West Virginia’s preseason opened with a familiar issue hanging over Rich Rodriguez’s team: how quickly a roster full of newcomers can catch up to the pace he wants.
The Mountaineers got going Wednesday, 30 days before their first game, which is the usual preseason timeline. They have more than two weeks before classes start, so they also stay clear of the NCAA rule that cuts teams to 20 hours per week once the semester begins. After that, they’ll have a little more than a week of school before opening at home Sept. 5 against Coastal Carolina.
The bigger storyline, though, is the same one Rodriguez dealt with last year.
"I think the concern is that it's the first year, the first season for a lot of guys," he said.
WVU’s 2025 roster was loaded with first-year, first-season players, most of them transfers and most of those transfers in their final season. This year’s group is still heavy on newcomers, but the mix is different. The freshmen and transfers are split much more evenly, and a larger share of the transfers have more than one season left at West Virginia.
That matters down the line.
"It's a whole lot easier to coach a guy in his second or third year in the system," Rodriguez said.
But that’s a future benefit, not a present-day fix. Right now, Rodriguez is focused on the same problem he had a year ago: a lot of players are brand-new to college football, to FBS football, to Group of 6 football and, most importantly, to his style of football.
Even Rodriguez knows he has to keep that in mind.
The weather was almost perfect for the first day of camp on Wednesday - warm, but not hot; sunny, but not humid. Rodriguez, who has spent preseasons in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina, joked that Morgantown felt like a vacation compared with some of those places. Then he watched players easing through the early work.
"There were times where guys just had to get pulled out," he said. "I know our tempo is a little bit different and my expectations are a little bit higher."
He said he expected the team to arrive in better shape, but admitted he may have been too optimistic. In his view, it could take another week, maybe two.
Hopefully one. After that, the Mountaineers should be able to move faster through drills, pile up more reps and get comfortable with the tempo Rodriguez wants to force on opponents.
He knows the season is close. He also knows West Virginia might not be ready the moment it arrives. That tension is part of the job now, especially after a 4-8 season he wants to improve.
There are 29 days left, which sounds like plenty. Rodriguez knows better.
"If you ask me this in two weeks, 'Hey, is the environment, the attitude ...' -- I don't want to say attitude; let's say the environment, the intensity, how hard they play -- 'is it where you think you should be after two weeks?'" he said.
"If I'm not sure then, then I have concerns. But I think in two weeks they'll be where I want them to be."
In Other News...
Rich Rod Leaves Door Open On A WVU Roster Decision
Rich Rodriguez has kept West Virginias roster picture in a holding pattern while the program sorts through a few moving parts tied to players with fifth-year eligibility. For now, the Mountaineers are not bringing anyone in, and Rodriguez made it clear the current roster is not being trimmed to create space as the staff waits on the NCAA side of the equation.
One name worth watching is cornerback Jordan Scruggs, who has shown interest in coming back. His situation is part of the broader uncertainty around whether the Mountaineers will ultimately add any more experienced pieces, but for the moment everything remains on pause and no final calls have been made. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Browns Rise Could Change West Virginia Up Front
Kevin Browns arrival has given West Virginia something it rarely gets to enjoy this early in the calendar: a long look at a freshman who already feels like part of the plan up front. The offensive lineman is projected to be the starting left tackle for the 2026 season, and his early work since arriving in spring has only strengthened the belief that he can grow into one of the most important pieces on the roster.
Brown also comes with the kind of recruiting profile that raises the stakes for everyone around him, as one of the highest rated prospects in program history. Even so, the Mountaineers do not need to rush him into the spotlight alone, thanks to experienced depth at the position with senior Malik Agbo in the mix. The bigger question is how quickly Browns rise can translate from promise to pressure on a line that could look very different by the time 2026 arrives. [Read more 🡒]