West Virginia Football: 2025 Mountaineers Season Preview and Prediction
West Virginia Football: 2025 Mountaineers Season Preview and Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
West Virginia experienced plenty of turnover through graduation and the transfer portal, but the coaching staff has been active in filling those needs. The team construction is still a work in progress, but coach Rich Rodriguez has shown the ability to adapt and build rosters in this new era, given his success at Jacksonville State. The Mountaineers are going to be an enigma for many heading into the season, but this team could surprise considering all of the unknowns.
Advertisement
[Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 College Football Preview print magazine. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]
More Big 12 team previews:
Arizona | Arizona State | Baylor | BYU | Cincinnati
Colorado | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State
Oklahoma State | TCU | Texas Tech | UCF | Utah
West Virginia 2025 Season Preview and Prediction
Previewing West Virginia's Offense for 2025
West Virginia will be replacing almost all of the offensive production from last season's 6-7 team. One of the key returning pieces, though, is junior running back Jahiem White, who rushed for 844 yards and seven touchdowns and figures to be a centerpiece in head coach Rich Rodriguez's run-based spread offense, as Rich Rod makes his highly anticipated homecoming.
Advertisement
The Mountaineers must replace Garrett Greene at quarterback and have several players in the mix for the position, including redshirt junior Nicco Marchiol, Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson and Charlotte transfer Max Brown. All of them have starting experience, but Marchiol led the Mountaineers to a pair of wins last season filling in for Greene.
West Virginia returns only 38 catches for 419 yards and three touchdowns from last season, but the staff was active in the portal.
The line must replace its top seven players from a season ago, a critical factor in the offense's development.
Related: Ranking the Big 12 Coaches for 2025
West Virginia QB Nicco MarchiolBen Queen-Imagn Images
Previewing West Virginia's Defense for 2025
Coordinator Zac Alley will run the West Virginia defense after reuniting with Rodriguez. He arrives from Oklahoma, where he built a reputation for his versatile, attacking scheme.
Advertisement
The defense returns some key players up front in Edward Vesterinen, Asani Redwood, Hammond Russell IV and Corey McIntyre Jr., while adding some key pieces out of the transfer portal such as American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jimmori Robinson at end. The coaching staff also was able to backfill losses through the transfer portal at every other spot on the roster, giving the defense a chance to surprise. It will come down to how the linebackers and secondary pieces fit together, given how important they are in Alley's scheme.
The Mountaineers might have a lot of new players, but they invested heavily in the defensive staff, which should pay immediate dividends.
West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez Ben Queen-Imagn Images
Previewing West Virginia's Specialists for 2025
Australian punter Oliver Straw, the starter for the past three seasons, returns, but the Mountaineers will have a new placekicker. The program brought in Coastal Carolina transfer Kade Hensley to handle the job; he was 16-of-19 on field-goal attempts in 2024.
National Ranking: 70
More Big 12 team previews:
Arizona | Arizona State | Baylor | BYU | Cincinnati
Colorado | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State
Oklahoma State | TCU | Texas Tech | UCF | Utah
Advertisement
Related: Big 12 Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025
Related: College Football Rankings: Projecting the Top 25 Teams for 2025
Related: Athlon Sports 2025 College Football Preview Magazine Available Now
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Panthers parade set for Sunday in Fort Lauderdale. Here's what you need to know
As Fort Lauderdale prepares for the Florida Panthers' second straight Stanley Cup championship parade, city officials and fans are offering key advice for navigating the celebration. With large crowds expected, transportation and parking will be major considerations for anyone heading to the beachside event. Parade route and rally details The parade begins at noon Sunday on A1A at Riomar Street and continues south to Southeast 5th Street, where a rally will be held on a stage. Crews have already started setting up barricades and building the stage along the beach. "The Elbo Room all the way down the beach. It's gonna be amazing," said Rich Rodriguez, who attended last year's celebration. Rodriguez and his friend Alex Guzman described the 2023 event as a once-in-a-lifetime experience—and one that gave them important insight into planning for this year's festivities. "If you're driving here, you're just gonna get stuck somewhere," Rodriguez said. Parking, transportation and arrival tips The City of Fort Lauderdale says 26 nearby parking garages will be open for the event, but walking distances to the venue could range from five minutes to over an hour. "Parking is gonna be difficult. So make sure you use ride share or carpool. Water taxi will be available," said Mayor Dean Trantalis. Rodriguez and Guzman opted for the water taxi last year and say it's the way to go. "It's well worth it. You don't have to drive. If you're drinking you don't have to worry about anything like that. The traffic. You can see there are two lanes on the road and it's gonna be really really crowded," Rodriguez said. Rodriguez added that he arrived at the water taxi about three and a half hours before the start of the parade last year. "Last time we got here at about 8:30 and there were already hundreds of thousands of people here. And it was stormy," he said. Police presence and safety measures Fort Lauderdale police say there are no known threats to the event. Officials added that it will be "all hands on deck," meaning nearly every officer not on vacation will be working during Sunday's parade.
USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Should the Boston Celtics take West Virginia guard Javon Small in the 2025 NBA draft?
Should the Boston Celtics take West Virginia guard Javon Small in the 2025 NBA draft? Should the Boston Celtics take West Virginia point guard Javon Small in the 2025 NBA draft? With the Celtics likely to move on from veteran guard Jrue Holiday this offseason to shave some money off of their potentially historic payroll and tax bill (and to avoid the harshest penalties of being a second apron ball club under the new collective bargaining agreement), Boston could use some additional backcourt depth for the future. Would Small be the right prospect to add to the team's roster for the coming 2025-16 NBA season with their Nos. 28 or 32 overall pick? A 6-foot-2, 190 lb. floor general, the 22-year-old guard is projected to go somewhere in the second round, and could be a candidate for Boston to trade back to if they are interested. The hosts of the CLNS Media "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Arizona State football wide receiver Jordyn Tyson's Big 12 ranking slammed: 'Joke'
Is Arizona State football's Jordan Tyson being disrespected in one site's grades for the highest returning wide receivers in the Big 12? Some people criticized Pro Football Focus College for having the star ASU football receiver come in at No. 5 on a recent list, especially considering three of the four "returning" wide receivers ranked ahead of Tyson on the list didn't even play in the Big 12 last season, transferring to schools in the conference after playing in the FCS in 2024. Advertisement Tyson was ranked behind TCU WR Jordan Dwyer, Kansas WR Bryson Canty, TCU WR Eric McAlister and West Virginia WR Cam Vaughn in the rankings. Big 12 football win total odds: Arizona | Arizona State | Baylor | BYU | Cincinnati | Colorado | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State | Oklahoma State | TCU | Texas Tech | UCF | Utah | West Virginia | Big 12 rankings Stats for Big 12's top 'returning' wide receivers in 2024 Dwyer caught 78 passes for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns at FCS school Idaho last season. Advertisement Canty had 43 catches for 760 yards and nine touchdowns at FCS Columbia last season. Vaughn had 48 catches for 803 yards and five touchdowns at Jacksonville State, another FCS school, last season. McAlister was the lone "returning" player ranked above Tyson who actually played in the Big 12 last season. He had 39 catches for 762 yards and five touchdowns in his first season with the Horned Frogs after transferring from Boise State. Big 12 football game picks: Arizona | Arizona State | Baylor | BYU | Cincinnati | Colorado | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State | Oklahoma State | TCU | Texas Tech | UCF | Utah | West Virginia | Projected Big 12 standings, records Jordyn Tyson's stats at Arizona State in 2024 season The rankings did not sit well with some on social media, considering the inclusion of the transfers and Tyson's actual stats in the 2025 season. Advertisement Tyson had 75 catches for 1,101 yards and ten touchdowns before being injured in the Sun Devils' final regular season game against Arizona, making him miss ASU's Big 12 championship game victory and College Football Playoff game appearance. College football conference championship odds: Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | National championship odds: Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | National title odds overall Is Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson really the fifth-best returning wide receiver in the Big 12? Some people strongly disagree with a recent ranking. 'Returning' Big 12 wide receiver grades slammed Athlon Sports' Tony Thomas was among those who criticized the rankings and Tyson's place in them. Advertisement He wrote: "Look at the Big 12 receiving stats from a season ago. You will note that Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson (grade of 80.4) finished third in the league with 75 catches for 1,100 yards and 10 TDs, behind only Tetairoa McMillan and Travis Hunter. McMillan and Hunter have moved on to the NFL. As a result, Tyson is the best returning receiver in the conference. Not to mention, he is a dynamic perimeter weapon for a team that returns almost their entire squad, their coaching staff and won the conference crown last season. "The national media continues to pile on their disrespect of the Sun Devils. They are making that chip on ASU's shoulder a little bigger as we get closer to Week 1 of the 2025 season." Big 12 football schedule: By week | By team | Strength of schedule rankings | Power rankings | Top games Does Tyson being so low on the list of returning Big 12 wide receivers seem off to you? Advertisement More disrespect for ASU? Arizona State football undervalued in ESPN metric, ESPN writer says Reach Jeremy Cluff at Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff. Support local journalism: Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State football receiver Jordyn Tyson's Big 12 ranking slammed
