MORGANTOWN, WV – We may only be one month removed from the 2023 WVU Football season, but this has not kept fans from looking ahead for what’s to come. For the first time in what seems like forever, there is some serious buzz surrounding the program. Neal Brown, who was on the hot seat going into 2023, did arguably the best job of defying odds in the nation.
The Mountaineers, projected to finish dead-last in the Big 12 in 2023, finished in the top four of the conference with a 9-4 record. Most of the team’s production will once again be suiting up in 2024, and expectations are officially through the roof.
Nobody has a crystal ball to truly tell the future, but that is what we are going to try to do today. Here are VOM’s 5 Way-Too-Early Predictions for WVU Football’s 2024 Season:
- Jahiem White wins Big 12 rushing title – To say that the Mountaineers struck gold with Jahiem White would be an understatement. The Pennsylvania native splashed onto the scene late in the 2023 season, finishing as the team’s leading rusher. Returning on an offense that led the Big 12 in rushing yards, it isn’t too far fetched to believe that White could win the conference’s rushing title. That’s exactly what we believe will happen. Look for a massive sophomore season from White.
- Garrett Greene vs Jalon Daniels is the game of the year – If Daniels and Greene can stay healthy next season, their scheduled matchup in Morgantown will be a memorable one. Both will be among the best quarterbacks in the Big 12, and will provide fireworks in the Mountain State. It may not reach the levels of WVU’s 70-63 win over Baylor in 2012, but it will certainly be featured among the top games on Sportscenter that night.
- WVU will be playing for a conference championship game spot in the season finale – We may not have the official schedule yet, but it’s easy to predict that the Mountaineers will be in the mix for the Big 12 title late in the game. Neal Brown has always said he wants to play meaningful football in November – this will be his first chance to do so on the sidelines of Milan Puskar Stadium.
- A close loss to Penn State does not keep WVU out of CFP discussions – The College Football Playoff officially moves to 12 teams in 2024. This will give more teams the opportunity to play for the ultimate title as the nation’s best. The Mountaineers will have their first slugfest with a potential College Football Playoff participant with Penn State on August 31st. While we expect WVU to lose a closely contested battle in their season opener, this will not keep them out of discussions for the extended playoffs late in the season. If WVU can take care of business in-league play, there’s no reason to believe they can’t be a dark-horse.
- Neal Brown receives contract extension – Love him or hate him, Neal Brown has quickly turned around WVU’s projection. It took him only one year to take his team as the presumed worst team in the Big 12 to a contender. With the success we expect him to have in 2024, we predict that Wren Baker will want to lock him down for the foreseeable future. Brace yourself for the impact of the news, haters. The Mountaineers have their guy in Brown.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
