With WVU Football opening training camp soon, there is no shortage of questions surrounding the Mountaineers.
After a disappointing 4-8 season in Rich Rodriguez’s return to Morgantown, the focus now shifts from rebuilding to producing results. Rodriguez and his coaching staff have spent the offseason reshaping the roster in an effort to restore the winning culture that once defined the program. Read More: The biggest questions facing WVU entering training camp
If Rodriguez hopes to engineer a Year 2 turnaround similar to the one he accomplished during his first stint at West Virginia, this recruiting class and transfer haul must deliver immediately.
Roster turnover has become the new reality of college football, but even by today’s standards, the Mountaineers have undergone another massive transformation. Last season featured nearly 70 new players. This year, Rodriguez has welcomed more than 80 newcomers, although this group was assembled much differently, with a much greater emphasis on high school recruiting and long-term development.
“We didn’t expect to have a whole roster flip again,” said Rodriguez in an interview last week. “But we kind of knew that was probably gonna have to happen because we were getting what we could get. Those guys last year did a good job. They played hard and helped us set the culture. But this year we had a little bit more time to identify the guys we wanted.”
That kind of roster overhaul creates optimism, but it also creates uncertainty.
As the Mountaineers report to camp, here are the biggest questions that could determine whether WVU takes a significant step forward in 2026.
Who wins the quarterback battle?
This is the obvious place to start.
While there are plenty of questions surrounding West Virginia entering training camp, none is bigger than who will take the first snap when the Mountaineers open the season.
Scotty Fox Jr. showed flashes last season of what it takes to operate Rich Rodriguez’s up-tempo offense. At his best, he made quick decisions, kept the offense moving and demonstrated the arm talent to stretch the field. The inconsistency, however, prevented him from fully seizing the job.
Enter Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr.
More on Hawkins
Let’s be honest – Hawkins wasn’t brought to Morgantown to provide depth. He was brought in to win the starting quarterback job.
Hawkins possesses the athleticism Rodriguez covets in his run-pass option (RPO) offense. His ability to make defenders wrong with his legs creates opportunities for everyone around him. Pair Hawkins with running back Cam Cook, and West Virginia has the potential to field one of the more explosive rushing attacks in the Big 12.
The biggest question is what happens when defenses force Hawkins to beat them through the air.
Related: More than an arm: what Rich Rodriguez is looking for in WVU’s next starting quarterback
While Hawkins has shown flashes as a passer, becoming a more consistent pocket quarterback will be critical to this offense reaching its ceiling. Defenses will eventually crowd the line of scrimmage and dare Hawkins to beat them through the air. When that happens, he doesn’t need to be Will Grier.
He just needs to be Pat White… as a passer only. Let’s not get carried away!
White never had to throw for 350 yards every Saturday. He simply made enough timely throws to punish defenses that overcommitted to stopping the run. If Hawkins can do the same, Rodriguez’s offense becomes incredibly difficult to defend. If he can’t, opponents will load the box, limit the rushing attack and force West Virginia into uncomfortable passing situations.
The battle between Hawkins and Fox will dominate training camp headlines, but the bigger question isn’t who wins the job. It’s whether the winner can make defenses pay for selling out to stop the run.
Can the offensive line become a strength?
The quarterback battle will receive most of the attention during training camp, but the answer may not matter much if West Virginia cannot block anybody.
That sounds harsh, but the offensive line was one of the Mountaineers’ biggest weaknesses during last year’s 4-8 season. Too many drives were derailed by pressure, negative plays and an inability to consistently control the line of scrimmage.
Rich Rodriguez clearly recognized the problem.
He made major changes to the room, beginning with the return of veteran offensive line coach Rick Trickett. Trickett helped build some of the best rushing attacks in West Virginia history during Rodriguez’s first stint in Morgantown.
The centerpiece of the rebuilt line is Nick Krahe, who started all 12 games at left tackle last season and was arguably West Virginia’s most dependable offensive lineman. This year, Krahe is moving inside to left guard, where Trickett believes his size, athleticism and physicality are a more natural fit. Moving your best returning lineman may appear risky, but the move could make Krahe even more effective while strengthening the entire unit.
More offensive line
Then there is Kevin Brown.
Brown arrived in Morgantown as one of the most celebrated offensive line signees in recent program history. The former Penn State commit possesses the size and athleticism to eventually become a cornerstone of the program, but the coaching staff may not make him wait very long.
Rodriguez has already said Brown will play as a true freshman. The only remaining question is whether he earns the starting job at right tackle immediately or works his way into the lineup during the season. Starting a true freshman at tackle in the Big 12 is usually less than ideal. In Brown’s case, however, it would be a sign that the hype surrounding him was justified.
The Mountaineers have also added experience throughout the line, creating considerably more depth and competition than they had a year ago. Krahe’s move to guard allows Trickett to put his best five linemen on the field rather than simply leaving everyone at the position they played last season.
West Virginia’s offensive line does not have to become one of the best in the country overnight. It simply needs to become reliable.
Can West Virginia pressure the quarterback?
If there is one area of the defense that could make or break the 2026 season, it’s getting after opposing quarterbacks.
The challenge is obvious.
West Virginia isn’t just replacing production off the edge – it’s replacing everybody.
The Mountaineers enter training camp with an entirely new EDGE room after losing every contributor from last year’s Bandit position. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley and defensive line coach William Green have essentially hit the reset button, hoping a group of transfers and young talent can quickly develop into a consistent pass rush.
Fortunately for West Virginia, there are reasons for optimism.
Harper Holloman arrives from Western Kentucky with the athleticism to become an immediate impact player. Bowling Green transfer David Afogho brings experience and physicality to the edge. Junior college transfer Jeremiah Johnson adds another veteran option, while former Oregon signee Tobi Haastrup may have the highest ceiling of the group if his potential translates on Saturdays.
Inside, Nate Gabriel returns to anchor the defensive line, giving the Mountaineers an experienced presence in the middle. But interior pressure alone won’t be enough in the Big 12.
Quarterbacks today get the ball out too quickly. If your edge rushers can’t force hurried throws, even the best secondary will eventually get exposed.
That’s why this may be the most overlooked question entering camp.
West Virginia doesn’t necessarily need a player who finishes with 15 sacks. It simply needs someone offenses have to account for every Saturday.
Now we wait
The answers to these questions won’t come overnight.
Training camp opens next week as Rodriguez and his staff begin sorting through position battles, building chemistry and determining which newcomers are ready to contribute immediately. Every practice, scrimmage and depth chart adjustment will provide another clue about what this team can become.
The real answers begin arriving on Saturday, September 5, when West Virginia opens the 2026 season against Coastal Carolina at Milan Puskar Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max.
Until then, speculation season remains in full swing.
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