What Did Rich Rodriguez Tell His WVU Team About the National Projections?

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – As no surprise to Rich Rodriguez, the Mountaineers are being doubted again. And while a team coming off a 4-8 season being doubted shouldn’t be surprising, the low national expectations for WVU still exist despite an objectively successful offseason by every measure.

However, Rodriguez reiterated that he doesn’t care what people outside the program have to say about his team as he opened fall camp on Wednesday. He knows it doesn’t really matter, and many of the greatest teams in school history were viewed as a surprise success by the rest of the country.

So what exactly did Rodriguez tell his 2026 group about what’s being said – those predicting West Virginia to finish towards the bottom of the Big 12? Well, he’s hoping they use it as extra motivation.

“I told the team there’s not a lot of people predicting us to not do very well, and I hope that’s motivation. It should be motivation when people are picking last or next to last,” responded Rodriguez during his first when faced with a question about the offseason projections.

Rodriguez has continuously expressed a belief in the 2026 West Virginia Mountaineers, pointing to the talent and experience he acquired. He feels this year’s team has a legitimate shot at being a Cinderella story and contending, not only just in the Big 12, but nationally.

Only time will tell if Rodriguez is right or if the doubters are vindicated.

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