Editor’s note: Thirteenth in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2026.
The West Virginia Mountaineers face a steep mountain to climb in Year 2 of the program’s rebuild.
After Neal Brown was fired ahead of the 2025 season, West Virginia turned to a familiar face in Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez oversaw the Mountaineers’ best season in program history, an 11-1 campaign in 2005 that West Virginia finished off with a 38-35 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
Now back in Morgantown, Rodriguez enters the second year of his second stint. The first year, expectedly, was a losing campaign, though West Virginia finished 14th in the 16-team Big 12.
Yes, there were the expected blowout losses, including a 48-14 drubbing at the hands of Utah, but West Virginia pulled off a couple of shockers — an overtime win over Pittsburgh and a win at Houston.
For a team projected to finish dead last in the Big 12, West Virginia exceeded expectations with a 4-8 year.
Now, can the Mountaineers continue that climb and get to bowl-eligible?
Last year, West Virginia tried four quarterbacks, with freshman Scotty Fox Jr. getting the most playing time and leading them to the win over Houston. Fox Jr. threw for 1,276 yards and seven touchdowns with six interceptions on 59.4% accuracy last year. Rodriguez brought in Michael Hawkins Jr. from Oklahoma, and while most think Hawkins Jr. will win the job, there will be a competition in fall camp.
Hawkins Jr. started four games for the Sooners in 2024, beating Auburn. In 2024, Hawkins Jr. threw for 783 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions on a 63.3% completion rate. He also rushed for 204 yards and a score.
“At the quarterback spot, Scotty coming back. He played as a really young true freshman last year and competed well. He’s gotten better,” Rodriguez said. “But we wanted a guy that we think can compete for the starting job and maybe take us to another whole level, and that was Mike Hawkins, who had a great spring. He can run. He can throw.”
Whoever wins the starting quarterback job should have a much improved offensive line from last season, when West Virginia gave up among the most sacks in the nation — a staggering 2.58 per game. The offensive line has been completely rebuilt and has a new coach — Rick Trickett. Nick Krahe returns at tackle, but there will likely be four other starters around him, including UConn veteran Carsten Casady.
They’ll be clearing the way for All-Big 12 preseason selection Cam Cook, who dazzled at Jackson State, rushing for 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Rodriguez also hit the transfer portal for wide receivers, landing DJ Epps (512 yards, five TD at Troy) and Prince Strachan (previously at Boise State, suffered season-ending injury early last year at USC).
The offense should be improved this season.
Likewise, there’s only one way to go for the defense, which allowed 409.2 yards per game and 30.8 points per game.
Rodriguez was active in the transfer portal in remaking the Mountaineers’ defense. Western Kentucky defensive end Harper Holloman, Kent State cornerback Jaire Rawlinson and Memphis safety Kamari Wilson are key additions.
Like last season, West Virginia will rely heavily on a large crop of transfers — 80-plus new players, in fact. Last year, the team never gelled fully, and the Mountaineers fell short of bowl eligibility.
In Rodriguez’s second year, West Virginia should get to a bowl game with an improved offense, though it remains to be seen just how much the defense will improve.
The Mountaineers face a gauntlet over their last five games, which will play a key part in bowl eligibility. West Virginia will have to find wins against at least a couple among TCU, Texas Tech, Kansas, Houston and Utah.
2026 West Virginia Mountaineers at a glance
2025 record: 4-8 (2-7 Big 12)
Utah ties
- None
2026 schedule
- Sept. 5 — vs. Coastal Carolina
- Sept. 12 — vs. UT Martin
- Sept. 19 — vs. Virginia (Charlotte, North Carolina)
- Sept. 26 — vs. Oklahoma State
- Oct. 3 — at Iowa State
- Oct. 10 — vs. Arizona
- Oct. 17 — vs. Cincinnati
- Oct. 24 — at TCU
- Nov. 7 — at Texas Tech
- Nov. 14 — vs. Kansas
- Nov. 21 — vs. Houston
- Nov. 27 — at Utah