Shanna Rose I WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.- For West Virginia University’s Jarod Bowie, the path back home was paved with memories, hard work, and an unshakable love for the Mountain State. This year, the Martinsburg native followed the country roads and returned to West Virginia for his final collegiate season.
Bowie began his college career at Division II Concord before transferring to Jacksonville State, where he spent the last two seasons. In 2024, he caught 13 passes for 207 yards, including a season-high 105 yards against Ohio in the Cure Bowl. That performance helped set the stage for his homecoming.
“Right after the bowl game, I heard some good things and then I was just like, you know, it’s my shot to go home. It’s my shot to be home, play home,” he said. “And it’s just a dream come true. So I did. Right after the bowl game, I chose to jump right in the portal. Knew I was coming home. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
When the redshirt senior learned that his head coach at Jacksonville State, Rich Rodriguez, was also heading to Morgantown, it made the decision even more special.
“It was cool,” he said. “I was like, we all about to be back together again. So like a brotherhood it was at Jax State. He’s a great coach. Love him to death. He runs his organization very, very well.”
Growing up in West Virginia and playing for the Mountaineers is a dream for many natives, and now Bowie gets to live out his own.
“It’s so crazy to me,” he said. “It actually is because, I mean, when I was like 16 playing at Martinsburg, I used to come up here every home game and watch David Sills and the boys play. So I used to be right there on the 100, and then right after the game, walk down there, sing ‘Country Roads’ with them. It’s actually a beyond blessing just to strap up with blue and gold and play for the state I’ve always lived in. So, it’s a blessing.”
The 5-foot-9, 162-pound wide receiver believes his speed and skill set make him a natural fit for Rodriguez’s up-tempo offense in the Big 12.
“It’s how fast he plays,” Bowie said. “He plays very, very fast. I feel like I’m capable of playing very fast. That’s just how I play.”
That speed is paired with the “hard edge” mentality that Rodriguez instills in his players.
“(I) come up to practice, show up every day, play hard, practice hard, just ready to play, do what I do best,” the wideout explained.
For Bowie, Rodriguez’s “hard edge” philosophy wasn’t just a catchphrase — it was a way of life.
“Once you get hard — once you’re hard edge, you never go back. So, that’s one thing Coach Rich Rod applies a lot, being hard edge,” he said. “When I think hard edge, it’s like being physical and fast. Don’t be soft. Don’t run away from anything that comes your way.”
Bowie feels he has earned Rodriguez’s trust both on and off the field.
“I want to say he trusted me always, really,” he said. “I’ve always been a good kid. Never got on his bad side or did anything wrong. I just felt like he always trusted me.”
Success this fall won’t just be about numbers — it’s about the relationships the Martinsburg High School alum has built with his teammates, especially the quarterbacks.
“I love them all. We’re all really close. We all go out to eat together, go golfing, fish,” Bowie said.
As the season approaches, Bowie remains focused on building chemistry and being a reliable target.
“They’re all good, good quarterbacks,” he said. “I like them all. We’re all comfortable together.”
For Bowie, this season is more than statistics or wins — it’s the fulfillment of a dream years in the making, with the chance to represent the place that shaped him.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
