Storylines to Keep an Eye On for WVU Football Season Opener Against RMU

The much-anticipated 2025 WVU Football season is finally here. Fortunately for Rich Rodriguez as he embarks on his second tenure, the Mountaineers will open the season at home against an FCS opponent.

West Virginia’s season opener should allow West Virginia to ease into the season and shake any rust off after a long offseason that included a roster overhaul.

But besides the matchup itself and seeing what Rodriguez’s new team actually looks like in a game, below are some of the key storylines to keep an eye on for Week 1.

WVU Unveils First Depth Chart

Days before kicking off the season, Rich Rodriguez released his first official 2025 WVU football depth chart.

While few questions were answered, Rodriguez did reveal his starters for one very important position.

Landen Livingston, Nick Krahe, Kimo Makane’ole, Ty’Kieast Crawford and Walter Young Bear appear to be West Virginia’s starting offensive line.

On the other side of the ball, Eddie Kelly Jr., Eddie Vesterinen and Hammond Russell IV will be the top defensive linemen.

But beyond solidifying the trenches, the key positions are still left as an unknown. Unwilling to publicize his starting quarterback, wide receivers and other key spots on the roster, Rodriguez has those positions listed with an “or” separating each player.

During the first “Rich Rodriguez Show” of the season, Rodriguez teased possibly employing a two-quarterback system.

“We will definitely play multiple quarterbacks on Saturday, and that will probably be the case every week. I’m not opposed to playing multiple guys,” explained Rodriguez when asked if whoever doesn’t start will see the field.

Rodriguez has yet to name his starting quarterback, granted most expect Nicco Marchiol to be under center when West Virginia kicks off the 2025 season against Robert Morris on Saturday.

Opening with an FCS opponent should allow time to play backups, but Rodriguez’s comments make it seem like he’s planning to use multiple quarterbacks throughout the entire season.

“Some coaches say if you have two, you have none; if you have three, you have none. I don’t believe that I say if you’re good enough to win, just play with them, that’s for any position including quarterback,” said Rodriguez earlier in the offseason.

So instead of a typical QB1 and QB2 situation, it could be possible Marchiol and Jaylen Henderson, the two quarterbacks believed to be battling for the starting job, are more of 1A and 1B.

Which WVU Football Player Does ESPN View as Potential ‘Sleeper?’

Is there a WVU football player who could come out of nowhere and make an impact in 2025? Well, there’s a member of the secondary who the Mountaineers are banking on having a big year.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg even selected a West Virginia cornerback as one of his potential “sleeper” players who break out. Transfer addition Michael Coats Jr. made the cut along with other possible new stars from around the country.

Below is what Rittenberg had to say about why he included Coats.

“Coats did not even play high school football before trying out for a junior college team in Mississippi. He made the team at East Mississippi Community College and worked his way to Nevada, where he became an All-Mountain West selection last season. But the team’s overall struggles kept Coats somewhat under the radar. He’s among a large group of transfers joining West Virginia for coach Rich Rodriguez’s return.”

NCAA Files Appeal Against Ruling in Favor of WVU Football Players

To the surprise of no one, the NCAA is not going down without a fight. Hours after the WVU football program added the players granted access to playing to their roster, the NCAA filed an appeal on the ruling.

As of Monday, Jimmori Robinson, Jeffrey Weimer Justin Harrington and Tye Edwards all appear on West Virginia’s current 2025 roster.

Despite their addition to the roster, there’s no guarantee how much they will play in the team’s season opener on Saturday.

West Virginia will open the 2025 season on Saturday with kickoff from Milan Puskar Stadium set for 2 pm ET.

Find more coverage of the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.

For related content, Mike Asti and Luke Blain previewed the season on Mountaineer Report.

Also, Mike Asti was joined by Steve Slaton as he offered his predictions on a recent show.