As West Virginia heads into fall camp, the obvious stuff is already getting plenty of attention: quarterback development, the promising true freshmen, and the newcomers who made big strides over the summer. Those are the storylines everybody knows to watch.
But a few quieter questions are sitting just beneath the surface, and they matter too.
Start with the backfield. Cam Cook and Amari Latimer have generated plenty of buzz, and for good reason. If the Mountaineers also get real help from JUCO transfer Martavious Boswell or freshman Chris Talley, the run game has a chance to be one of the best in the country.
Then there’s Andre Devine, who feels like one of the more intriguing wild cards on the roster. The question isn’t really whether he belongs somewhere - it’s where that somewhere is.
Could he carve out a role in the slot? Could he help on special teams as a returner?
He may not have the same speed as his father, Noel, but he can absolutely run. Rich Rod kept bringing him up in the spring, even when nobody was asking about him, which makes it hard not to think there’s a role waiting for him.
Most likely, that starts as a kick or punt returner.
The defense has its own puzzle, and it’s a big one. West Virginia will have 11 new starters on that side of the ball this season.
In a different era, that would sound alarming. It still isn’t ideal, but Zac Alley does have players with starting experience, even if that experience comes from different conferences or different levels of football.
The bigger question is leadership. Who becomes the voice of that defense?
Reid Carrico seemed to carry that responsibility a year ago, but there wasn’t a true unmistakable heartbeat to the unit - that one player everyone could lean on when things got shaky. Maybe this year someone steps into that role.
It doesn’t have to happen for the defense to play well, but good defenses usually have more than one guy who helps set the tone. Ben Cutter, Nate Gabriel, and Geimere Latimer are the names to watch there.
And while everybody else is busy sorting through quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and defensive snaps, there’s another competition quietly brewing: who handles field goals for the Mountaineers in 2026?
That job is open heading into camp, with Nate Flower competing against Alabama transfer Peter Notaro and Western Kentucky transfer Jack Cassidy. Notaro was perfect on PATs last season, going 5-for-5 for the Crimson Tide, but he never attempted a field goal.
Cassidy looks like the front-runner after going 3-for-3 on field goals last year for the Hilltoppers, including 2-for-2 from 50 yards and beyond. Flower, meanwhile, handled West Virginia’s kickoff duties for half of last season, but he did not try a field goal.
In Other News...
WVU Uniform Changes Just Sparked A Debate Fans Knew Was Coming
West Virginia footballs look has been changing in ways that go beyond a simple refresh, with jersey patches now part of the picture through a sponsorship deal with Antero Resources. The companys logo has been worked into the Mountaineers colorway, adding another layer to a uniform identity that fans tend to treat almost like sacred ground.
The bigger conversation, though, comes from the Big 12s agreement with Monster Energy, which puts large, black-background patches on every member schools uniforms. It is the kind of addition that immediately splits opinion because it is impossible to ignore, and for West Virginia supporters already wary of corporate branding creeping onto the field, the visual impact is only part of the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Hawkins Jr. May Decide How Far West Virginia Can Go
A big part of West Virginias 2026 ceiling may come down to how quickly Michael Hawkins Jr. settles in. The redshirt sophomore arrives from Oklahoma with a profile that fits what the Mountaineers want to do, because his legs give the offense an added dimension and his athleticism should play well in the scheme. He has already shown enough as a passer to matter, completing 61.9% of his throws for 950 yards and six touchdowns over his first two seasons, but the next step is smoothing out the parts of his game that still need work.
Hawkins is also right in the middle of a quarterback competition, which makes his development even more important for West Virginia. The Mountaineers are looking for a starter who can keep the offense on schedule while still threatening defenses outside the pocket, and Hawkins has the tools to make that happen if the passing mechanics continue to come along. For a team hoping to push higher in the Big 12 picture, the difference between a good season and a real run could be how far Hawkins can carry the job. [Read more 🡒]
Cyrus Traugh Is Giving West Virginia Fans A Reason To Watch Closely
Cyrus Traugh has gone from a limited role last season to someone West Virginia fans are starting to circle on the depth chart. His development has been one of the quieter bright spots of spring camp, and inside receivers coach Logan Bradley has taken notice of the work Traugh has put in as he pushes toward a bigger role in the offense.
Traugh finished the 2024 season as the teams second-leading receiver, and the expectation now is that he will see significant playing time this fall alongside the rest of the wideout rotation. Even with 2026 viewed as the bigger window for him to become a key part of the group, the way he has progressed already gives West Virginia something useful on offense to keep tracking. [Read more 🡒]