West Virginia’s NFL Draft pipeline has thinned since the Dana Holgorsen years, but the roster Rich Rodriguez inherited and reshaped this offseason still has a few names worth circling.
That matters in a rebuild that started with a 4-8 finish in 2025. Rodriguez and his staff responded by landing a top-25 freshman class, one that includes some of the highest-rated recruits WVU has signed in the internet era, and by adding several notable transfers. The Mountaineers may not be the Big 12’s most talented team, but they’re clearly ahead of where they were a year ago - and there are still draftable bodies spread across the roster.
If you’re looking ahead to which Mountaineers could hear their names called in future NFL Drafts, the list starts with a transfer running back, then moves to a young linebacker with eye-opening tools, and finally to a true freshman tackle who already looks the part.
Among the older players, Cam Cook stands out as the best bet. The running back was the headliner of WVU’s transfer portal haul, and he steps into exactly the kind of offense that can boost a back’s profile.
Rodriguez’s system is built to feature him, and the staff has already shown it can turn ball carriers into big producers. Tre Stewart rushed for more than 1,600 yards under Rodriguez at Jacksonville State in 2024, and now he’s with the Cardinals after posting a 29-yard run in their preseason game.
Cook arrives with a huge résumé of his own. Last season at South Carolina, he led the nation in rushing yards and missed tackles forced, according to PFF.
He transfers into a scheme that should ask him to carry the load again, and he’s set up to be one of the country’s most productive backs once more while playing behind offensive line coach Rick Trickett and some familiar teammates. He has two years of eligibility left, but if the carries pile up the way they should, an early jump to the draft wouldn’t be a surprise.
The key point: he’s the older player on this roster with the best shot to get drafted.
Nick Krahe deserves a mention too. The redshirt junior could emerge as one of the Big 12’s best interior offensive linemen this season if he takes the next step, and Neal Brown once called him a future pro. That still sounds about right.
The most intriguing second-year name is Cam Torbor. He’s a redshirt freshman listed at 6-foot-3, 239 pounds, and Rodriguez said he may be the fastest linebacker on the team.
That kind of size-speed combination is hard to ignore, especially if Torbor ends up working as an off-ball linebacker this season. He played in the maximum four games a year ago while redshirting, mostly on special teams, but he looks like a real candidate to anchor the middle of the defense in 2026.
There’s also a growing buzz around him. Rodriguez couldn’t stop smiling when talking about Torbor, and Torbor was even selected to speak to the media last week.
That’s a meaningful sign for a player who, not long ago, would have looked like a long shot to jump experienced linebackers on the depth chart. If he becomes one of WVU’s best defenders this season, it won’t feel so far-fetched anymore.
Scotty Fox and TaRon Francis are the other second-year names to keep in mind. Fox has a tight, quick throwing motion that hints at long-term upside. Francis, a former blue-chip receiver prospect, brings speed for his size at 6-foot-1 and 216 pounds, and he can line up inside or outside.
The true freshman to watch is Kevin Brown. The offensive tackle checks in at 6-foot-6, 294 pounds and already looks like he’s spent years in a college strength program.
He’s most likely taken over the starting left tackle job as a freshman, which is a remarkable feat at the Power Four level. Brown is also one of the highest-rated prospects in West Virginia history, and there’s a reason he was once committed to Penn State.
He looks like a clean NFL Draft candidate if everything develops the way WVU hopes. His pedigree brings to mind Wyatt Milum, and Brown’s college path could end up following a similar arc. If the Mountaineers get the kind of luck they’re hoping for, he’ll be a central piece of that.
Amari Latimer is the freshman honorable mention. The 5-foot-10, 230-pound running back is a consensus four-star and should carve out a role this season. As for a dark horse, tight end Kade Bush gets that nod.
In Other News...
WVUs Opener Depth Chart Is Taking Shape Around Two Key Battles
West Virginias second preseason scrimmage gave the staff another chance to sort through a depth chart that is still coming into focus ahead of the opener against Coastal Carolina. The projection now paints a clearer picture of who is trending toward starting jobs and where the Mountaineers are leaning on camp competition and rotation work to settle things before Week 1.
The biggest takeaway is that the roster still has a few genuine battles shaping the final look, with injuries and performance in camp influencing how the two-deep is arranged. Even with some spots appearing more settled than others, the remaining question is how the staff will handle those key decisions when it comes time to trim uncertainty and lock in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Defense Faces One Big Test Before Fans Can Trust It
As fall camp moves deeper into August, the Mountaineers defense sounds like a group that is starting to settle in. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley said the players are gaining a better grasp of the system, looking more comfortable and making smarter plays, while Rich Rodriguez has pointed to the benefit of bringing back several experienced pieces even as the staff layers in more complex schemes this season.
The bigger question is whether all of that translates when the games turn physical. West Virginia still has concerns up front, especially about the defensive lines depth and size against run-heavy opponents, and that is the kind of issue that tends to show up quickly once the pads stay on and the opposition starts leaning on the front seven. [Read more 🡒]
WVU May Have Found A Breakout Defender Right On Time
Cam Torbors rise has been one of the more encouraging developments of West Virginias preseason, especially for a defense that can use every bit of help it can get. The redshirt freshman came into camp with limited game action and a background more familiar to edge rusher than off-ball linebacker, but the staff has seen enough growth to start imagining him as part of the opening-night plan. Rich Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Zac Alley have both pointed to Torbors athleticism, speed and upside as reasons his name has moved quickly into the conversation.
What makes Torbor especially intriguing is how new this all still is. The linebacker transition is recent, and while WVU appears ready to lean on him right away, there is still a sense that his best football is ahead of him rather than behind him. For the Mountaineers, that creates a pretty useful kind of problem: a player who may be able to help now, with the chance to become much more than a useful piece once he settles fully into the position. [Read more 🡒]