College Football
National Analyst Offers Best, Worst Case for WVU Football in 2025
Since it’s so difficult to project WVU football in 2025, one national analyst decided to offer both a ceiling and floor scenario.
Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports provided his view of the best and worst case for the Mountaineers. And while his best case option is shy of the big goals Rich Rodriguez has for his return to West Virginia, it would be tough for reasonable fans to not view it as a successful year one.
Best case 8-4: “Rich Rod’s new squad ranks among the hardest to project in the Big 12 after fundamentally changing their identity. However, there’s serious talent that could pop on offense, and running back Jahiem White is a star in the making. The most growth should come on defense, where heralded coordinator Zac Alley is perhaps the biggest addition of the offseason.”
Worst case 4-8: “The Mountaineers have eased up their non conference schedule, but the Big 12 didn’t give them many favors. There are road trips to BYU and Arizona State and the only home game against a non-bowl team comes against Utah, which is projected to bounce back. That Pitt game is awfully important.”
Jeyarajah may not believe WVU can contend for a Big 12 title, but one of his colleagues does.
On a recent edition of the CBS Sports Cover 3 Podcast, veteran college football analyst Tom Fornelli picked West Virginia as his dark horse team in the Big 12.
“I am going to go with West Virginia — I am buying into the Rich Rod hype,” said Fornelli when asked which program projected to struggle could surprise this fall. “I just like Rich Rod as a coach, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he’s won everywhere he’s gone…he’s never had bad teams,” he added.
Regardless of the low expectations, Rodriguez, who is being doubted nationally himself in some respects, knows preseason polls and predictions don’t matter as much in this era. And for that reason, along with his trust in his staff, he remains confident.
No matter what anyone says, Rodriguez remains confident in his team and his staff.
“I think our staff has done a good job. I think we have one or two spots left open, but in this ever-changing world of college athletics, it’s been really crazy. But I’ve said this many times. The goal post will move, we gotta move with it,” Rodriguez told WV Sports Now’s Mike Asti directly about having to make tough decisions on who to cut and who to bring in.
“We gotta do everything we can to try to improve our roster every day, not every month but every day.”
For a related story, WVU’s rating in EA Sports’ College Football 26 has been leaked.
Find more coverage of the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.
wvu vs everyone
July 5, 2025 at 9:19 am
WVU is never respected even though they are the 15th most winniest team without a NC. WVU should be in the top 25 every year because they have earned it unlike the blue blood teams that pay for their rankings. It is a total joke that the so called experts say WVU will only win 5 games. What exactly are they an expert of? May be being haters. Yes, they are experts at that for sure. Some people are just paid off tools and have no morality. They would sell their children for the right price. WVU will be better than expected and I can’t wait for it to happen and prove once again the so called expoerts wrong once again. Do they ever get tired of being wrong?
BobbyKMo
July 5, 2025 at 10:28 am
Most of the really good analysts admit they don’t really know what to do with WVU this year. Honestly, if you read between the lines of some of Rich Rod’s comments, he’s not quite sure what he has, either. But he knows how to win, and he’s got some talent, so if we just settle down and enjoy the season – the good, the bad and the ugly – and give the guy a chance to shape up his team over the next couple years, I think WVU will be back in the thick of things in the Big 12 and nationally…