WVU football is set to face Kansas today at 6 PM EST in the Big 12 season opener for both programs. This season, all Big 12 teams are required to release daily 'player availability' reports for in-conference games starting on Wednesday of each week. The final gameday report will come out later today just before the action gets underway, but most decisions have already been made public on who will and won't play. So let's take a look at who will suit up and who won't for the Mountaineers against the Jayhawks.
OUT: RB Jahiem White, WR Jaden Bray, WR Preston Fox, RB Kannon Katzer, S Julien Horton, OL Cooper Young, TE Jacob Barrick
The Mountaineers already knew about White and Bray before this week, as they were ruled out for the season following injuries against Ohio. Katzer has been struggling with injuries since preseason camp, and head coach Rich Rodriguez has mentioned his name over the past couple of weeks as a player who is on his way back, but without a definitive timetable.
Horton and Young's injuries are news to fans, but may be issues that have been known to the staff for awhile, as this is the first week where an availability report was required. It's not clear how long they've been injured or how long they will be from here on out, but they weren't expected to be contributors entering the season.
Fox and Barrick both went down during The Backyard Brawl against Pitt, and have been featured prominently in the offense this season. West Virginia native and Youngstown State transfer Cyrus Traugh and Jacksonville State transfer Jordan McCants sit behind Fox on the depth chart. There's only currently a two-deep at tight end and Barrick is listed as second-string behind Grayson Barnes, but expect to see UNC transfer Ryan Ward and Morgantown natives Colin McBee and Noah Braham see reps in his place.
PROBABLE: RB Tye Edwards, OL Xavier Bausley
Edwards got his first carries of the season last week against Pitt and exploded for 141 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries in the WVU win. He didn't appear to be injured in the immediate aftermath of the game, and his name wasn't mentioned among the injured in any of Rodriguez's press appearances this week. It feels like a safe bet that there was a day-to-day injury that won't be a concern on Saturday, but it will be interesting to see how he's listed on the final gameday report just before kickoff.
Bausley is an interesting name, as he is a West Virginia native who was a Conference USA All-Freshman selection and Freshman All-American in 2023 at Jacksonville State underneath Rodriguez, who transferred to WVU a year before Rodriguez got the job and played in five games last season as a reserve. However, he hasn't been seen much at all during spring practice, preseason camp, or the first three games, It appears he was likely recovering from an injury that was undisclosed at the time, and if he's ready to return, he could play a factor in the depth chart going forward for an offensive line that has looked very rough to start the season.
Players Available Who Were Listed As Probable, Questionable or Doubtful This Week Who Are Now Available: LB Chase Wilson, Bandit MarShon Oxley, S Derek Carter Jr.
The big one here is Chase Wilson, who looked to be a key figure for the defense through the first two weeks but didn't see action in The Backyard Brawl. It will be a boon for the Mountaineers to have him back in action.