West Virginia is dealing with a number of injuries this season as the Mountaineers continue preparing for the start of the 2026 season.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez said Wednesday that seven or eight players are currently dealing with hamstring strains or other soft tissue injuries, something he acknowledged has been frustrating during preseason camp. Read more: WVU Football managing multiple injuries ahead of 2026 season.
“I get a little frustrated when we have some soft-tissue stuff, you know, seven, eight guys with hamstring strains or whatever it is,” Rodriguez said. “It’s nothing anybody’s done wrong. It just, I guess it just kind of happens.”
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Several players questionable for opener
Several of those injuries could impact West Virginia’s availability when the Mountaineers open the season.
Cam Ball is questionable for the first game, although Rodriguez said the team is hopeful he will return in time. Ryan Ward is expected to be back, while freshman running back Lawrence Autry has been dealing with an injury for the past couple of weeks and remains uncertain for the opener.
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“Lawrence Autry, is doing well. He’s banged up for a couple weeks, so I don’t know if he’ll be ready for the first game,” Rodriguez said.
Past injuries: “freaky luck”
The injury situation comes after West Virginia dealt with significant injury issues at running back and quarterback last season. Still, Rodriguez does not believe the current situation points to a larger problem within the program’s strength and conditioning or training staffs.
“I mean, it was kind of bad luck,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t think you can point a finger at a strength coach or a trainer or a position coach when somebody tears a knee in a game.”
Rodriguez said that West Virginia has examined its approach to workouts and practices, but he doesnt believe there is a major change that needs to be made.
“I’ve done this for 29 years as a head coach,” Rodriguez said. “I kind of know exactly how I want the summer workouts to go and how the practice should go. I’ve got a pretty good feel like that.”
Instead, Rodriguez pointed to the importance of having enough depth to withstand injuries throughout the season.
Last season, West Virginia saw injuries pile up at running back and quarterback, something Rodriguez gave quite the description.
“It was just freaky luck. So, you got to build depth,” Rodriguez said.
Importance of depth
That has been a point of emphasis for the Mountaineers entering this season.
“I do think we should have better depth this year,” Rodriguez said. “I feel better about our depth this year. And we purposely tried to address that because just in case we had bad luck.”
From injury to opportunity
West Virginia has managed injuries throughout camp. Freshman wide receiver Landon Drum, who Rodriguez said had one of the better chances among the true freshmen to contribute early, is expected to miss a couple of weeks after getting banged up.
The Mountaineers have also seen injuries affect the tight end room, creating additional opportunities for freshman Cade Bush, who has received increased reps.
With the season opener approaching, Rodriguez said the goal is to have as many players available as possible, while still building the depth necessary to handle whatever injuries arise during the season.
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