West Virginia’s Week 2 depth chart brought a few eyebrow-raisers Wednesday morning, especially at quarterback, where the Mountaineers listed Mike Hawkins Jr. OR Scotty Fox Jr. and Jyron Hughley OR Max Brown.
That quarterback setup stands out because Hawkins looks like the starter, plain and simple. The OR next to his name feels more like a curiosity than a real competition, and the most logical explanation is that Fox is expected to get into the game. Even so, that kind of listing isn’t something most teams do for a matchup like this.
The running back order stayed straightforward: Cam Cook, Amari Latimer, Chris Talley, and Lawrence Autry.
On defense, the BAN spot shows Harper Holloman, David Afogho, Tobi Haastrup, and Jeremiah Johnson. At MIKE, Ben Cutter is listed first with Tyler Stolsky OR Isaiah Patterson behind him. At BS, it’s Kamari Wilson, then Da'Mare Williams OR Kameron Reddic.
There wasn’t a lot of movement elsewhere, but one notable change appears at edge, where Emerson Joy is projected to be the first option in Darius Wiley’s spot behind Zeke Durham-Campbell. Rich Rod also pointed to Jeremiah Johnson and Tobi Haastrup as players who could see a bigger role.
Joy comes with some production in his background. Last year at Alberta College, he recorded 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. He’ll be asked to handle a larger job now.
There’s also a question at kicker. Jack Cassidy was perfect on touchbacks last week, so he appears set to remain the guy moving forward, which makes the chart’s listing look like either a typo or a sign that Nate Flower may be getting work this week.
In Other News...
West Virginia Just Lost A Young Piece Fans Were Counting On
Rich Rodriguez used the seasons second Coaches Show to revisit West Virginias loss to Coastal Carolina, and the list of concerns was familiar: discipline, defensive breakdowns and an offense that never quite settled in. He also touched on Cam Cooks workload and the play up front, two areas the staff has been trying to steady as the season moves along.
The bigger setback came with an update on Darius Wiley, whose severe leg injury will keep him out for the rest of the year. Wiley is scheduled for surgery, a tough blow for a young player fans had been hoping would become part of the solution as the Mountaineers try to sort out the details around them. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Sent WVU A Message After That Sloppy Finish
West Virginias season opener looked encouraging for a half, then turned messy in the kind of second-half stretch that can change the tone of a whole week. The Mountaineers had control early, but Coastal Carolina chipped away after halftime and exposed the sort of lapses Rich Rodriguez has little patience for, especially this early in the season when habits are still being formed.
Rodriguez did not wait around to let the film speak for itself. He held an immediate staff meeting after the game to address discipline and performance issues, stressing that mistakes have to be corrected quickly and standards have to stay consistent from one snap to the next. For a program trying to establish an identity under a head coach who clearly wants sharper execution, the disappointing finish was a reminder that the fixes cant wait. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Suddenly Has A Defensive Front Problem It Cant Ignore
West Virginias defensive front took a hit it cant simply scheme around, with Darius Wiley now out for the season after suffering a severe lower-body injury, according to Rich Rodriguez. Its a tough blow because Wiley had already made his presence felt in the opener, giving the Mountaineers a useful interior piece at a spot where depth can disappear quickly.
Jeremiah Johnson and Tobi Haastrup are expected to see more snaps as WVU tries to absorb the loss and keep the rotation afloat. For a defense built to hold up against the run and stay sturdy up front, the challenge now is less about replacing one player than finding a reliable combination fast enough to keep the unit from feeling Wileys absence every week. [Read more 🡒]