As the calendar has turned to August, fall camp is well underway in Morgantown. The buzz is continuing to build around Rich Rodriguez and the new-look Mountaineers, who are just three weeks away from kicking off the season against Robert Morris on Saturday, August 30th.
Sure, the transfer portal has brought a tremendous amount of roster turnover in college football over the last several years. However, this team in Morgantown, from one season to the next, is going through something nearly unprecedented. There are upwards of 70 players suiting up for WVU this season who were not a part of the Mountaineers a season ago. Rich Rodriguez and his coaching staff did a great job of at least filling out the roster for 2025, but the real question is whether or not it will translate into W’s in the win column.
Does anyone really know what to expect from this team as the season approaches? Could you give any proper gauge as to how many wins this team may get this year? Is it crazy to say that they compete for a Big 12 Title? Is it crazy to say that they find themselves amongst the league’s worst teams? There is undoubtedly a high level of unpredictability that comes with the 2025 version of the Mountaineers.
Coach Rodriguez hasn’t named a starting quarterback and has made it rather clear in press conferences through fall camp that people will find out based on who runs out for the opening offensive possession against Robert Morris on the 30th. He's also made it clear that several in the program are struggling with "softness" in fall camp.
Got to catch some action from WVU football camp this morning for @RedditCFB. Here's some clips from offensive drills. #HailWV pic.twitter.com/59PZVUeBIh
— Joe Smith (@joesmithwrites) August 8, 2025
Quarterback Nicco Marchiol led the Mountaineers to two wins in his two starts last season (Arizona, Cincinnati) and is eager for his chance to lead this offense. Of course, standout running back Jahiem White is the primary familiar face on the offensive side of the ball. Many are expecting the preseason All-Big 12 running back to have a sensational junior season in Rich Rod’s offensive system.
Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley has come to Morgantown after a stop in Norman, Oklahoma, coaching the Sooners. As Rodriguez indicated in a press conference this week, Alley “does things a little differently, and I like that.” The rising coaching star has been mentored by Brent Venables and is known for running many different defensive schemes and pressure packages. How quickly will all the new players adjust to Alley’s system? We’ll just have to wait and see.
As unprecedented as an offseason that this has been (hiring a former head coach from nearly two decades ago, and adding 70 new players to the program), the season that is about to unfold may very well match those levels. There are just so many possible outcomes, and way too many unknowns to be able to predict where this team could end up in the conference standings at the end of the season.
West Virginia kicks things off with Robert Morris on August 30 at 2 PM EST, before taking a trip to play the Ohio Bobcats at 4 PM EST on September 6. The highly anticipated Backyard Brawl matchup will be in Morgantown this year on September 13 at 3:30 PM EST.