Fall camp opens Wednesday for West Virginia, and with it comes the official start of year two in Rich Rodriguez’s second stint as the head coach in Morgantown.
There’s plenty that can change between now and kickoff against Coastal Carolina, and the next few weeks should tell the story on a handful of spots. One of the biggest is already decided, even if Rodriguez hasn’t exactly been eager to spell it out publicly.
The choice itself isn’t the surprise - the timing is. He’s already settled on the answer, but he’s the type who won’t volunteer it unless someone pins him down, and that didn’t happen at Big 12 media day.
He probably waits until 30 minutes before kickoff, the way he did last year, though there’s reason to think he’ll reveal it earlier this time. There’s not much left to hide when everybody already knows.
At tight end, most people have naturally pointed to Ryan Ward as the favorite to open the season as TE1. He’s the longest-tenured option in the room, he’s already played in this system, and he’s earned the staff’s trust.
Still, the more likely outcome may be a true rotation. Clemson transfer Josh Sapp, Mississippi State transfer Cam Ball, and Ward all look like they’ll get run, and the snaps could end up being split pretty evenly.
That’s because both Sapp and Ball have a real shot to win the job. Sapp brings the look of a big receiver and may be the best pass-catcher of the group. Ball, meanwhile, gives Hawkins a huge target in the middle of the field and in the red zone at 6-foot-7.
Another possible development on the horizon involves the recent injunction granted to every member of the 2022 class. That opens the door for West Virginia to bring back players such as N/S Fred Perry, DL Eddie Kelly Jr., TE Jacob Barrick, and P Oliver Straw.
Rodriguez is always hunting for ways to improve the roster and add depth, so it wouldn’t be a shock if one or more of those names ended up back in the mix. Still, the guess here is that none of them return.
West Virginia already has Bryan Hansen at punter, three usable tight ends, and enough comfort with its nickel/sam options. Adding any of those players would deepen the competition, but the only one who feels like a clear need is Eddie Kelly Jr., who could help the defensive line’s depth.
Perry would help too, no question. But with Geimere Latimer, Maliek Hawkins, and Andrew Powdrell all able to play there, along with the way the safety spots are configured, it’s hard to see exactly where he fits. If he does come back, that would still be a nice problem to have.
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WVUs Quarterback Future Suddenly Includes A True Freshman To Watch
West Virginias quarterback room already has some moving parts, and the picture only gets more interesting when you add the youngest names in the group. Transfer Mike Hawkins Jr. and sophomore Scotty Fox Jr. sit atop the current discussion, but the staff is also working with three true freshmen in Jyron Hughley, Wyatt Walker Brown and John Johnson III, which gives the position a longer runway than it might have seemed to have a few weeks ago.
Among that trio, Hughley has created the most quiet optimism inside the building because of how he is progressing in the read and RPO game. The staff believes there is a real chance he can spend this season pushing for backup duties, which matters in a room where the depth chart could keep shifting depending on how each quarterback develops and how the transfer market looks down the road. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Enters Fall Camp With Key Offensive Jobs Still Up For Grabs
Fall camp opens Wednesday for West Virginia, and the offense still has a few of the most important jobs to settle before the season starts to feel real. The projected depth chart coming out of spring gives a decent outline of where things stand, but it also shows how much of this group is still being sorted out by performance, experience and how quickly players can make a case in August.
Mike Hawkins is the name to watch at quarterback, while Josh Sapp gives the Mountaineers a familiar piece to build around at tight end. Even so, several spots remain in play across the unit, and the coming practices will go a long way toward showing which spring impressions stick and which ones get reshuffled once the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]