The 2026 Big 12 Football Media Day is underway at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The two-day event had Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark speak on Tuesday, along with eight teams. Read more: Major storylines to follow for WVU at Big 12 Football Media Day.
Notably, Yormark opted to avoid any discussion about the Brendan Sorsby situation. Yormark also announced a multiyear partnership between the Big 12 and Monster Energy worth an estimated $20 million.
Along with football, men’s and women’s basketball will also benefit from the sponsorship. Sports Business Journal reported the deal will pay each school roughly $1 million annually.
As for what Mountaineer fans have waited for, head coach Rich Rodriguez will take the main stage for his press conference portion at approximately 2:20 p.m. EST. ESPNU will stream the press conference.
Along with Rodriguez, WR Jaden Bray, OL Nick Krahe, and S Geimere Latimer will also be available for questions. Here are some storylines to watch out for once they take the stage.
Important Year 2
Following a disappointing first year under Rodriguez, a lot of eyes are on West Virginia for the 2026 season.
Both sides of the ball were disappointing throughout Big 12 play last year. The offense couldn’t stay on the field long enough to sustain long-scoring drives, and the defense could not keep up with the high-octane offenses in the conference.
Rodriguez and the coaching staff managed to bring in a number of quality transfer players to help revitalize the roster. In particular, the offense got a major boost to its skill positions.
Expect Rodriguez to be asked what he thinks Jacksonville State transfer Cam Cook will bring to the offense. WVU will lean heavily on the 2025 NCAA leading rusher this season.
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Does Rodriguez expect Cook to build off his success from last season? Can he match that type of production at the Power 4 level? How will the coaching staff manage his load considering there isn’t a proven second option behind him?
Staying with the offense, the quarterback battle will certainly be brought up. Rodriguez is never shy to steer away from these types of questions, but expects a lot of conversation about them.
Former Oklahoma QB Michael Hawkins Jr. comes in with some playing experience, and even a smaller sample size as a starter. On the other hand, Scotty Fox Jr. returns after taking over the starting role in the second half of last season.
Both QBs fit in Rodriguez’s scheme, so it will be interesting to see what he has to say about the two of them.
If WVU wants to bounce back from last season, the decision on who takes the helm at quarterback will play a major role in making that happen.
A strong recruiting presence
This storyline might be a little too niche for national reporters to ask, but West Virginia managed to have a strong 2026 recruiting class. Headlined by three four-stars, the Mountaineers look to have a solid foundation in place for years to come.
Rodriguez has never been shy to express his commitment to recruiting heavily in the high school ranks. With such an emphasis on the transfer portal, it’s becoming more common for teams to allocate less resources to recruiting high school players.
However, Rodriguez has shown that West Virginia will not shy away from recruiting 17- and 18-year-olds. With highly ranked players like Matt Sieg and Kevin Brown joining the roster, Rodriguez could discuss their development so far and how much he expects them to play this year.
That also includes running back Amari Lattimer. His older brother Geimere will be available for questions, so you can also expect him to be asked how it feels to play alongside his brother.
The 2026 recruiting class as a whole was strong for the Mountaineers, and Rodriguez’s portion at the Big 12 Media Day will be a great opportunity to highlight those recruiting efforts at the national stage.
Bray and Krahe join the panel
Alongside Lattimer, Bray and Krahe will join Rodriguez at media day. Television networks will not broadcast their portions of the event. Instead, they will conduct solo interviews on radio row.
Nonetheless, reporters will still question them about the state of the team and their personal outlooks.
In particular, expect reporters to ask Bray about his health after he returned from a season-ending injury in 2025. Injuries have plagued him throughout his career, so staying healthy in 2026 will be at the forefront of the discussion.
As the leader of the wide receiver room, he bears a lot on his shoulders, so the topic of handling that may also come up.
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For Krahe, he represents an offensive line group that is primarily new as well. Last year’s group underperformed for most of the season, so a rebound is necessary if WVU is going to have a better season.
Along with asking Lattimer about playing alongside his brother, reporters will probably ask why he ultimately chose to come to West Virginia. Was it the opportunity to play with his brother? Did defensive coordinator Zac Alley’s scheme suit his playstyle?
While these interviews won’t be televised, WV Sports Nation will still provide a detailed report of their interviews.
Make sure to stay tuned for further coverage of West Virginia football and the rest of the 2026 Big 12 Media Day.
