Stock Up, Stock (Mostly) Down: Evaluations of WVU's Disastrous Showing in Orlando

This week's WVU football stock report.

Oct 18, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. (15) is tackled by Central Florida Knights linebacker Nyjalik Kelly (9) in the first half for a fourth down stop at Acrisure Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

Another blowout loss has been etched in the schedule for the West Virginia Mountaineers, falling to UCF 45-13 on Saturday afternoon.

Unlike a couple of weeks ago against BYU, where there were a few bright spots, this week's stock report has just one player on the rise.

Stock Up: S Jordan Walker

As you may have expected, the list of players or areas that saw improved stock this week is very limited. It's just safety Jordan Walker. He flew around and made some plays in the second half and finished the game as the Mountaineers' leading tackler, while picking off a ball late in the fourth quarter. A small bright spot.

Stock Down: The quarterbacks

Khalil Wilkins completed just 50% of his pass attempts; Scotty Fox completed less than half of his attempts in what was one of the worst pass game performances in recent memory for the Mountaineers. Not sticking with one guy isn't the sole reason for the struggles, but it certainly plays a big part. At some point, Rodriguez just has to ride with one guy for an entire game and

Stock Down: Kade Hensley

Hensley missed a field goal right before the half that would have made it a 14-10 score at the break. And then to cap off the day, Hensley missed an extra point following the one-yard touchdown run by Diore Hubbard.

Stock Down: Better times being soon

This one was pretty bad, and it just encapsulates how far this program has to go before it can be competitive again. Forget about being nationally relevant for now. This group has to field a more competitive roster to even think about becoming a contender in the Big 12, and that may take another couple of offseasons to do. Losing this badly out of a bye week to another team who entered the day winless in league play is a bad look. I'm not here to say Rich Rod won't turn this thing around, but the road to get there is going to be a lot longer and curvier than expected.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Oh No! West Virginia Receives Devastating Injury Update on RB Tye Edwards

WVU Spotlight: Small Catches Fire, Victor Scott Up for Prestigious Award, Cignetti + More

Quick Hits: Stock in Preseason Rankings, Secret Scrimmage, Harlan Obioha's Skillset + More

What a Realistic, Disappointing, & Dream 2025-26 Season Looks Like for WVU Hoops

WVU Forward Jackson Fields Expected to Miss the Start of the 2025-26 Season