MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — We are officially getting to the point of fall camp where the guessing starts to become a little easier.
West Virginia is less than two weeks away from opening the 2026 season against Coastal Carolina, and while Rich Rodriguez isn’t about to hand us an official depth chart, there are starting to be some pretty strong indications about who will be on the field when the Mountaineers take their first snaps of the season.
And as always this time of year, there is a difference between what has been officially announced and what we’re hearing and piecing together. Rodriguez has made it clear that he isn’t overly concerned with labeling players as starters and backups. His bigger concern is having as many players as possible that he believes West Virginia can win with. In fact, Rodriguez has said he wants to play more players than just about anyone in the country this season, particularly with WVU facing eight consecutive games before its first open week.
But somebody still has to take the first snap.
And right now, some of those spots are beginning to take shape.
The biggest question, obviously, continues to be quarterback. Rodriguez has done everything possible to keep his decision quiet, even joking recently that fans may have to buy a ticket and wait until kickoff to find out who runs onto the field. He even admitted that he may already know who his quarterback is.
From everything we’re hearing and seeing, Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr. continues to look like the guy to beat.
That’s not a knock on Scotty Fox Jr. at all. Fox has competed and there is still a very real possibility that we see both quarterbacks at different points this season. But Hawkins was brought to Morgantown for a reason. He gives Rodriguez exactly what he wants from the position with his ability to make plays with his arm and his legs, and he has continued to position himself well throughout camp. The latest projected depth charts also have Hawkins ahead of Fox, with veteran Max Brown behind those two.
Rodriguez has also made an interesting point about the quarterback competition. It’s not simply about determining who throws or runs better. It’s about which quarterback is most comfortable running the complete offense and which plays each guy executes best. That’s important because I don’t think the loser of this competition is simply going to disappear. Rodriguez has multiple quarterbacks capable of running his system, and I would be surprised if we don’t see more than one at some point.
At running back, there isn’t much mystery about the top spot.
Cam Cook is the clear No. 1.
Cook came to West Virginia after a monster season at Jacksonville State, and he has the chance to put up some ridiculous numbers in Rodriguez’s offense. The more interesting development is what is happening behind him.
True freshman Amari Latimer continues to look like a player who is going to have a role immediately. The 228-pound freshman gives WVU a completely different type of back and currently projects as Cook’s primary backup. Christopher Talley and Lawrence Autry are also pushing for opportunities.
I’ve said it before, but I don’t think Latimer is coming to Morgantown to sit around for a year. Cook is going to be the bell cow, but Rodriguez wants to run the football and wants to play a lot of people. There are going to be carries available behind him.
The wide receiver room is also starting to look really interesting.
Prince Strachan, Jaden Bray and DJ Epps currently look like the most likely starting trio, and that’s a group with a little bit of everything. Strachan gives WVU a massive target at 6-foot-5, Bray gives the Mountaineers a veteran outside receiver, and Epps brings explosiveness to the slot. TaRon Francis is another name to keep an eye on and could make it difficult for the staff to keep him off the field.
This is one position where the word “starter” might not mean very much. Rodriguez wants tempo, he wants fresh bodies, and there is enough talent in this receiver room that several guys should get legitimate snaps.
Perhaps the most fascinating development offensively has been the offensive line.
Freshman Kevin Brown continues to look like he could actually start at left tackle. That’s a huge responsibility for a freshman, but Brown isn’t a normal freshman. He’s 6-foot-6 and nearly 300 pounds and has apparently done enough to put himself right in the middle of the starting conversation. Current projections have Brown at left tackle, Nick Krahe at left guard, Wyoming transfer Wes King at center, Amare Grayson at right guard and Carsten Casady at right tackle.
King at center appears particularly noteworthy. He moved into the projected first-team role earlier this summer and brings veteran experience to an offensive line that Rodriguez and Rick Trickett completely rebuilt during the offseason.
If that group is good, this offense could be really, really good.
Defensively, there are probably more questions, but some names are beginning to separate themselves.
Up front, Zeke Campbell, Corey McIntyre Jr. and Nate Gabriel currently project with the first group, while Harper Holloman appears to have the edge at Bandit. There is depth behind them, which is going to be important because Rodriguez’s philosophy of playing a lot of bodies will certainly extend to the defensive front.
At linebacker, veteran Ben Cutter continues to look like the man in the middle, while Cam Torbor has emerged as a projected starter at the other linebacker spot. Tyler Stolsky, Isaiah Patterson and Malachi Hood give defensive coordinator Zac Alley several other experienced options.
The secondary is where things get really interesting.
Remember, West Virginia simply wasn’t good enough against the pass last season. The Mountaineers had one of the worst pass defenses in the Big 12, so Rodriguez and Alley attacked the secondary hard in the portal.
Right now, Nick Taylor and Chams Diagne are projected at the two outside cornerback positions, while Geimere Latimer II has emerged as the projected nickel. At safety, Memphis transfer Kamari Wilson is currently projected on the back end, while Andrew Powdrell has positioned himself for a significant role in the box.
Powdrell might be one of the most interesting newcomers on the entire roster. Rodriguez said earlier in the offseason that he believed Powdrell could start immediately, and nothing we’ve heard since then has really changed that outlook. He’s an experienced player with tremendous athleticism, and WVU desperately needed that type of addition in the secondary.
Another name West Virginia fans should keep watching is Matt Sieg. The talented freshman is currently behind Powdrell in the projected pecking order, but he’s simply too talented and versatile to believe the coaching staff won’t find ways to use him.
One competition that apparently remains completely unsettled is kicker.
Alabama transfer Peter Notaro, Western Kentucky transfer Jack Cassidy and Nate Flower have all been competing for the job. Rodriguez recently admitted that the position was still “wide open,” even jokingly questioning who could consistently make a 35-yard field goal. That’s probably not exactly what WVU fans wanted to hear with the season approaching.
Overall, though, the picture is becoming much clearer.
The potential offensive lineup is starting to look something like Hawkins at quarterback, Cook at running back, Strachan, Bray and Epps at receiver, Ryan Ward at tight end and an offensive line featuring Brown, Krahe, King, Grayson and Casady. Defensively, Campbell, McIntyre and Gabriel are names to watch up front, Cutter and Torbor at linebacker, and Taylor, Diagne, Wilson, Powdrell and Latimer among the primary pieces in the secondary.
None of this should be treated as an official Week 1 depth chart. Rodriguez has been very intentional about keeping competition alive, and with another scrimmage and practices remaining before Coastal Carolina, things can still change.
But we’re getting close enough now that the smoke usually starts telling us where the fire is.
And perhaps the biggest difference from this time last year is that West Virginia appears to have legitimate competition at almost every position. Rodriguez himself has said the roster is more competitive than it was a year ago. Instead of trying to figure out whether WVU has enough players capable of playing winning football, the staff is beginning to figure out which of those players deserves to be on the field first.
That’s a much better problem to have.
Two weeks from now, the speculation ends.
Until then, keep an eye on Hawkins at quarterback, Latimer behind Cook, Kevin Brown at left tackle, Torbor at linebacker and the completely rebuilt secondary.
Those appear to be some of the biggest stories taking shape as Rich Rodriguez gets ready to unveil Year 2 of his return to West Virginia.
