College Football Insider is Hopping on the West Virginia Bandwagon for 2026

Essentially, a whole new roster will take the field next fall for the West Virginia Mountaineers, and considering how things went last year, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Major roster turnover is always a concern because there's a severe lack of chemistry, uncertainty about the level of talent you've acquired, and there's also the learning curve of a new system and culture. And as we all know, not everyone is cut out for Rich Rodriguez's level of intensity.

While all of those concerns are still valid, the overall talent that makes up this roster is much better than the 2025 edition of the Mountaineers, and if we're being honest, you don't have to squint too hard to see that.

CBS Sports college football analyst Tom Fornelli is one of the few national pundits who are hopping on the Rich Rod/WVU train early.

"Yep! I am optimistic about West Virginia! It's not just that I think Rich Rodriguez is an underrated coach (he is), and that this team is more talented than many realize (it is); it's also the schedule. Three home nonconference games against Coastal Carolina, UT Martin, and Virginia are winnable. The Mountaineers also get five Big 12 games at home, giving them eight home games on the season. They won't leave Morgantown until October. Road games against TCU, Texas Tech, and Utah won't be fun, but Oklahoma State, Arizona, Cincinnati, Kansas, and Houston all have to come to Milan Puskar Stadium. This team is going bowling."

Nov 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez walks off the field after questioning a call with a referee during the first quarter against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

I'm glad someone is starting to realize the opportunity West Virginia has in front of them to open up the season. As Fornelli mentioned, all three of the Mountaineers' non-conference matchups are winnable. But so are the first two of league play.

They open up the Big 12 slate at home against Oklahoma State, which is in the first year of a new regime and has a ton of new players. Eric Morris brought over QB Drew Mestemaker and RB Caleb Hawkins with him from North Texas, which will help. That said, the first year is always an uphill battle.

The following week, they head to Ames, where they'll meet another first-year coach in Jimmy Rogers at Iowa State. Then, they return to Morgantown for a two-game homestand against Arizona and Cincinnati.

Just getting bowl-eligible would be a huge step in the right direction for the program, but if they are clicking early, they could find themselves playing meaningful football in November.