Rich Rod Thinks WVU Will Be 'Better Than People Predict' in 2026

Before Big 12 Media Days got underway, one of the things I said I'd be closely watching from Rich Rodriguez was his confidence in this team's chances to compete for a championship.

Doing so in year two seems unrealistic, but it's the goal for every coach, every year. Heck, Rich Rod even said it a year ago, and we all knew that wasn't going to happen.

While he didn't specifically address championship aspirations this time around, he made it pretty clear that he believes in this group's potential and thinks there could be a surprise factor.

"We have a full rev share now; last year, we didn't have that. We had more time to find guys that were productive at other schools, as opposed to we didn't have any offensive linemen that started games last year. We got more guys that we thought were ready to play and more competition at all positions. To win in college athletics, you have to be aligned all the way from the top down — your board, your president, your athletic director, your coaches, and your players, and your fan base as well. We have that at West Virginia. We are aligned with where we want to go to. I feel confident that we'll be a lot better this year...probably a lot better than people predict, but we've got to prove that first."

What makes Rodriguez so confident?

Mike Hawkins Jr. — WVU Athletics Communications

He explained some of it in his response above, with being able to pull in better talent out of the transfer portal, but if you ask me, it's two things that are the driving force behind it all — belief in the quarterback and bringing back Rick Trickett.

Everyone knows that it's incredibly difficult to win a bunch of games, particularly in this league, if you don't have a true answer at quarterback. Mike Hawkins Jr. is not being talked about nearly enough nationally, or even locally, for that matter, which is part of the reason Rodriguez believes they'll exceed expectations.

Very few have an idea as to what the Mountaineers have in him, and there's this belief by some that there's going to be a battle in fall camp between him and Scotty Fox Jr. Folks, that decision has been made, it's just not been publicly announced. And knowing how Rodriguez operates, he may not say anything about it before the season opener.

But the reality is, he is a big believer in Hawkins' ability and potential. That, paired with the nation's leading rusher, is a pretty sturdy foundation to work with.

Arguably, Rodriguez's best "portal" pickup, though, was offensive line coach Rick Trickett.

He is one of the best o-line coaches college football has ever seen and has several years of experience working alongside Rich Rod. He knows exactly what he wants, and every time those two have worked together, they churn out one of the top rushing attacks in the country.

“Trick still coaches as if he’s a 22-year-old GA trying to prove himself, which is kind of a neat thing for our young coaches to see," Rodriguez said at media day. "Like, this is a guy that’s done it and done it at the highest level for a long, long time, and he still coaches with the same type of passion and intensity that everybody should coach with. It’s great to have him back, and I’ve seen a difference in our o-line.”

There is a level of comfort that Trickett brings for Rodriguez, knowing he is going to teach it the right way, and progress will be made. When you have two of the most important areas taken care of — offensive line and quarterback — you are naturally going to feel more confident in your team's chances.

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