McAfee Gives Strong Early Read on WVU Football: 'We Got Some Dogs'

All of the focus in West Virginia right now is on the baseball team right now, as it should. They are the only Mountaineer athletic program still playing and just punched their ticket to the College World Series for the first time ever. I can't even believe that the majority of our stories and episodes of Between The Eers are baseball-related in the middle of June, but here we are.

WVU legend Pat McAfee has even become captivated by West Virginia's run, and while he was in town to speak to the football team and be a part of the Pat White's jersey retirement announcement, he caught a game with head coach Rich Rodriguez.

On Monday, he spoke at length about the baseball team and the game he attended, but also snuck in a little evaluation of the football team that may have flown under the radar.

“Football team looks good," he said on his show on ESPN. "Hey! It looks a lot different than it had been looking. We got some dogs out there. It does appear as if we got some dogs."

What exactly is so different?

Rick Trickett — WVU Athletics Communications

Well, really, everything, if we're being honest. But one of the most noticeable things with this team is the physicality it plays with up front. Bringing Rick Trickett back to Morgantown, in my opinion, was just as big as landing Kevin Brown or Matt Sieg in the 2026 recruiting class. There is a reason why so many in the industry respect him — he is simply one of the best developers in the country and has been for several decades. The offensive line is going to be light-years better in 2026.

More playmakers

Rich Rod couldn't find an answer at quarterback last year, but that won't be a problem in 2026. Mike Hawkins Jr. is a true dual-threat and the first one we've seen in Morgantown in a long time. He'll have some dynamic receivers to throw to, such as Prince Strachan, Jaden Bray, DJ Epps, TaRon Francis, Keon Hutchins, Kedrick Triplett, and John Neider. The Mountaineers have legit depth at wideout, although they may not have a bona fide No. 1 guy. And then at running back, Cam Cook, the nation's leading rusher in 2025, will lead the way. He has put up big numbers in the Big 12 before and should do so again in this run-heavy offense.

It won't be all sunshine and rainbows in 2026, but one thing is for certain — the Mountaineers are trending up.

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