West Virginia Mountaineers

West Virginia enters the season with a completely revamped offense under head coach Rich Rodriguez. The quarterback room features returning starter Scotty Fox Jr. and Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr., while the backfield is headlined by Cam Cook, the nation's leading rusher last season at Jacksonville State with 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns. The offensive line, a major weakness in 2025, has been rebuilt with five transfer additions totaling 91 combined starts, joining returning starters Nick Krahe and Landen Livingston. The receiving corps is almost entirely new, with transfers DJ Epps, John Neider, Prince Strachan, and TaRon Francis providing versatility. The success of the season hinges on whether this new-look unit can establish the explosive run game that defines Rodriguez's system.

Defensive coordinator Zac Alley is overseeing a defense that added significant length and athleticism through the transfer portal and a top-20 recruiting class. Edge rusher Harper Holloman, a WKU transfer with 5.5 tackles for loss last season, and Coastal Carolina transfer end Zeke Durham-Campbell are expected to be disruptive forces. The secondary and edge positions have more depth than a year ago, and the defense should be more productive overall. However, integrating so many new faces remains a challenge, and the unit's ability to gel quickly will be critical.

After losing both punter and kicker from 2025, West Virginia aggressively targeted experienced specialists in the transfer portal. They landed punter Bryan Hansen and two kickers with FBS experience, Jack Cassidy and Peter Notaro. This stability in the kicking game should provide a reliable foundation for field position and scoring opportunities, an area that often decides close games in the Big 12.

In his second stint at West Virginia, Rich Rodriguez has brought in over 80 new players for the second straight year, but with more time to evaluate and a deeper talent base, the program expects a significant step forward. An opposing Big 12 assistant noted that last year's team lacked the speed Rodriguez's system requires, but the portal additions at quarterback, running back, and receiver are designed to solve that. The Mountaineers' trajectory depends on how quickly the new pieces develop chemistry and execute the up-tempo, run-oriented scheme.

The biggest vulnerability is the sheer volume of new personnel on both sides of the ball, which could lead to early-season inconsistency. The offensive line, despite the influx of transfers, must prove it can protect the quarterback and open lanes for Cook. Defensively, the secondary's cohesion will be tested against Big 12 passing attacks. The quarterback competition between Fox and Hawkins will be a storyline to monitor, as the triggerman is essential to Rodriguez's offense. Special teams reliability and avoiding turnovers will be crucial in determining whether West Virginia can contend in the conference.