Three Keys That Could Make Year Two Go Very Right — or Very Wrong

Rich Rodriguez is going to get this thing flipped at West Virginia once the flipping of the roster isn't as dramatic as it's been in each of his first two years constructing the team.

WVU will be welcoming roughly 80 newcomers in 2026, many of whom are already on campus and participating in winter workouts — a big difference from last year's squad, which saw the majority of their key transfer portal arrivals after spring ball.

The odds of taking a brand new team to the Big 12 title game are very slim, but just because it's a brand new group again, that doesn't mean that they will have a repeat of last year.

So, what should be the expectation? Or better yet, what would qualify as a successful year two?

Making a bowl game

The Mountaineers are not in a position to win nine or ten games just yet. So yes, it's a low bar to set and one that likely had you rolling your eyes as soon as you saw it. Sorry, but that's just where the program is right now. The good news is it's only going to continue to get better over time. Taking this team to a bowl would be massive for their development. Remember, over 40 players on this roster will be true freshmen. That's a large chunk of the pie. Those extra practices will serve them we,ll and getting to six wins (at minimum) shows that you took a small step in the right direction despite having such a huge turnover of the roster.

Be competitive, win games you should win

WVU lost by three or more scores four times in 2025 — the Kansas, Utah, UCF, and Texas Tech games. That can't happen in 2026. For the fans to truly believe things are on the right path, you have to at least keep within reach in the games that you lose. I'm not saying a blowout is acceptable, but if it happens once, it's not going to define where things are at. Having it happen three or four times is when it becomes alarming. The second part of this doesn't need much explanation. Don't get games lip through the cracks and protect home field.

Establishing building blocks

One of the many things that the Mountaineers were unable to do last year was find some pieces they felt confident about long-term. Offensive linemen Nick Krahe and Landen Livingston were the only two on offense, while Curtis Jones Jr. was probably the lone bright spot on defense, and he ended up transferring to Virginia Tech. The big one, of course, is quarterback. Whether it's Scotty Fox Jr. or Michael Hawkins Jr., someone has to take firm control of that job, progress throughout the season, and show that they can be the answer beyond 2026.

If these three things happen, WVU is headed down the right track. If two or three of these things go wrong, oh boy. It will lead to some uncomfortable conversations next offseason.

Three Keys That Could Make Year Two Go Very Right — or Very Wrong — for Rich Rodriguez

Making a bowl game

Be competitive, win games you should win

Establishing building blocks

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