WVU Football
Rich Rodriguez Voices Frustration on Several WVU Players Waiting for NCAA Waivers
No one wants an update on the status of the WVU players waiting on an NCAA waiver more than Rich Rodriguez. West Virginia’s head coach couldn’t hold back his frustration when asked when he may get a decision one way or another.
“Nothing yet. We’re still on somebody else’s timeline. It can be frustrating,” Rodriguez said after a practice during the first week of fall camp.
Redshirt senior defensive end Jimmori Robinson highlights the four players Rodriguez is hoping to have at his disposal. The others are redshirt senior running back Tye Edwards, redshirt senior safety Justin Harrington and redshirt senior wide receiver Jeff Weimer.
Knowing he can’t control what happens, Rodriguez is forced to prepare for either outcome.
“If it’s good, I hope it’s all good and they can play. And if they can’t play does that mean we have to somehow find another guy or get somebody else ready? We can’t put our head in the sand, we have to be ready for either outcome,” he added.
In an ironic twist of fate, a ruling in favor of a former Mountaineer may help the current WVU players get on the field.
On July 22, ex West Virginia and current Nevada wide receiver Cortez Braham learned he’s been granted a preliminary injunction that will allow him to play a seventh year of college football.
Braham, who transferred to Nevada after his WVU exit during the 2023 season, has been pursuing an extra season since filing a lawsuit against the NCAA in May.
Brahma’s case stems from the new rules concerning eligibility for players who spent time at a junior college. Prior to transferring up to the FBS level and joining WVU, Braham played at Hutchinson C.C., in Kansas.
Braham’s legal win opens up the door for Robinson, who WVU is hoping becomes a star pass rusher, and the other West Virginia transfers with junior college years to take the field as Mountaineers in 2025.
WVU beat out rival Virginia Tech for Robinson in January.
In 2024, Robinson totaled 43 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two deflected two passes passes as he was named the American Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Courtesy of UTSA Athletics
Overall in four years at UTSA, Robinson has 110 total tackles, 30 tackles for a loss and 15 sacks in 43 games played. Before ending up at UTSA, Robinson spent time at Dodge City in 2019 and Monroe College in 2020 – his entire season was lost to the pandemic.
Find more coverage of the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.
For a related story, Rich Rodriguez compares taking care of the football to respecting the program.
