Jeff Weimer Closes Career at WVU, Praises Rich Rodriguez and Program’s Direction

West Virginia receiver Jeff Weimer finished his collegiate career Saturday afternoon on Senior Day against Texas Tech.

The Salinas, California native took a winding path to Morgantown, playing for four different programs before landing at West Virginia University. He began in the junior-college ranks in California, spent a season at UNLV, then stepped away from football for a year. He returned at Idaho State last season, where his performance caught the attention of WVU’s coaching staff, who ultimately convinced the West Coast product to spend his final collegiate season in the hills of West Virginia.

Weimer hauled in 75 receptions for 1,016 yards and six touchdowns a season ago at Idaho State.

He arrived in Morgantown in August, but a court case delayed his eligibility until less than two weeks before the season opener. WVU then endured a cascade of quarterback injuries: starter Nicco Marchiol underwent season-ending surgery, followed by injuries to backups Jaylen Henderson, Malik Wilkins, and Max Brown. That left freshman Scotty Fox Jr. as the only remaining scholarship quarterback.

Stability finally arrived in Week 8 against TCU, and Weimer responded with three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown—season highs at the time. Over the final five games, he totaled 17 receptions for 317 yards and two touchdowns.

“He was a three-time, four-time captain this season because of who he is, how he works, and how he competes,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a guy, boy, you wish you had him back, right? He made the most of his opportunity and whatever he’s going to do the next 20 or 30 years of his life, he’ll be successful because of his mental makeup.”

Weimer offered similar praise for Rodriguez. Former players — most notably Pat McAfee — have often spoken about the impact Rodriguez had on them, and Weimer echoed that sentiment after the season finale.

“I’ve never been around someone that demands excellence on a 24/7 scale like that, which has been an honor for me to have been around that and learning from that, and hopefully, attaining some of that,” Weimer stated. “Being able to play for someone that demands that much from you – just excellence… Having a coach that really demands that at such a high level has been an honor for me to be able to try and grasp and learn a lot from.”

There remains an unlikely but possible path for Weimer to return for an additional season, and he made it clear he would welcome the opportunity.

“I love coach Rod, he said. “If I was a freshman, I would play for coach Rod each year. You want someone that’s going to demand the most from you and really get the best version of yourself. I know because of how much its impacted me this year, in learning this year, it would just make me that much better another year.”

The Mountaineers endured a difficult season, finishing 4–8 as injuries piled up. Nonetheless, Weimer believes the future under Rodriguez is bright.

“I’m a firm believer in coach Rod,” Wiemer said. “Where he’s taking this is going to be just that, and that is what he demands and it’s excellence. I see this program just continuing to get better every year and every game. So, I’m excited to tune in. I won’t be surprised with West Virginia winning the Big 12 in the next couple of years.”

West Virginia will be signing the majority of the 2026 class on Wednesday.

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