2026 Big 12 Football Teams Previews: West Virginia Mountaineers

Teams:

Portal Team Rankings:

On3: Big 12 4th | National 17th
24/7 Sports: Big 12 14th | National 57th
The Athletic: B

Via AI:

Cam Cook (RB): A high-profile 247Sports four-star caliber transfer running back expected to shoulder a massive load in the offensive backfield.
TaRon Francis (WR): A talented wide receiver addition bringing vital explosiveness and depth to the perimeter.
Devin Vass (IOL): An important interior offensive line reinforcement arriving from Kansas State.
Kamari Wilson (S): A former elite recruit and transfer safety from Memphis expected to anchor the secondary.
Tobi Haastrup (Edge): A disruptive pass-rusher rated highly among the defensive incoming cohort.
Geimere Latimer Jr. (CB): A versatile defensive back added from Wisconsin to bolster coverage.

Via The Athletic:

Top players added: RB Cam Cook (Jacksonville State), WR DJ Epps (Troy), OT Carsten Casady (UConn), edge Zeke Campbell (Coastal Carolina), S Kamari Wilson (Memphis)

The roster churn has been intense in Morgantown, with 99 players departing via the portal since Rich Rodriguez’s arrival in December 2024 and 83 players (37 high school recruits, 34 transfers, 12 jucos) signed in the last two offseasons. There are only three players with at least six starts back from last season — sophomore quarterback Scotty Fox and two offensive linemen. Of the transfer losses, four were starters, including the team’s top two receivers in terms of catches. Of the transfer additions, 16 were starters at other FBS programs, including five offensive linemen, three edge rushers and three defensive backs. Cook, who began his career at TCU and spent last season at Jacksonville State, is the biggest addition via the portal. He led the nation with 1,659 rushing yards last season — 1,324 more yards than West Virginia’s leading rusher in 2025.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly:

I like to mention when I disagree with an SP+ projection, and I often am proved correct when doing so. And sometimes I’m not. SP+ projected WVU 57th with a win total around 5.2 in Rodriguez’s first season back in Morgantown, but I was enamored enough with the transfers he brought in to think the Mountaineers were capable of a bit more.

Instead, they went 4-8 and finished 93rd in SP+. They pulled off a lovely comeback to beat Backyard Brawl rival Pitt during a 2-1 start, but the offense showed life only briefly after that, and an aggressive defense got burned too many times to make up the difference.

There’s more at the link.

Team Recruiting Rankings:

On3: Big 12 1st | National 19th
24/7 Sports: Big 12 3rd | National 25th

Via AI:

Kevin Brown (OT): A prized 6’6″, 280-pound offensive tackle from Harrisburg, PA, rated as a top-75 national prospect who projects to compete early.
Matt Sieg (S): A versatile four-star safety from Fort Cherry, PA, known for his high-level playmaking capability on both sides of the ball.
Amari Latimer (RB): A record-setting four-star running back out of Sandy Creek, GA, with elite burst and extensive major-conference offers.
Xavier Anderson (TE): A local 6’6″ in-state standout from Martinsburg, WV (Spring Mills HS) who provides a massive target at tight end.
Jyron Hughley (QB): A talented quarterback out of Cardinal Newman in Florida expected to add depth and developmental upside to the offense.

Big 12 Power Rankings

ESPN’s Bill Connelly: 16th in the Big 12
CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah: 14th in the Big 12
The Big Lead: 14th in the Big 12
Desert News’ Brandon Judd: 14th in the Big 12

AI Projection: What is the outlook for West Virginia Mountaineer football for 2026?

The 2026 outlook for West Virginia University football under head coach Rich Rodriguez points toward a competitive rebound. Projected for around 5 to 7 wins by analytical models like ESPN’s FPI, the team features a revamped roster, a strong rushing attack led by transfer Cam Cook, and a more intentional transfer class.

Roster and Offense

Key Additions: Dual-threat quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and nation-leading rusher Cam Cook (from Jacksonville State) join the backfield.

Trenches: The offensive line added heavy portal depth and reunited Rodriguez with veteran line coach Rick Trickett to fix previous size and performance issues.

Roster Turnover: Over 80 new faces are on the squad, though coaches emphasize this year’s player acquisition was far more targeted and experienced than the previous cycle.Schedule and

Expectations

Early Opportunities: A manageable non-conference start opens with Coastal Carolina on September 5, 2026, followed by early winnable Big 12 games.

Tough November: Late-season matchups against tougher conference opponents like Texas Tech and Utah present a major gauntlet.

General Consensus: While most mainstream projections view them as a fringe bowl-eligible team, select analysts like ESPN’s Stanford Steve believe the squad could pull off a bigger surprise in the Big 12.