West Virginia is not exactly drawing warm preseason reviews heading into 2026. A lot of outsiders are looking at the Mountaineers’ roster and seeing a team that will be fighting just to reach a bowl game, with more than 80 new faces, limited returning starters and a first-year starting quarterback.
Stanford Steve from ESPN College GameDay isn’t buying that pessimism. On The Ryen Russillo Show, he floated West Virginia as his surprise team in the Big 12 and even said the Mountaineers could end up in the conference title game.
“I’m going to go way off the cuff, and if I had to do a quarterback, my favorite one, I look at Rich Rod and Michael Hawkins coming in. Rich Rod with a running quarterback, and then bringing in (Cam) Cook, the NCAA leader…you want a mini Pat White and Steve Slaton back in Morgantown?
I think West Virginia is built to surprise a lot of teams. I like the teams that they get at home, so I’m going to say West Virginia plays in the Big 12 title game.
That’s my big surprise. I just think to beat Texas Tech, you need something different and possibly outscore ‘em.
I’ll take my chances with a West Virginia team with Hawkins, who I think can really succeed in that offense. I know they’re starving there and I think a big year is coming in Morgantown.”
That kind of take is going to turn heads, but there’s at least a path to why he’s saying it. This isn’t the same kind of roster overhaul WVU dealt with last year, when Rodriguez and Co. had to piece together a team. This time around, the staff targeted the portal more deliberately and brought in a better class of talent, including players with real experience up front on the offensive line.
The Big 12’s lack of a preseason poll also says plenty about how unpredictable this league can be. Arizona State was picked dead last a couple of years ago and ended up winning it all, which is exactly the kind of chaos that keeps anyone from getting too comfortable with summer projections.
West Virginia’s schedule could help it make an early push in conference play. The first two Big 12 games come against Oklahoma State and Iowa State, and both are led by first-year head coaches with major roster turnover. Oklahoma State looks better positioned than Iowa State, but getting the Cowboys at home that early gives WVU a real chance to start fast.
After the trip to Ames, the Mountaineers come home for back-to-back games against Arizona and Cincinnati. That means their first four league matchups are all there for the taking, and a 3-1 or even 4-0 start would put them firmly in the mix by the middle of the season.
The back half is where things get nasty. November brings Texas Tech, Kansas at home, Houston and Utah, and before the Texas Tech game, West Virginia has to go on the road to face TCU. That stretch looks brutal on paper.
So while Stanford Steve’s title-game pick feels bold, it’s not coming out of nowhere. West Virginia may not be the obvious choice, but the setup is there for the Mountaineers to spend real time in the conversation - and maybe make November matter.
In Other News...
Where Ex-Mountaineers Already Stand In The NFL Race
Seventeen former Mountaineers are already on official NFL preseason rosters, a reminder that West Virginia continues to send a steady stream of talent into pro camps. The group is spread across the league, and the current snapshot offers an early look at where each player stands as teams begin sorting out jobs, roles and depth-chart order before the season gets going.
Some of those ex-Mountaineers are in more comfortable spots than others, with the breakdown showing a mix of players who are pushing for bigger roles and others simply trying to hang on through the preseason grind. For West Virginia fans, the interest is in the same familiar question every August: which names are closest to carving out real NFL roles, and which ones still have the hardest climb ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Prince Strachan Could Change Everything For West Virginias Passing Game
West Virginia got a useful update on Prince Strachan this week, and it comes at a good time as Rich Rodriguez keeps sorting out the passing game. The USC transfer had already dealt with an ankle injury last year that cut into his time with the Trojans, and then a shoulder issue in the spring game slowed him again after he arrived in Morgantown.
Rich Rodriguez said Strachan is now back in the mix as the Mountaineers continue building toward fall, and his background has the staff convinced he can be a real factor on the outside. For a team looking for more downfield production, the timing matters, because Strachan is expected to step into a major role and give West Virginia a different kind of target at receiver. [Read more 🡒]
WVU May Have A Rare Freshman Weapon In The Backfield
Amari Latimer has already turned heads in Morgantown before carrying the ball in a meaningful snap. The West Virginia freshman running back arrived with a frame that stands out even in a room built around physicality, and running backs coach Jay Boulware has been quick to note how much Latimer brings beyond just size. There is a power element to his game, but what has made the early impression stronger is the way that build pairs with real skill, giving the Mountaineers a young back who looks different from the typical first-year player.
For West Virginia, that matters because the backfield picture is already taking shape around Latimers place in it. He is expected to be part of the rotation this season, with a role that could grow as the staff looks for dependable production behind Cam Cook. Freshman backs usually spend their first months learning the speed of the college game, but Latimer sounds like someone the Mountaineers may be able to trust sooner than most, which makes his development one of the more interesting subplots of camp. [Read more 🡒]