West Virginia’s bye comes at a good time for a defense that needs bodies and answers, and a few players are positioned to take on much larger jobs once the Mountaineers return.
Start up front, where the defensive line is banged up and LeBlanc finally got a real chance to show what he can do. He saw 20-plus snaps for the first time this season, and he made the most of them.
It was his best game in a West Virginia uniform: two tackles, one defensive stop when he blew up the running back at the line of scrimmage, and one pressure. No matter what the situation is with Corey McIntyre Jr., LeBlanc needs to stay in the rotation.
Khatri is another name that has to be part of the conversation, especially after the move from nickel/sam to linebacker. He looked faster and more physical in the new spot, and he did a better job helping against the run.
That fits with his background, since he played linebacker in high school. Ben Cutter and Isaiah Patterson remain the top two at the position, and Cam Torbor will keep getting looks because of his upside, but Khatri needs reps too.
The back end keeps getting shuffled, and Hawkins is one of the most useful pieces West Virginia has to work with. He can play any of the three safety spots and even slide out to corner if needed.
The length is obvious, but so is the coverage ability, and he can help as a blitzer as well. Before the TCU game, he hadn’t played on defense since Week 2 against UT Martin, but he was out there on the final possession Saturday.
More snaps should be coming.
Bradford also looks like a player who is starting to earn more trust. The former four-star LSU transfer logged 68 snaps against TCU after playing just 15 the week before against Cincinnati.
With Matt Sieg banged up and the secondary struggling overall, Bradford should keep seeing the field. He showed enough against the Frogs to suggest he can be part of the solution in the secondary.
Then there’s the Georgia transfer, who sat out against TCU despite not appearing on the availability report. That points to a coaching decision rather than an injury issue.
In his first three games as a Mountaineer, he’s allowed only two catches for 12 yards and posted a PFF grade of 72.9. After two weeks to absorb more of the defense, he should be on the field plenty over the final four games.
In Other News...
WVU's Breakout Quarterback Just Made The Future Feel More Urgent
Mike Hawkins Jr. has given West Virginia exactly the kind of spark it hoped for when it brought him in, and his early production has already pushed him into the national conversation. He ranks 11th nationally in rushing yards and is tied for the lead in rushing touchdowns, a start that has made him one of the most important players in Rich Rodriguezs offense and one of the biggest reasons the Mountaineers future suddenly feels tied to his.
Rodriguez has not been shy about how much he values Hawkins, praising his ability and making it clear he wants to keep him around for the rest of his eligibility. Talks between Hawkins and West Virginia about what comes next have reportedly been ongoing, and the encouraging sign for the Mountaineers is that Hawkins appears to see more in the program than money alone. For a team trying to build around a rising quarterback, that makes this one of the more important conversations on the board. [Read more 🡒]
WVU's 2027 Dream Could Hinge On These 10 Decisions
West Virginia heads into the bye week at 5-3, and with the seasons second half ahead, the conversation inside the program is already shifting toward 2027 as much as the present. The Mountaineers are looking at a cluster of players whose decisions will shape what this roster looks like down the line, from rising contributors whose development has outpaced expectations to veterans whose future status will help define the teams stability.
The biggest question is how many of those pieces can be kept in place long enough to make that long-range vision real. One of the programs top players remains in contract talks, while others are weighing whether to stay, move on or eventually turn professional, and the answers will ripple through several position groups. For West Virginia, the next few months may say as much about the future of the roster as the games still left on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Made WVU's TCU Win About Something Much Bigger
The win at TCU carried an extra layer for West Virginia, one that had little to do with the box score and everything to do with memory. Rich Rodriguez and his staff paid tribute to Ike Morris, a longtime supporter of Mountaineer athletics and one of Rodriguezs closest mentors, by wearing hats marked with IKE during the game. Morris died at 88, and the gesture gave the night a far more personal meaning for a program still finding its footing under Rodriguez.
Rodriguez spoke afterward about how much Morris meant to him and how deeply his influence ran through the programs story. For a coach trying to build momentum, the emotional undercurrent made the result feel bigger than one road win, turning it into a tribute to someone whose presence had long been part of West Virginia football. [Read more 🡒]