West Virginia’s August camp is starting to show the kind of signs fans want to hear, and Jed Drenning walked away from a recent practice believing the Mountaineers look different in a meaningful way.
On an episode of the In The Gun podcast, Drenning said the changes were visible even before the pads came on Tuesday morning. His read was that the team’s work had already taken on a sharper edge.
“I think it’s coming together and you can see a fundamental difference. At one of the practices recently, I was talking to a buddy, and it’s just, even without pads- which they just started pads Tuesday morning- even before pads, you could see a fundamental difference in what things look like as they went about their business.
"I think this is a fair way to put this… they say, ‘How many games are we going to win?’ I don’t play that game.
But if you’re being intellectually honest about it, here’s what I can tell you - we’re better. Now, you might say, ‘Well, we were 4-8, we better be.’
Of course. Now, are we better than last year’s team?
Or are we better than what last year’s team could have been if it was healthy? Because I still think had this team last year stayed healthy, we would have stolen a couple more games and we would have been a six-win bowl team.
Well, the answer is both. I think we’re better than both.
Now, how much better? We’re going to find out because the missing piece that I don’t know… I don’t know how good anybody else is.
That’s always a difficult art to master, but now more than ever, with everybody having more roster turnover. We’re definitely better.
Now, I don’t know what that means.
"If you were to ask me to stack it up against last year’s schedule because those 12 teams, I do know, I saw them play…Yeah, we would have fared better. Maybe we would have won seven or eight games. I think we would have been good enough to do that.”
West Virginia is only 22 days from its opener against Coastal Carolina, and Saturday’s first scrimmage should give the coaching staff a better idea of where the key battles stand and what still needs work.
There’s also a bigger picture starting to come into focus. If the Mountaineers handle business early, they would open 2-0 for the first time since 2018. That may not sound like a massive benchmark at first glance, but it has been long enough that it stands out.
The front half of the schedule gives West Virginia a chance to stack wins before things tighten up later. The tougher stretch comes down the line, with teams such as TCU, Texas Tech, Houston, and Utah waiting on the other side. If the Mountaineers can build momentum before that part of the slate arrives, they’ll head into it with something real to lean on.
For now, the signs Drenning described point in one direction: a team that looks better, sounds more confident, and appears capable of more than last year’s 4-8 finish. With a rebuilt offensive line, the nation’s leading rusher, and improved quarterback play, West Virginia has a path to a bowl season and maybe even a much bigger jump if everything clicks.
In Other News...
WVU Brings Back A Home Game Perk Fans Will Appreciate
Mountaineer fans heading back to Milan Puskar Stadium this fall will find a familiar perk waiting for them at the concession stands. WVU Athletics has announced the return of Fan First concession pricing on select items and stand locations for home football games, with popcorn, small bottled water, fountain drinks and pepperoni rolls among the offerings available at designated spots around the stadium.
The school is also bringing back the Coca-Cola Season Ticket Holder Deal of the Game, another game-day benefit aimed at rewarding the fans who have committed for the full home slate. The deal will again give season ticket holders discounts on concessions and at the WVU Team Shop, a small but welcome touch as the Mountaineers look to make the stadium experience a little easier on the wallet. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs Next Roster Decision Could Bring Back Two Familiar Veterans
West Virginias roster picture still has a little room to shift as fall approaches, and two familiar veterans are back in the mix. The program said tight end Jacob Barrick and cornerback Jason Chambers are taking part in team activities while WVU waits on a legal decision that could affect whether players from the 2022 class can claim a fifth year of eligibility.
For the Mountaineers, the timing matters because the staff is already managing roster space with an eye on possible additions. WVU has two open spots available, and the plan is not to clear room by cutting anyone loose, even as the team keeps one eye on the transfer portal and another on the outcome of the eligibility ruling. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginias Rebuilt Defense Faces Early Test Up Front
West Virginias defense is entering preseason practice with a very different look, and the biggest changes are up front. The Mountaineers have almost completely remade their two-deep defensive roster, bringing in junior college and FBS additions at defensive line and bandit while also leaning on a few experienced returnees who could be pushed into bigger roles.
Rich Rodriguez said the roster turnover is part of the reality of this reset as camp and scrimmages get underway, and it puts the early spotlight on how quickly the new pieces can mesh. For a unit trying to establish itself before the season starts, the first few weeks up front will tell a lot about whether the rebuild is ahead of schedule or still very much a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]