West Virginia’s future is starting to take shape around a small group of young players who already look like more than just developmental pieces. In an era when rosters turn over fast, the Mountaineers still need a foundation - and this is the group that stands out as the core to build around.
The idea is simple enough: keep the best young talent, let it grow together, and trust that production on the field will be matched by leadership off it. For West Virginia, that means leaning on nine players who could become the backbone of what comes next, split into three groups by class and all with at least three years of eligibility remaining.
The freshman trio starts with running back Amari Latimer, offensive lineman Kevin Brown and safety Matt Sieg. None of them has played a college snap yet, but all three arrive with the kind of profile that makes them hard to ignore. Latimer and Brown already look like they’ve spent years in Mike Joseph’s strength program, while Sieg brings the kind of athleticism and football IQ that tends to show up quickly once the game starts moving.
Brown and Sieg are already being counted on as day one starters, while Latimer sits behind Cam Cook as the primary backup. That alone tells you how quickly this group could matter.
The next wave includes receiver TaRon Francis, EDGE Tobi Haastrup and nose/safety Maliek Hawkins, a trio that is still waiting to prove it at the college level but carries serious upside. Francis has the tools to become a dynamic target, though the game still needs to slow down for him. He finished spring ball with a run of solid practices, and West Virginia has enough depth at receiver that it won’t need him to carry a heavy load right away in 2026.
Haastrup is the kind of prospect who jumps off the page before he ever fully figures things out. He only picked up football in his senior year of high school, then redshirted at Oregon after seeing a handful of snaps. At 19, he remains raw, but the physical upside is obvious.
Hawkins has also become a name to watch, and not just because he’s the brother of quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. The staff believes he can play, and the path appears clear for him to back up Geimere Latimer at nickel/sam while Andrew Powdrell sees more work at safety. Zac Alley is expected to use Hawkins heavily as a blitzer, and the staff likes how he can fly downhill and get into the quarterback’s face.
Then there’s the group built around quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr., offensive lineman Amare Grayson and EDGE Harper Holloman. This is the hardest set to narrow down because there are other players who matter, too, but Hawkins Jr. sits at the center of everything.
The belief around him has been consistent all offseason: this is his team. Any talk of a real quarterback battle going into fall camp misses the point.
This fall is about setting the tone for what comes next.
Grayson, known as “Bubba,” projects as the starter at right guard and should give West Virginia a steady interior presence. At Jacksonville State last season, he gave up just 10 pressures, eight hurries, one QB hit and one sack.
The year before, he posted similar numbers and didn’t allow a sack. He brings toughness in the run game, too.
That’s the shape of the Mountaineers’ young core: a quarterback at the center, linemen and defenders ready to anchor key spots, and a handful of high-upside pieces who could turn into something bigger as they settle in.
In Other News...
WVU Is Moving On From A Longtime Helmet Look In 2026
West Virginia is making a subtle but notable change to its look for the 2026 season, moving away from the white matte helmet it has worn since 2013. The school revealed a new gloss-finish helmet that lines up more cleanly with the current uniform design, giving the Mountaineers a finish that feels more in step with what they wear now.
The updated lid will feature a blue state decal with a gold flying WV in the center, a familiar set of colors in a fresh presentation. The matte finish is not disappearing entirely, though, as it will still be reserved for the Coal Rush uniforms, leaving one longtime look in place even as the program refreshes the rest of its helmet identity. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Roster Picture Just Got Murkier After NCAA Eligibility Shift
The NCAAs latest eligibility tweak is the kind of change that can quietly reshape a roster months before anyone starts talking about depth charts. By creating a five-year, five-season framework for college sports, the rule opens the door for some players across the country to keep going longer, but it does not automatically reset the clock for everyone who has already spent four seasons in four years. For West Virginia, that means the roster picture for 2026-27 just became a lot harder to read, with some players now sitting in a gray area as the staff tries to project who can actually be back.
A few Mountaineers are positioned to benefit from the new setup, while others will need waivers or possibly legal help if they want to extend their college careers. Layer that uncertainty on top of a portal class of 32 players who can play beyond 2026, and the challenge becomes less about simply filling spots and more about knowing which spots will even be open. The result is a more complicated offseason outlook than the Mountaineers probably expected, with the NCAAs change forcing WVU to sort through eligibility questions before the roster can truly take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Wren Baker Sees Real Signs Of A Culture Shift At WVU
West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker said he is already seeing signs of a different kind of football program taking shape under Rich Rodriguez, and the early returns go beyond practice fields and playbooks. The energy around the 2026 team has stood out to him, with players showing a level of connection and enthusiasm that suggests the group is starting to take on the personality Rodriguez wants built in Morgantown.
Baker pointed to the way the players have been around one another away from football, including a gathering at the baseball regional against Kentucky, as evidence that the bond is real. The sense inside the program is that the buy-in is strong and the locker room is moving in the same direction, which is exactly the sort of foundation WVU needs as Rodriguez keeps trying to reshape the culture from the inside out. [Read more 🡒]