College Football
Where Did WVU Football Land in National Ranking of Every FBS Team?
Preseason rankings fail to serve as true barometers in this era of college football, but that doesn’t stop them from existing. The latest national outlet to unveil an attempt at a starting point went further than most, as Fox Sports ranked all 138 FBS teams, leaning on a lack of coincidence in WVU.
Showing a lack of belief in Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia, Fox Sports writer RJ Young slotted the Mountaineers in at No. 84, a far cry from contention or even bowl eligibility.
Below is what Young had to say about the 2026 Mountaineers:
“Former Jacksonville State running back Cam Cook is going to give Boston College running back Evan Dickens a guard-tackle, pull-power run for his money: Who will emerge as the best running back to make the jump from Group of Six to Power Four in 2026? After Cook ran for 1,659 yards and 16 total touchdowns last year, he might end up with that crown.
If WVU coach Rich Rodriguez can get Cook to, ahem, cook in the Big 12, the Mountaineers might return to the hell-raising, musket-waving terror they were when Steve Slaton and Noel Devine were running wild through coal country.
At quarterback, I expect it will be The Scotty Fox Jr. Show, but former Oklahoma passer Michael Hawkins was brought in just in case the show needs to be canceled early.”
As always, it should be noted preseason rankings mean nothing, and aren’t even really fair with rosters changing significantly every offseason. Young also seems to be expecting Scotty Fox Jr. to start at quarterback when most who cover the WVU program directly, including WV Sports Now, expect Michael Hawkins Jr. to win the job.
Rodriguez doesn’t career about the perception or noise circulating. He even reiterated that he doesn’t care what people outside the program have to say about his team when he opened fall camp in early August. 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 the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.
For a related story, CBS Sports ranks the current Big 12 coaches, showing doubt in Rich Rodriguez.
