wvnews
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.
As the start of football practice for the Mountaineers nears, coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff are looking for positive answers to the many questions that plagued the club in its 4-8 2025 season.
If the 26 version is going to improve from last year, it has to have quality answers to the biggest questions it faces this year.
Here are in my opinion the biggest questions facing West Virginia as it prepares for the second season of RichRod 2.0.
In memory of Casey Kasem, Ill count down these questions from six to one.
Links to previous WVU questions: 3.
Depth/Injuries Theres no doubt that injuries greatly impacted West Virginias 2025 season, which finished with a 4-8 mark.
To be honest, even if the Mountaineers had remained relatively healthy last year, they may not have had the talent to achieve much more than four wins, but who knows.
Certainly, all the injuries, especially on the offensive side of the ball, were detrimental.
Not a single WVU running back got through 2025 unscathed, as incumbent starter Jahiem White was lost to a season-ending injury two weeks into the fall, while Tye Edwards (four games), Clay Ash (eight games) and Tyler Jacklich (six games) also were each eventually sidelined for the season because of ailments as well.
The situation was just as bad at the quarterback position for West Virginia, as four QBs three of whom started games at some point in 25 were knocked out for extended periods of time.
Nicco Marchiol started the first four games of the season, but then was sidelined the rest of the way.
Jaylen Henderson played in each of the first five games, including starting in week five, before he too was lost to an injury.
Khalil Wilkins also got plenty of early-season chances behind center, including a start in week six, before he was limited by an injury.
And Max Brown was plagued by an injury most of the fall.
True freshman Scotty Fox was the only scholarship quarterback last year to make it through the season unscathed.
By week seven, he had moved into the starting lineup and remained there the rest of the way.
WVU had bumps and bruises at other positions as well, but none nearly as widespread as at running back and quarterback.
Usually the answer to overcome injuries in football is to amass quality depth, though Im not certain any team would have enough P4-caliber running backs and quarterbacks to overcome the rash of maladies as West Virginia sustained last year.
On paper, the 2026 Mountaineers look like they have more quality depth at most positions than they did last year, but still, if they lose their top few running backs for an extended period of time, it will be a significant problem, just like it was last year.
And quarterback would be an even bigger issue if WVU had to start digging deep into its depth chart, again like it did last year.
West Virginias top three quarterbacks Fox, Michael Hawkins and Brown each has D-I game reps under their belts, including past starts, but after that, the Mountaineers would have to turn to young QBs who, to this point in their careers, have no college game experience.
Throwing young signal-callers into the fire is rarely a recipe for success, at West Virginia or anywhere else.
Now the Mountaineers depth at quarterback is as good as most better in fact than many because in todays transfer-prevalent world, no one stockpiles experienced QBs.
With three who have past college starts, WVU is actually in pretty decent shape, but still, it has to hope that position or any other doesnt get hit with a rash of injuries.
No one, including West Virginia, is built to overcome that anymore.
While the quality of players on WVUs 2026 roster wont be fully known until the season gets underway, the quantity at each position appears to be pretty good.
The Mountaineer roster lists 15 defensive linemen, five edge rushers, 11 linebackers, six nickel/slots, nine safeties, 11 cornerbacks, 19 offensive linemen, seven quarterbacks, eight running backs, seven tight ends, 15 wide receivers and six specialists.
Their numbers at each position appear to be pretty good, but none of them are so good they can survive a wave of debilitating injuries.