West Virginia’s roster has been turned over enough that figuring out the stat leaders may take a little while, but a few names already stand out as the most likely answers when the season unfolds.
At quarterback, there doesn’t seem to be much mystery. The job belongs to Hawkins, and the expectation here is that it stays that way if he remains healthy.
There’s no real sense that Scotty Fox Jr. will turn this into a weekly tug-of-war, and the idea of five quarterbacks splitting the workload feels far-fetched. This is Hawkins’ show.
The same kind of confidence applies to the ground game. Cook, the nation’s leading rusher from 2025, is the obvious pick to pace the Mountaineers again.
A projection piece may come later, but the number to keep in mind is 1,659, the mark he set a year ago. Reaching something in that neighborhood again is very much on the table.
At receiver, Bray feels like the safest bet to lead the team in catches. He has a reputation for reliability, even if Mountaineer fans are still getting to know him because he hasn’t been able to stay on the field. In the biggest moments, Hawkins is expected to lean on No. 5, and the trust between the two has grown over the last six or so months.
For explosive plays, the pick is the Mountaineers’ most dangerous receiver. He can take a short throw and turn it into a huge gain in a hurry, which is why he stands out as the leader in receiving yards.
West Virginia could end up with three different receivers topping different categories, and Strachan is the best bet to lead the team in touchdown catches. His size makes him a natural red-zone target, and Rich Rod is expected to want the ball in his hands near the goal line. Tight end Cam Ball is a dark horse here as another big target pushing for more snaps.
On defense, Latimer gets the nod as the top tackler. That position has produced plenty of production in Alley's defense, and Latimer already has the kind of profile that fits.
He was the ninth-leading tackler at Jax State as a corner, while Fred Perry led the team there and then did the same for WVU last year. Latimer looks like the next player to benefit from those opportunities, and he’s one of West Virginia’s best defenders overall.
Durham-Campbell is the choice for tackles for loss. KJ Henson was a consideration, but Durham-Campbell looks like the defender most likely to live in the backfield. Even when he doesn’t finish the play, he should be disrupting things often enough to pile up the numbers.
For pressures, Holloman is the easy call. He had 48 at Western Kentucky last season, a total that would have led West Virginia by a wide margin. The step up to the Big 12 shouldn’t overwhelm him, and the expectation is that he lands somewhere in the mid-30s while also finishing more plays at the quarterback.
Sacks go to Durham-Campbell as well. He posted 5.5 at Coastal Carolina last year, and the opening stretch sets up well for him.
He’ll face his former team in Week 1, and that matchup is expected to produce a multi-sack game. UT Martin in Week 2 gives him another chance, and Oklahoma State later on could create even more opportunities with the way it throws the ball.
A finish in the 7.5-8 sack range feels realistic.
Latimer is also the pick for interceptions. He’s expected to be this year’s version of Fred Perry, only better, with more control and fewer issues in coverage. His speed and instincts make him the most likely Mountaineer to come away with picks.
Diagne rounds out the defensive projections as the leader in pass breakups. His length should help him against just about any receiver he faces, and while his coverage game is still developing, opposing offenses are likely to test him early. More often than not, though, he should be able to make the play.
In Other News...
West Virginia Just Landed A Back Who Could Change Everything
Cam Cook is back in the Big 12 and heading to West Virginia after a dominant 2025 season at Jacksonville State, where the senior running back used an extra year of eligibility to keep his career going. His arrival gives the Mountaineers a proven runner with a track record of carrying an offense, and it comes at a time when West Virginia is looking to get its ground game back on track after a difficult season.
Cooks production at Jacksonville State was the kind that turns heads across the league, and West Virginia is betting that skill set can translate quickly in Morgantown. The fit makes sense on paper, especially for a program that wants more punch on the ground, but the real question now is how the Mountaineers plan to use him and just how much he can reshape their rushing attack once he gets into the system. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Just Landed A Big Piece For WVU's O-Line Future
Rich Rodriguezs latest addition to the West Virginia offensive line pipeline comes in the form of Tristan Hardin-Roberts, a Blount High School lineman from Mobile, Alabama who gives the Mountaineers another developmental piece up front. Hardin-Roberts arrives with the kind of frame and versatility coaches like to work with, and he was able to sort through a handful of suitors before settling on Morgantown.
West Virginia beat out Oklahoma State, South Florida and Tulane for his commitment, a notable win as Rodriguez continues building out the future of the line. He is expected to begin at tackle, though the staff could always revisit his best fit once he gets on campus and adds more weight, leaving a little room for the final answer on where he settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Why Geimere Latimer Already Feels Like A Perfect WVU Fit
Geimere Latimers path to West Virginia has already made him look like the kind of player this staff tends to value. A highly successful high school quarterback in Georgia, he had to navigate skepticism from Division I programs about both his position and his size, then reinvent himself as a cornerback at Jacksonville State. He played in every game there and helped the Gamecocks win a Conference USA championship, a strong sign that the move away from quarterback did not slow him down.
Now Latimer is back with coaches he knows, which matters in a program that has leaned on familiarity and versatility in the secondary. After stops at Jacksonville State and Wisconsin, he arrived in Morgantown with a chance to settle into a role that fits his skill set, and the expectation is that he will work at nickel back. For West Virginia, that kind of adaptable defender can be especially useful, and Latimers journey suggests he may be ready to make the most of it. [Read more 🡒]