What Makes WVU Football Coaches Believe in Rodney Gallagher?

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After coming to WVU as one of the highest rated recruits in program history, Rodney Gallagher now has a new coaching staff to impress in his third year in West Virginia. But to Gallagher’s credit, he has something his new wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett loves in any receiver.

Garrett said he really likes how Gallagher is such a true athlete who also has a background in basketball. Gallagher’s experience playing in big basketball games in high school as well as what he accomplished on the gridiron is already noticeable to Garrett, who admitted he actually first became aware of the 4-star recruit out of Western Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands High School after seeing him on the basketball court.

“I like receivers who are athletic and play a lot of other sports,” said Garrett about Gallagher. He then got into what he’s noticed from Gallagher as he prepares for his third year as a Mountaineer.

“I’ve been impressed this spring with his ball skills. He’s showed me the ability to make some plays down field.”

But of course, Garrett understands Gallagher is still a work in progress. “Rodney is a guy who’s played a million different positions, right? So he’s still learning how to play wide receiver and we’ve seen him take strides. He’s a guy that we’re constantly going to pushing and expect to play all four spots.”

Gallagher took a big step during his sophomore year in 2024, making 26 receptions for 288 yards and scoring three touchdowns. He had only 10 catches for 74 yards in limited time as a freshman.

When asked for his own evaluation of Gallagher earlier in the spring, Rodriguez said he likes him and he’s a good player, but he also has tons of competition. Of course, Rodriguez is hinting that no position is locked up for any of his receivers. Rodriguez mentioned transfer addition Cam Vaughn, who he coached at Jacksonville State, by name when discussing competitors for Gallagher. Rodriguez then added he plans to train every receiver as both an inside and outside option before solidifying where they will best fit within the offense.

Sophomore Rodney Gallagher III scores the touchdown that would seal the win for the Mountaineers. WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose 

Rodriguez also made it clear he doesn’t plan to use Gallagher on defense at all, even though he took snaps at nickel last year. “If Rodney is playing both ways, then we did a crappy job of filling our roster,” responded Rodriguez to a direct question about the possibility of Gallagher getting any reps on defense again. That said, Gallagher’s overall role is still unclear.

While acknowledging 2025 – his third year of college football – is a pivotal year for Gallagher, Rodriguez said he treats every year as a pivotal season for every player because he never knows how long he will have them around in the transfer portal era.

Find more coverage of Rodney Gallagher at WV Sports Now.