By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – The 2026 college football season will be here before we know it. The West Virginia Mountaineers are set to begin year two of Rich Rodriguez’s second stint in Morgantown. After finishing the 2025 season at 4-8 (2-7 Big 12), the Old Gold and Blue will be looking to take the next step as a program.
Today, we are going to begin our opponent previews for the 2026 season. Covering subjects such as roster, coaching staff, and predictions, we will ultimately provide information on all 12 opponents prior to kickoff on September 5th.
Game One Opponent: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
The Mountaineers will begin the 2026 season with a home matchup against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers out of the Sun Belt Conference. After a disappointing 6-7 campaign in 2025, Coastal Carolina decided to move on from Coach Tim Beck last fall. In turn, the Chanticleers hired Ryan Beard from Missouri State. Beard, who has only three years of head coaching experience, will be tasked with a significant rebuild in Conway, South Carolina.
Much like Rodriguez in 2025, Beard will be navigating a massive roster overhaul to begin his tenure with the Chanticleers. The program suffered major attrition following the coaching change in November of 2025, losing roughly 50 players to the NCAA Transfer Portal. In return, Beard will have 56 newcomers on his roster this fall (38 transfers, 13 high school, 5 junior college). While this is certainly a staggering stat, the Chanticleers were able to secure solid talent in this pool of players.
Notably, Beard secured two solid quarterback prospects out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. Arkansas transfer Trever Jackson and junior college transfer Tre Guerra are locked in a quarterback battle heading into fall camp. Both players possess unique skill sets and have the ability to be a solid starter for the Chanticleers from day one.
The skill position was also an area addressed by Beard. Oklahoma State transfer Jaden Allen-Hendrix and Arkansas transfer Rodney Hill are expected to lead the running back room for the Chanticleers. In the receiver room, the additions of Florida A&M transfer Goldie Lawrence and Missouri State transfer Tristian Gardner were among the moves made to revamp the passing attack.
The defense, led by Coach L.D. Scott, will also be looking at a major rebuild. Many former Missouri State defenders followed Beard to Coastal Carolina – including Ahmad Poole, Braxton Starnes, Donald Quist, Ryan Grayson, and Travis Roman.
During his time at Missouri State, Scott led units that ranked near the top of the Bears’ conferences.
Prediction
While the talent Beard brought with him to Conway is intriguing, an upset over a Power Four opponent game one simply isn’t feasible. The Mountaineers will have the clear talent advantage. Expect a slow start from West Virginia, possibly leading to a closer-than-expected score at the half. However, Cam Cook will get things going in the second half, allowing for West Virginia to pull away for a comfortable victory.
West Virginia 41, Coastal Carolina 16
(Photo by Coastal Carolina Athletics)
