Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia look for turnaround after a 4-8 season and roster exodus

West Virginia

2025 record: 4-8

Expectations

West Virginia underwent wholesale lineup changes under second-year coach Rich Rodriguez as the Mountaineers chase an elusive Big 12 championship.

Injuries took a heavy toll in the first year of Rodriguez’s second stint with the team. The Mountaineers were among the lowest-scoring teams in the Big 12 despite being among the nation’s fastest-tempo offenses.

During the offseason West Virginia lost nearly three-fourths of its roster, including more than 50 who entered the transfer portal. The portal also brought in some potential standouts, especially on offense.

“We looked more for production as opposed to potential, guys that have been very productive, whether it’s at a Group of Five school or what have you, that started and played in college games and wanted to try to play at the highest level,” Rodriguez said.

West Virginia has yet to win a Big 12 championship since entering the league in 2012. Its last 10-win season was a decade ago and there’s little reason to doubt that trend will end. The Mountaineers haven’t been ranked in the AP Top 25 since 2018, the longest drought among Big 12 schools and one of the longest in the Power Four.

Strengths include running game and offensive line

Rodriguez hopes to get a big improvement out of a lackluster spread-option offense with the addition of quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and running back Cam Cook, the nation’s top rusher last season with 1,659 yards at Jacksonville State. Cook was selected to The Associated Press all-America third team.

Opening holes for them should be an offensive line that added a half dozen transfers along with Kevin Brown, a 6-foot-6 freshman who is expected to start at left tackle. Rodriguez admits that last year’s unit lacked size.

Rodriguez has reunited with veteran offensive line coach Rick Trickett. The pair worked together at West Virginia from 2001 to 2006 before Trickett spent the next decade at Florida State.

Weaknesses include questions at wide receiver and defense

West Virginia lost its top seven receivers from a year ago when the Mountaineers caught just 10 TD passes and only one player had more than 400 receiving yards. Jaden Bray is being counted on to be the centerpiece of this year’s unit, but he’ll have to stay healthy. Bray sustained season-ending foot injuries in each of the last two years in which he played a total of seven games.

Rodriguez also has spoken highly of 6-foot-5 Prince Strachan, who was limited by an ankle injury last season and played in just one game at Southern California.

West Virginia had five blowout losses, including a 49-0 setback to Texas Tech to end the season. The defense allowed a Big 12-worst 28 TD passes and 265 passing yards per game, eighth-worst in the nation. The defense returns just one of its top 10 tacklers and no one who started more than one game for the Mountaineers last season.

New faces

QB Michael Hawkins Jr. (transfer from Oklahoma), RB Cam Cook (transfer from Jacksonville State), WR DJ Epps (transfer from Troy), DB Andrew Powdrell (transfer from UNLV), DE Harper Holloman (transfer from Western Kentucky).

Key losses

RB Jahiem White (transferred to North Texas), QB Nicco Marchiol (transferred to Northwestern), DB Fred Perry (graduated), LB Reid Carrico (graduated), RB Diore Hubbard (transferred to Wyoming).

Biggest games for the Mountaineers

Vs. Arizona (Oct. 10), at Texas Tech (Nov. 7), at Utah (Nov. 27).

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