West Virginia football roster under Rich Rodriguez: Transfer portal, recruiting, staff news from WVU experts

The West Virginia Mountaineers are bringing Rich Rodriguez back to Morgantown after a 17-year hiatus after announcing him as Neal Brown’s replacement on Thursday. Brown was fired after a six-year stint, finishing with a 37-35 recover overall. Rodriguez coached the Mountaineers from 2001-07, winning four Big East titles while amassing a 60-26 record. He led the program to a pair of New Year’s Six bowls before making stops at Michigan, Arizona and Jacksonville State, among others. 

Rodriguez will now start building the West Virginia football coaching staff and West Virginia football roster. The college football transfer portal could play an important role in turning the program around, so which players should you keep an eye on? If you want the latest West Virginia football news now that Rodriguez is calling the shots for the Mountaineers, be sure be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at EerSports, the 247Sports affiliate that covers WVU.

The EerSports insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding Rodriguez’ return and the future of the West Virginia football program, including insights from Chris Anderson and Mike Casazza, who have deep-rooted ties inside and around the West Virginia community. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on WVU football, basketball, recruiting and more. Plus get access to the Country Roads Confidential premium message board where you can connect with other West Virginia fans and insiders. 

And right now, EerSports is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at EerSports already has the latest on all of Rodriguez’s moves. Head to EerSports now to see them all.

West Virginia football roster news 

Every team that goes through a coaching change deals with some sort of roster turnover, and West Virginia is no exception. The Mountaineers have already seen starting linebacker Josiah Trotter enter the transfer portal after racking up 92 tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss and one interception. He was the top defensive recruit in the 2023 class and the son of NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, and West Virginia will try to keep him in Morgantown.  

Offensively, West Virginia will be trying to figure out its next quarterback under Rodriguez, who has a history of developing high-end signal callers. He was known for dominating the Big East with Pat White at quarterback before coaching Denard Robinson (Michigan), Anu Solomon (Arizona) and Khalil Tate (Arizona). The Mountaineers will be replacing senior Garrett Green (1,972 passing yards, 13 touchdowns) next season. 

Sophomore Nicco Marchiol is immediately a name to monitor, as he had 434 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in seven games this season. While Marchiol could win the starting job, Rodriguez is likely going to look for another quarterback from the portal as well. Several potential transfers to keep an eye on include Kaidon Salter (Liberty), Braylon Braxton (Marshall) and Matthew Sluka (UNLV). Get more West Virginia football roster updates at EerSports. 

How to get insider West Virginia football updates 

The EerSports team is bringing up-to-the minute updates on the latest transfer portal targets, how Rodriguez’ hiring impacts recruiting and news on which coaches will join Rodriguez in Morgantown. You can only get it all at EerSports.

Who is West Virginia targeting in the transfer portal, and what will Rodriguez’s first staff at WVU look like? Go to EerSports to get all the latest West Virginia football news, all from a team of dialed-in Mountaineer insiders, and find out. 

And reminder, EerSports is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership, so subscribe now before it’s too late.

*Terms: This offer is only available for new members who sign up for an annual subscription to EerSports. After the first year, subscription will re-bill on an annual basis at the regular rate. 247Sports.com reserves the right to alter or cancel this promotion at any time. Please write support@247sports.com with any questions you may have.