What Makes Rich Rodriguez Still So Confident in His System?

Referred to by many as the Godfather of the spread offense, there’s a long track record that shows the right players can lead Rich Rodriguez to success.

While it remains to be seen if he he’s found his next great quarterback or running back on his 2026 roster or if he will ever duplicate what he once had with Pat White and Steve Slaton, Rodriguez is confident that his system can work in this era.

Rodriguez even explained why he’s so confident in his RPO (run, pass, option) offense during a interview with former Penn State and UMass tight end turned college football analyst Adam Breneman.

“If you can throw for 500 yards on somebody, you’re probably going to win the game. But if you can run for 500, you’re guaranteed to win the game and it takes their soul,” said Rodriguez about why he’s always had a run-first mentality.

Rodriguez’s philosophy is of no surprise to WVU fans or anyone who’s been following his career, but his words are still impactful nonetheless.

As far as the potential of his current team, Rodriguez went into detail about what needs to happen in order for WVU to win and who he’s planning on relying on this fall.

As part of a recent interview with ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Rodriguez discussed what makes running back Cam Cook, veteran wide receiver Jaden Bray, transfer addition Prince Strachan and star freshman offensive lineman Kevin Brown special.

“[Jaden] Bray would have probably been our most dependable receiver last year, got hurt in the second game. Prince [Strachan] is a guy who’s done it at that level and when he’s healthy, he’s a good player there. Cam Cook was the most productive … and has proven himself on that level and in the Big 12 before. So that part was really good. As I mentioned, a couple of linemen that we brought in were starters at the Group of 5 level. I’m talking about 33-game starters. So they played a lot of football. So we’re older and more experienced in a lot of areas, but also have some young guys I think can be like Kevin Brown on the offensive line. We signed him. He’s a true freshman, but he doesn’t look like one. His dad played for me and we kind of got him to flip at the last minute with all the stuff that’s going on at Penn State. He’s got a shot to start as a true freshman, which is rare, but he’s a rare guy. So we look a lot more athletic, but we also look like we’ve got a lot more competition at a lot of positions.”

The pressure is now on the 63-year-old coach to deliver a product that matches what he says and make the West Virginia Mountaineers national contenders once again.