but there’s enough here for WVU to be a tough weekly matchup and maybe spring a surprise or two. The bigger point is what comes next.
This is not a roster stuffed with seniors and fifth-year players, and it’s not a group the program emptied the bank on for an all-in push that would leave the future bare. The idea is simpler than that: take some lumps now, and be better for it later.
That future starts with quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr., a redshirt sophomore who still has two more years of eligibility after this season. Around him, the offensive line should have some continuity, with four of the five projected starters able to return.
The young core also includes true freshmen Amari Latimer at running back, Kevin Brown on the offensive line and Matt Sieg at safety, all of whom will have a year of experience under their belts. Add in the possibility that Cam Cook can return for another season, plus wide receivers Prince Strachan, TaRon Francis, John Neider, Keon Hutchins and Kedrick Triplett, and there’s a clear base to work with.
Defensively, the front has a long list of young names that could grow into something useful for Zac Alley. Darius Wiley, Taylor Brown, Wilnerson Telemaque, Brandon Caesar, Cam Mallory, Will LeBlanc, Yendor Mack and Noah Tishendorf all fit that mold, while veterans Nate Garbiel, Corey McIntyre Jr., Jaylen Thomas and KJ Henson can help steady things for another year. Linebacker is the one area that stands out as a concern, though the portal offers a way to patch that up, along with the four backers already committed in the ’27 recruiting class.
The secondary also gives WVU some pieces to develop. N/S Maliek Hawkins and corners Nick Taylor, Da’Mun Allen, Jaire Rawlison and Vincent Smith all have plenty of upside and could grow into starting roles.
Retention will matter throughout all of this, and the Mountaineers won’t keep everyone on that list. Still, the roster has enough young talent to suggest the program can start moving in the right direction. If Hawkins and the offense flash as an elite unit this fall, that would only help WVU draw more top-end help from the transfer portal.
The schedule also gives the Mountaineers a chance to build some early momentum. They won’t have Texas Tech on next year’s slate, and they’ll also avoid Utah, which should remain one of the league’s better teams.
In nonconference play, WVU should have a path to 3-0 with home games against Southern Miss, VMI and Ohio. With no power conference opponent and all three at home, it’s a clean setup to get rolling.
The real breakthrough window may be 2027, but that kind of season starts with what West Virginia does in 2026.
In Other News...
WVU Just Got Early Hope From Two Potential Breakout Difference Makers
West Virginia got a little preseason encouragement in the form of two names that could matter a lot once the games start counting. DJ Epps, the Troy transfer, and Nate Gabriel were both singled out as breakout candidates heading into the season, giving the Mountaineers at least a couple of players with a chance to turn promise into production as the schedule gets underway.
Epps brings the kind of receiving upside that can change an offense quickly after his jump from one catch across his first two seasons at Troy to a much bigger role last fall. Gabriel is the other intriguing piece, entering his third year after logging meaningful defensive snaps as a sophomore, and West Virginia will get an early look at both when it opens at home on Sept. 5 against Coastal Carolina, the same day Pat Whites No. 21 is set to be retired. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs New Roster Update Leaves One Big Signing-Class Question
West Virginias 2026 roster update brought a fresh batch of names into view, with 14 new players added overall and a dozen of them coming from the signing class. The update gives the program a clearer picture of what next seasons depth chart could eventually look like, and it also shows how quickly a recruiting class can start to take shape once the paperwork is in and the roster page gets refreshed.
One name still missing from that group is running back Cheeks, even though West Virginia signed him as part of the class. His situation has been one to watch ever since the ACL injury he suffered in his senior season, and the school has continued to sound confident about his recovery path. For now, the roster page leaves one small but meaningful question hanging, and it sounds like more clarity should come as the offseason moves along. [Read more 🡒]