West Virginia may not be the first team people circle when they start sketching out the 2026 Big 12 race, but there’s a path here for the Mountaineers to force their way into the conversation.
The teams drawing the most attention right now are Texas Tech, BYU, Houston and Utah. That’s the group most folks have in mind for the title chase. But this league has a habit of producing a surprise, and WVU has enough pieces to be that team if things break the right way.
The first thing working in the Mountaineers’ favor is the backfield. Cam Cook, the nation’s leading rusher in 2025, looks tailor-made for a Rich Rodriguez offense. He’s the kind of runner who can shake defenders, create something from nothing and handle a heavy load without blinking.
Cook carried the ball 295 times last season at Jacksonville State, including five games with 25 or more attempts. He also spent the first two years of his career at TCU, so he’s already proven he can do it at this level. If he stays healthy, the numbers could get ridiculous.
Then there’s the quarterback piece, and that’s where things could really take off. When Rich Rodriguez has a true dual-threat quarterback, the offense usually turns into must-watch football.
Hawkins has the speed to stress defenses immediately, and he can make people miss in space in a hurry. He can also throw it better than many expect.
What has stood out most to the coaching staff is how quickly he processes the game and how well he reads a defense. That’s not something you always see this early, especially in a new offense.
There will be growing pains, though. That’s part of the deal with any first-time starter.
Still, the upside is enormous, and if he settles in early and finds his rhythm by Big 12 play, the ceiling gets a lot higher.
The opening stretch also matters. If WVU can survive that long eight-game run to start the season healthy, it sets up a difficult run through a league gauntlet that includes three of those projected contenders.
And the timing could help the Mountaineers. Year one under a new coach is rarely smooth, no matter how much talent comes in through the portal or returns from the roster. In Oklahoma State’s and Iowa State’s case, much of the 2025 roster is gone, and catching those teams early, before everything clicks, gives WVU a real chance.
That doesn’t mean those games are automatic wins. It just means the Mountaineers could be walking into them at the right time.
After Iowa State, West Virginia comes home for a two-game stretch against Arizona in the Coal Rush and then Cincinnati for homecoming. By the time those first four Big 12 games are done, we’ll have a much better read on whether the Mountaineers are just a dangerous sleeper or a team that belongs in the mix.
In Other News...
Virginia Just Turned A West Virginia Rivalry Nerve Into Something Bigger
Virginias season opener against North Carolina State brought more than a win, because the postgame scene quickly drifted into familiar territory for anyone around the Mountaineers. Fans sang along to John Denvers Country Roads, the song forever tied to West Virginia in college sports culture, and with it came a reminder that this rivalry has long carried a strange mix of music, memory and misplaced claims.
The backdrop matters because the song has been at the center of previous flashpoints involving the University of Virginia, including past pep band references that crossed the line into derogatory shots at West Virginia and eventually prompted complaints and apologies. So even in a game that had nothing to do with the Mountaineers on the field, Virginia managed to reopen a nerve that still feels bigger than a one-night crowd singalong. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Frontcourt Uncertainty Is Putting Real Pressure On The 2026 Rotation
West Virginias frontcourt picture for 2026 is already looking shaky because Javan Buchanan and Brenen Lorient are still tied up in NCAA eligibility cases, with a ruling expected in September. Until that clears up, the Mountaineers are left planning for a rotation that may or may not include two players who could loom large in the middle of the roster, which makes the coming months feel especially important for a team trying to map out its next step.
For now, the uncertainty is forcing WVU to think through alternative paths, from potential starters to the depth behind them if those forwards are unavailable. It also leaves the staff with the option of dipping into the junior college market if the numbers in the frontcourt do not come together the way they need to, and that is the sort of roster pressure that can shape a season long before the first game is played. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Just Got An Early Read On A Few Future Threats
West Virginia got a useful midseason snapshot of whats coming next on the schedule, and some of the early signs are pretty clear. The recent games involving future opponents offered a little of everything, from sharp defensive outings to teams that were forced into grinding, uneven afternoons. For a Mountaineers staff trying to game-plan ahead, these results matter because they show not just who won, but how each team is trying to win right now.
Virginias latest outing stood out for how efficiently it handled business, while TCUs trip overseas offered a very different kind of reminder about how thin the margin can be against quality competition. Between those two games and the rest of the slate, West Virginia is getting a better feel for which upcoming opponents are thriving, which ones are still sorting things out, and where the most dangerous matchups may be hiding. [Read more 🡒]