By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – With the 2026 WVU Football season only weeks away, fans are beginning to speculate how this team will fare. While how the season will play out is anyone’s guess, today, I am going to share my BOLD predictions for the Mountaineers.
These predictions will be scenarios that are not necessarily of popular opinion at this time. Primarily going against the grain of national media and fanbase expectations.
Here are FIVE BOLD PREDICTIONS for WVU Football in 2026:
- WVU finishes in the top half of the Big 12 – Although Mountaineer fans expect the program to compete in 2026, the national media has not been so kind to WVU. Many outlets have Rich Rodriguez’s squad finishing towards the bottom of the Big 12. However, I do not believe that will be the case. The Mountaineers have a favorable schedule with five Big 12 home games. If they can win four of those, coupled with a win on the road against Iowa State, there’s no reason this team shouldn’t finish in the top half of the conference standings.
- Scotty Fox finishes season as QB1 – If early rumors are true, Michael Hawkins is set to win the starting quarterback job going into game one. Though I do believe these reports, my faith in him being the long-term answer is still considerably low. At some point during the season, I believe Scotty Fox will take the reins of this offense once again and finish the season as starting quarterback. Fox’s arm talent far surpasses that of Hawkins. Despite not possessing the speed of Hawkins, I believe his ability to make high-level throws will ultimately be the difference.
- Zac Alley’s defense surprises – The sentiment around WVU’s defense in 2026 is that it will once again be in rebuild mode. Completely flipping the roster year after year is never ideal, but I believe Alley may have struck gold with additions made through the transfer portal. Zeke Durham-Campbell and Harper Holloman will provide solid pass rush, while several additions (Ma. Hawkins and G. Latimer) in the secondary make the unit much more enticing than last season’s. While I don’t expect this group to be the best in the Big 12, it will be one that keep’s offensive coordinators up at night.
- WVU will be bowl eligible by mid-October – As stated before, the Mountaineers have a fairly soft schedule in Big 12 play. This is accompanied by an easier-than-usual non-conference slate to begin the campaign. West Virginia will win their first three games, as well as three of their first four conference games, en route to a 6-1 record and national ranking in mid-October.
- WVU wins 9 games, including bowl game – Rich Rodriguez will guide his Mountaineers to a 9-4 (5-4 Big 12) finish in 2026, setting the stage for a massive 2026 season. A Liberty Bowl win over the SEC’s Auburn Tigers will infuse Mountaineer Nation with excitement for what’s to come.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
