By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – The receivers room left much to be desired for the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2025. Coming into the season with a largely depleted position group, the unit struggled to remain consistent from week to week. Now, with the recent news of Cam Vaughn’s departure, it may be much of the same in 2026.
Outside of Rodney Gallagher and potentially Jaden Bray, the Mountaineers will return virtually no receiving production next season. This was, however, an area addressed during the early signing period as Rich Rodriguez notched multiple receivers from both the high school and junior college ranks. Notably, Keon Hutchins, the top ranked receiver in the junior college ranks.
As the Mountaineers head into the transfer portal window next week, it is vital that Rich Rodriguez and staff address the lack of experience at receiver. While there will be a large pool of players to choose from, Rodriguez requires certain traits from his wide outs. Any receiver the Mountaineers give an extended look need to have decent size, good blocking skills, and speed.
If the program is willing to spend top-end money for a playmaker at receiver, the first call the staff should make is to Wyatt Young of North Texas. The Texas native officially entered the portal after the Mean Green’s bowl win over San Diego State last night. After modest numbers in 2024, young exploded for 70 receptions for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025. Standing at 6-feet tall and weighing 195 pounds, Young’s combined speed and size could make him a defensive nightmare in Rodriguez’s scheme.
The Mountaineers could also pull from the Big 12’s range of talent with Iowa State’s Brett Eskildsen. Though he did not produce numbers that will catch the eye of any fan or analyst, Eskildsen brings a similar size and skill set to that of Jeff Weimer. Grabbing 30 receptions for 526 yards and 5 touchdowns, the former Cyclone has the potential to be a solid possession receiver for West Virginia.
Should Rodriguez want to shoot for the stars and grab a game-changer, Colorado’s Omarion Miller should also generate recruiting buzz at WVU. The talented Louisiana native has already showcased his skills to the Mountaineer faithful. On November 8th, in WVU’s 29-22 win over Colorado, Miller notched 6 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. He also demonstrated his big-play ability all season, netting 18 yards per reception – placing 17th among all receivers in the nation. It would likely require a significant NIL commitment, but landing a player like Miller out of the portal would certainly lessen the blow of Cam Vaughn’s departure.
We know that Rodriguez plans to add only 12-15 players in the portal window this week. However, we can also assure that a large percentage of these players will be receivers. The Mountaineers are currently staring at another uphill battle at receiver going into 2026. But if Rodriguez is serious about turning his alma mater around, he has to be willing to bring in talent that can truly make a difference.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
