Four Christmas Wishes That Could Change the Outlook for WVU Football and Basketball

One week from today, the whole world will be going to sleep, and in some cases, attempting to put their little ones to sleep who are excited to wake up at the crack of dawn to open their presents on Christmas morning.

In West Virginia, receiving coal isn't a bad thing, especially if it has something to do with the state, Flying WV, or perhaps the Coal Rush uniforms. But there's a lot more than WVU coal-themed items Mountaineer fans are hoping to get this year. I feel like I have a pretty good idea as to what would be on that wish list that gets sent to the big man.

For basketball...

No. 1: Treysen Eaglestaff snapping out of his funk

Alright, Santa, so here's the thing... the Mountaineers are going to have a heck of a time in Big 12 play if the North Dakota transfer doesn't start living up to expectations. This team was built on the idea that it would have two dynamic scorers in Eaglestaff and Honor Huff, and since no one else has stepped up to fulfill that role, Eaglestaff's struggles are magnified. In games against high majors, he's shooting 30% from the field and a measly 15% from three-point range.

No. 2: The ability to close out games aka improved defense

No team is completely immune to blowing leads, but West Virginia has already suffered losses in games in which it led by 11 with eight minutes to go and 16 with 13 minutes to go. Much of this comes down to WVU's defensive breakdowns late in games. Against Clemson, the ball moved freely, allowing them to do whatever they wanted with it, whenever they wanted. Against Ohio State, they were bullied inside, allowing 52 points in the paint.

WVU's roster is not constructed to match buckets all game long or rely on its offense to lead it to victory. This is supposed to be a defensive-minded team and needs a confidence boost of some sort to push through adversity and get to the finish line when it has a lead.

For football...

No. 1: Two stout offensive guards to rebuild the o-line

With the offensive line West Virginia had this past year, it was like receiving a remote-controlled car that was missing a tire and a battery pack that you had to smack a hundred times before it would lock into place and do anything.

The leakage that came from the interior of the offensive line was so overwhelming that it didn't matter who was back there at quarterback; they stood no chance. The ground game was never able to find any rhythm because of the lack of physicality up front. Nick Krahe, Landen Livingston, and incoming freshman Kevin Brown are a good start, but WVU fans would love to see a pair of experienced road graders to complete the o-line, giving Rich Rod a fully operational car to work with.

No. 2: An elite, long corner (or two)

I know some folks are vouching for a quarterback, but to me, this is a much bigger deal. Statistically, West Virginia was horrendous against the pass in 2025, ranking 127th nationally, allowing 265.4 yards per game. That said, Michael Coats Jr., Jordan Scruggs, and Jason Chambers all played the ball pretty well in flight, but oftentimes failed to make a play because of the size disadvantage. All three of them are gone, so West Virginia's cornerback room and, really, the secondary as a whole, is pretty bare at the moment.

In order for defensive coordinator Zac Alley to call the game aggressively, yet comfortably, he needs to have sticky coverage from his corners, and guys who aren't going to be beaten simply because of their size or lack thereof.