Major college football team adding 75 new players next season

Rich Rodriguez was announced as West Virginia’s head coach in December 2024, beginning a second stint after his successful 2001–07 run.

Rodriguez is widely credited with popularizing the spread-option offense, transforming the Mountaineers into a high-octane, nationally ranked program during his first tenure.

That era featured prolific rushing attacks, multiple BCS appearances, and signature wins, including a Sugar Bowl victory.

That historic run also dramatically raised WVU’s national profile and sent several players to the NFL, which is why expectations spiked immediately when the program brought Rodriguez back a year ago.

Unfortunately, West Virginia finished the 2025 season, the first under Rodriguez’s return, at 4–8 overall and 2–7 in Big 12 play, marking the team’s second straight losing season and its worst record since 2013.

While the disappointing 2025 campaign accelerated transfer portal activity, the program has continued to lean heavily on Rodriguez’s familiarity with the region and his offensive identity as the foundation for a rapid roster rebuild, one that recently included the addition of former Mississippi State tight end Cam Ball.

Ball announced his decision to enter the transfer portal and, following an official visit, committed to West Virginia on Monday.

The biggest headline tied to Ball’s decision, however, is what it represents on a larger scale: his commitment pushes West Virginia’s 2026 transfer total to 27 players.

When paired with the program’s high-school signing class, reported by 247Sports as 48 players, the Mountaineers are set to add 75 new players for the 2026 season, one of the most dramatic roster overhauls in college football.

West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez. — Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez celebrates after defeating the Colorado Buffaloes at Milan Puskar Stadium. | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Some of the more notable transfer additions West Virginia has secured include WR TaRon Francis (LSU), WR John Neider (UConn), TE Josh Sapp (Clemson), TE Cam Ball (Mississippi State), OL Devin Vass (Kansas State), and CB Maliek Hawkins (Oklahoma), among others.

Several of those additions bring multi-year starting experience or Power Five résumés to Morgantown.

The early signing class, meanwhile, features a sizable group of four-star prospects, including OT Kevin Brown, S Matt Sieg, RB Amari Latimer, and CB Vincent Smith, along with highly regarded three-star recruits such as QB Jyron Hughley, WR Keon Hutchins, DL Jaylen Thomas, WR Kedrick Triplett, and EDGE Darius Wiley.

In the short term, the sheer volume of additions is striking.

West Virginia is effectively refreshing most of its roster in a single cycle, a strategy that could accelerate improvement if development, continuity, and retention stabilize under Rodriguez entering his second season back with the program.

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