WVU Football

WVU WR Preston Fox Details Retirement, Return to Mountaineers

Published

6 months ago

August 13, 2025

Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

The end of the 2024 season marked an end of one era of WVU football. And at the time, that also included fan favorite Preston Fox’s career. However, just a few months later, Fox made the decision to return to the Mountaineers and play for new head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Speaking with the media for the first time since his surprise March return, Fox detailed his mindset and what went into continuing his college career.

“Initially, it was because of all the injuries that I had my final year,” said Fox said when asked about why he initialed decided to retire. “My low back was hurting really bad, the stuff earlier in the year, and then at the end of the year with the concussion, it just kind of set me off in my mind. I just didn’t want to play anymore. And then, I started to miss the game. I was going day in and day out, going to the gym, just thinking about football, and decided to text coach and set a meeting up with him, and hopefully he would give me the chance to come back, and he did,” he added about missing the game during his time away.

So how does Fox feel now with West Virginia set to kickoff the 2025 season and a new era for the program in just a couple short weeks?

“I feel good right now. I just needed a couple of months to get my body back. I’m excited for the next part of my journey, but I’m also trying to leave everything out there on the field and just give it my all each and every day,” he said.

Add WV Sports Now as a Preferred Source by clicking here. You can also find us on X and check us out on YouTube. And don't forget to sign-up to get all of our articles delivered directly to your inbox.

“If things go wrong and I get hurt, it happens. It’s God’s plan. I’m just trying to give it my all every single day.”

Fox, a Morgantown native, walked on at WVU in 2020 and eventually earned a scholarship from then-head coach Neal Brown. Across four seasons, Fox amassed 43 receptions for 548 yards and three touchdowns. He has one year of eligibility remaining from the 2020 COVID season.

Below are some images of Fox from his time as a Mountaineer to this point.