The West Virginia Mountaineers are set to kick off the 2025 season against Robert Morris on Saturday. Here are some storylines and key points to watch for as WVU football opens it's first season of the second Rich Rodriguez era in Morgantown.
5 Things To Watch For As WVU Hosts Robert Morris
1. How many quarterbacks will play?
Could we really see five quarterbacks this season? Might that even be possible in the season opener alone? Coach Rodriguez has been very clear throughout fall camp and even into game week that he believes he has five capable signal callers in the room. The two that most are assuming to be the front-runners at the position are Nicco Marchiol and Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson. It is all but a guarantee that both these lefties will play in the season opener.
However it plays out, each of the five quarterbacks in the battle has had and will continue to have opportunities to prove themselves this season. Keep an eye on how many of them see the field in Week 1 and if anyone’s performance stands out above the rest.
2. Just how fast will this offense play?
It’s no secret that Rich Rodriguez wants his offenses to play fast. The “spot the ball” mentality has made its way to Morgantown once again. With 70+ new players, a brand new coach staff, and new playbooks for the players to learn, the week 1 matchup with Robert Morris will be a real glimpse into the kind of speed that Rodriguez is wanting to play with. Are the players in good enough game shape to sustain it? Will they be able to disrupt the flow of the Robert Morris defense and find easy first downs?
3. An Inexperienced Offensive Line
The Mountaineers do not have a lot of experience up front. The players projected to receive significant playing time include:
Nick Krahe - A redshirt sophomore who played in 12 games at WVU in 2024 with a season high of 10 snaps in one game.
Ty’Kieast Crawford - A redshirt senior with nine starts in 39 career games at Arkansas.
Walter Young Bear - A redshirt senior with 13 starts in 33 career games at Tulsa.
Kimo Makane’ole - A redshirt senior who spent last year playing on the defensive line at LSU, but was initially recruited as an offensive lineman by the Tigers and spent multiple years as a depth piece on offense in baton Rouge.
Landen Livingston - A redshirt junior who played in seven games and earned one start at WVU in 2024, with a season high of 13 snaps in one game.
Despite being an offensive line consisting of several upperclassmen, this is not a position group with a lot of live reps in game action. As it is with every football team every year, the play of the offensive line for the Mountaineers is vitally important to the success of the program. This unit will have its first opportunity to prove itself on Saturday afternoon against an FCS opponent.
4. Defensive Difference Makers
Reid Carrico, Fred Perry, and Michael Coats Jr. are just a few players with significant experience and hype who will have an opportunity to assert themselves as leaders on the defensive side of the ball, but there are many potential difference makers for Zac Alley’s defense. In Alley’s system, Mountaineer fans should be eager to see who shines this season, and it all starts on Saturday afternoon.
5. From the Courtroom to the Gridiron
Just days away from the kickoff of the season, some transfer Mountaineers are hopeful to be playing in Week 1 following their earning eligibility via lawsuit. Jimmori Robinson, Tye Edwards, Justin Harrington, and Jeff Weimer have been officially added to the roster. With the ruling coming so close to the start of the season, we’ll all have to wait and see if any or all of these players see the field against Robert Morris. The latter three are in two-deep and started practicing this past week, but in the case of Jimmori Robinson, his full case for eligibility still remains unclear at this time and will not be in action this weekend.