Five BOLD Predictions for WVU Football in 2023

(Photo by WVU Athletics)

(Photo by WVU Athletics)

Now that spring camp has begun, Mountaineer fans can officially put the putrid 2022 football season behind them. While expectations are relatively minimal for 2023, it is hard to imagine things getting much worse than last year.

With so many questions surrounding the team, nobody is quite sure what to expect when the Gold & Blue takes the field in September. However, it is never too early to predict what will unfold in Morgantown this fall.

Today we are going to make FIVE BOLD predictions for the Mountaineer Football team in 2023 – some of which may be more surprising than others.

Without further ado…

 

  • WVU beats Pitt by double-digits – For the first time since 2011, the Backyard Brawl is set to return to Morgantown in 2023. After losing to the Panthers 38-31 last season, there’s no doubt that West Virginia will be looking for revenge come September 16th…and they’ll get it. Milan Puskar Stadium will be rocking, and the good guys will use that energy to put the hammer down on Pitt. Neal Brown notches his first MASSIVE win with the Mountaineers.
  • C.J. Donaldson runs for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns – The Mountaineers will likely rely heavily on the ground game in 2023. With four capable running backs, any of them could take the starting position and run with it. For the sake of being reasonable, however, we expect that player to be C.J. Donaldson. He will sequel an outstanding freshman campaign with one of the best single-season performances by a running back in school history. It isn’t unfathomable for him to reach 1,500 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, and we think he will get it.
  • Rodney Gallagher wins Big 12 Newcomer of the Year – Mountaineer fans are patiently awaiting the arrival of 247Sports four star prospect Rodney Gallagher. Since he announced his intentions to attend West Virginia University, the amount of buzz surrounding him has been astronomical. With the receivers room being mostly thin, the Pennsylvania should have an immediate impact. Expect Gallagher to have a breakout season and claim Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors.
  • Nicco Marchiol starts all 12 regular season games – Neal Brown and his offensive coaching staff are currently overseeing a quarterback battle. Garrett Greene and Nicco Marchiol are set to duke it out on the gridiron for the privilege of being “the guy” for the Mountaineers. While I am personally a huge fan of Garrett Greene, this is a competition I see as Marchiol’s to lose. Being the most talented signal-caller on the roster, he will show the coaches why he was a highly sought after prospect. He will have some rust early, but he will win over Mountaineer fans by mid-year en route to starting all 12 regular season games.
  • Mountaineers return to the postseason, post best record under Neal Brown – Here is the one that is likely to get people talking. Though everyone else is down on the Mountaineers, I simply can’t be. I see too much potential on offense, and Jordan Lesley is too good of a coordinator to post miserable defenses two years in a row. I predict West Virginia will go 8-4 in 2023, which will be the best record under Head Coach Neal Brown. His seat will officially be cooled off, and the Mountaineers will contend for the upper half of the Big 12 in 2024.