West Virginia still has a little roster shopping left to do.
With the 2026 season opener against Coastal Carolina now just three weeks away, Rich Rodriguez is still sorting through the final pieces of the Mountaineers’ roster, and the door remains open for one more addition - maybe even two. That uncertainty, Rodriguez said Friday, ties back to the NCAA and the pending fifth-year eligibility questions that have left plenty unresolved.
Earlier this week, WVU brought back tight end Jacob Barrick and cornerback Jason Chambers, both of whom played for the Mountaineers last season. Only Chambers will suit up. Barrick has chosen to coach instead, and Rodriguez said he’ll take a GA role working with the tight ends.
That decision creates another opening, and for the first time Rodriguez publicly floated the idea of looking beyond familiar faces and into the transfer portal.
“There are others that, if the transfer thing comes through and you didn’t have to be in the portal, there’s a couple that played at other teams that are potentially eligible. But we really haven’t pursued it much because I think it’s so much gray area.
They may approve the guys who return to their previous school, and not the transfers, but I don’t know. I think there's something that there might be a ruling on the 17th, which is Monday, so maybe we have some clarity then.
We have a spot for one or two, and if we don't fill that spot, we'll have a student body tryout. We'll let them know next week, and maybe they can come try out.
I've had guys that were student body tryouts that wind up starting."
For now, the picture is still fuzzy, and even the staff may not know exactly which positions would be targeted if those roster spots get used. But one area that stands out is the defensive line.
That group, even with the junior college additions folded in, still looks thin on experience. Nate Gabriel and Corey McIntyre Jr. have logged meaningful snaps over their careers, but neither has settled into a full-time starting job. Zeke Durham-Campbell looks like a natural fit to make the jump from Group of Six football to the Power Four, but nothing is guaranteed - as WVU saw last year with Jimmori Robinson, who seemed like a sure thing to deliver at defensive end and did not.
Like the offensive line, the defensive front is one of those rooms where depth never feels like a luxury. It feels like a requirement.
In Other News...
Amari Latimer Is Giving WVU Fans A Reason To Feel Better
Amari Latimer has already done enough in spring and early fall camp to make West Virginia feel better about its backfield depth. The true freshman running back has drawn praise from Rich Rodriguez for both his performance and his physical tools, and the early buzz suggests he has moved well beyond the usual first-year learning curve. In a room that still runs through Cam Cook, Latimer has given the Mountaineers a younger option worth watching closely as the season approaches.
For WVU, the interest here is not just about a promising freshman making a few nice plays in camp. It is about whether Latimer can settle into a real role as the clear No. 2 back and give the offense a reliable second wave behind Cook. The projections around him point to a player who could be more than a change-of-pace option, and his style has already made him one of the more intriguing developments of the preseason, even if the real proof will have to come once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Football Finally Has A Better Shot To Keep Its Core Together
West Virginias football program is in a much better place than it was not long ago when it comes to keeping its roster intact, and athletic director Wren Baker said the schools NIL investment has grown enough to change the conversation. After lagging behind in that area, WVU has ramped up its budget and is now spending in the top half of the Big 12, a shift that matters as much for retention as it does for recruiting. For a program trying to build something durable, that kind of financial footing can make the difference between developing a core and watching it scatter.
Bakers comments point to a quieter but important part of the Mountaineers offseason: the effort to hold on to players the staff believes can shape the next wave of success. The school has already pushed the budget higher again with retention in mind, a sign that the emphasis is no longer just on catching up but on staying competitive for its own talent. For WVU, the challenge now is turning that improved position into continuity, and that makes the players expected to anchor the future even more valuable. [Read more 🡒]