The Real Red Flag in WVU’s Season Has Nothing to Do With the Win-Loss Record

Losing games is one thing, losing by roughly 30 points per game and having very few bright spots (there are some if you squint hard enough) is another.

Right now, the reality is that West Virginia is in the middle of a lost season, and in order to prevent it from being a complete waste of a year, they need some guys who have eligibility beyond this season to step up and show something.

Making a bowl game isn't happening, so the one thing that can give the staff (and fans) some hope is finding a young nucleus to build around. The problem is there really isn't one, at least not yet.

Running back Jahiem White, wide receiver Cam Vaughn, bandit Curtis Jones Jr. and??? Who else?

Starting with the offense...

Left tackle Nick Krahe and center Landen Livingston are the only starting linemen with eligibility, but to think they've locked up their starting role for 2026 is a bit far-fetched, in my opinion. They've played well at times, but not consistently enough to wear it's clear as day that they'll be starting next fall.

On Sunday morning's episode of Between The Eers, I talked extensively about the offensive line and why it's time to see what those young pups can do. I'm fully aware they may not be showing as much as the starters in practice, but what do you have to lose at this point? You have to know what those guys can and can't do and whether or not any of them can develop into a starter. There's no "repping it out" at this point for the starting five. It just is what it is.

Can Josh Aisosa, Donovan Haslem, or Malik Agbo step up?

In the running back room, you lose Tye Edwards, and beyond White, we haven't seen much, but much of that can be attributed to the poor offensive line play.

Can Diore Hubbard, Cyncir Bowers, or Tyler Jacklich show anything?

Beyond Vaughn and maybe Rodney Gallagher III, there are zero answers at receiver, and the tight end room has been rather unimpressive to say the least.

Can Christian Hamilton, Cyrus Traugh, Jordan McCants, or someone else crack the rotation?

Does Ryan Ward develop?

At quarterback, well, yeah, I don't know that you're going to find an answer there, given the play of the supporting cast.

But will Khalil Wilkins or Scotty Fox Jr. show more flashes of what they can be?

Flipping it over to the defense...

Zac Alley's unit started the season off rather strongly, but since hopping into Big 12 Conference play, performance has slipped across the board, hitting all three levels. Regardless of how good or bad this defense panned out to be in 2025, the staff knew they'd have to replace much of its top playmakers given that the majority of the two-deep is filled with seniors.

The defensive line has been pushed around in the run game and has not been able to get pressure on the quarterback, which is concerning, considering they do have a few bodies there who see the field and have eligibility remaining.

Asani Redwood, Corey McIntyre Jr., Nate Gabriel — one or two of these guys need to become a dude.

The Mountaineers have leaned heavily on seniors Chase Wilson and Reid Carrico at linebacker, and with the injury to redshirt freshman Ashton Woods, that's one less piece they'll be able to evaluate at a spot that they haven't played many underclassmen.

Will Ben Cutter or Ben Bogle do enough in five games to prove they can start?

The secondary is where it really gets scary because it has been so heavily dependent on seniors through the first seven games. Judging by how they've played in recent weeks, you might consider that a good thing. Still, there hasn't been any proof of future starters with the exception of Nick Taylor, who had a strong showing vs. Utah and has played minimal snaps since.

Does Keyshawn Robinson come along at corner? What about Israel Boyce, Zae Jennings, or Chris Fileppo at safety?

And then finally at bandit, I do believe you have one in Curtis Jones Jr., as I previously mentioned, but can you perhaps get more out of MarShon Oxley?

The ultimate goal...

Ideally, you'd like for a handful of these guys to emerge on both sides of the ball. Is that a realistic ask with just five games to go? Maybe not, but the more "guys" you have, the more you'll be able to spend in the transfer portal to fix the biggest areas of weakness. If WVU doesn't find more than a couple of future starters, then it's going to put the coaching staff in a really challenging spot this offseason as they build the roster out for year two.

Starting with the offense...

Flipping it over to the defense...

The ultimate goal...

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