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Countdown to Kickoff – Robert Morris Preview

Published

4 months ago

August 30, 2025

Countdown to Kickoff – Robert Morris Preview

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 133^rd season in West Virginia University football history is upon us. The Mountaineers, once again under the leadership of coach Rich Rodriguez following a 17-year hiatus, resume year eight under his guidance later today by playing host to Robert Morris of the Northeast Conference.

More on the Colonials in a moment.

The return of Rodriguez to his alma mater has been a national story since the moment Wren Baker made the unlikely announcement last Dec. 12, 2024.

Since then, Rodriguez has kept the Mountaineers in the news.

Most recently, Baker’s surprising choice of bringing Rodriguez back to West Virginia earned a Herbie Award from ESPN college football expert Kirk Herbstreit as the best offseason coaching hire, edging out North Carolina’s Bill Belichick and Purdue’s Barry Odom.

“We know what Rich Rod is going to do, and how about him with his press conferences?” Herbstreit said. “We’ve got a character back in the limelight, which I just love to see. He’s just very direct. He says, ‘We’ve got everything here. We’ve got an ice cream (machine) back here. We’ve got sprinkles. We’ve got it all – more than these guys need!’

“He’s going to be a lot of fun,” Herbstreit concluded.

Rodriguez said it will be a “little surreal” when he runs out into the stadium once again, just like it was when he had his introductory press conference in the WVU Coliseum last December, but the nostalgia will end once the opening coin toss takes place.

After 28 years in the coaching profession, he admits there will still be some butterflies in his stomach right before kickoff.

“I think it’s okay to be nervous for a little bit, and I think it’s okay for our players to be a little bit nervous because it matters to you,” Rodriguez explained.

The veteran coach with 190 career victories concedes the only way this reunion is going to work is if his football team returns to the same winning ways it enjoyed when the first pairing ended in 2007 with the Mountaineers on the cusp of a BCS championship game appearance.

After three seasons of Bill Stewart in the Big East and then a move to the Big 12 Conference in 2012, West Virginia tried to become more-Big 12-like by hiring Air Raid disciples Dana Holgorsen and Neal Brown.

Now, in the midst of a seven-year, 100-week Associated Press Top 25 poll drought, the Mountaineers are hoping Rodriguez can help them once again become the best versions of themselves with a high-tempo, spread offensive attack and an aggressive, opportunistic defense.

Through the years, Rodriguez has tried out many different slogans before settling on “hard-edge” to describe his methodology, which is based on toughness and unrelenting effort – characteristics fans are eager to see return to their Mountaineer football teams.

Joining Rich Rod is a new coaching staff with many old faces and 79 new players, putting West Virginia’s roster turnover among the highest in FBS football this season.

In fact, there are so many new faces the depth chart released earlier this week became front-page news, even if it was comprised of several “ors,” meaning positions have yet to be solidified.

The all-important quarterback spot has five different players listed as “or” on the depth chart, starting at the top with redshirt junior Nicco Marchiol, one of the few returning players with any Big 12 experience. Also listed are Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson, Charlotte transfer Max Brown, promising true freshman Scotty Fox Jr. and promising redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins.

Rodriguez has said multiple quarterbacks will see action today, perhaps even all of them.

Other areas on offense where uncertainty still reigns are at Y wide receiver, where holdover Rodney Gallagher III, Eastern Michigan transfer Oran Singleton Jr. and Jacksonville State transfer Jarod Bowie remain locked in battle; at tight end, where Northern Illinois transfer Grayson Barnes and Jacksonville State transfer Jacob Barrick are still competing; at backup X where South Carolina State transfer Justin Smith-Brown and Idaho State transfer Jeff Weimer are listed behind Cam Vaughn; and at backup running back, where Clay Ash, Iowa Central Community College transfer Cyncir Bowers and redshirt freshman Diore Hubbard are fighting for reps behind game-one starter Jahiem White.

On the defensive side of the ball, Southern Illinois transfer Ben Bogle and North Carolina transfer Ashton Woods are battling for backup mike linebacker reps behind senior Reid Carrico.

Senior Kekoura Tarnue and Jacksonville State transfer Derek Carter Jr. are competing for the backup free safety spot behind sophomore Israel Boyce, and Washington transfer Justin Harrington and Chattanooga transfer Jordan Walker are fighting for reps at boundary safety behind Akron transfer Darrian Lewis.

Of course, all positions are subject to change based on performance.

“We think we have a lot of guys who deserve the opportunity to play, so getting them into the game in the right situations and making sure they are paying attention (will be important for the staff),” Rodriguez observed. “Everybody on the sidelines has to be laser focused.”

A federal judge recently ruled transfers Weimer, Harrington, running back Tye Edwards and bandit linebacker Jimmori Robinson are eligible to play this year.

Of the four, Robinson’s status still remains unresolved, however, and Rodriguez indicated previously that they continue to work with West Virginia University’s general counsel on an interpretation of Robinson’s availability for the 2025 season.

Robert Morris, too, will be showcasing a new football team in coach Bernard Clark Jr.’s eighth season in Coraopolis. Last year’s squad posted a 7-5 overall record, including a 4-2 mark in conference play, and was led by quarterback Anthony Chiccitt, who is now displaying his talents at Temple.

Returner Zach Tanner beat out Harvard transfer Ameer Dudley in a preseason battle for the starting quarterback job. Tanner, from Winter Haven, Florida, is one of nine Sunshine State products on this year’s Robert Morris roster, which is not surprising considering Clark was a standout linebacker on Miami’s national championship teams in 1987 and 1989.

The Colonials’ starting lineup is littered with transfer players, as well.

Among the wide receivers, starting X Thomas Lee hails from Bluefield College, starting Z Tyler Evans spent last season at West Virginia and starting slot Kai Holloway transferred from Maryland.

Up front, left tackle Riley Piper hails from Antelope Valley College, starting left guard Pete Jarvis once played at Toledo, starting right guard Marc Koumoundoras is from St. Francis (Ill.) and starting tight end Richard Ransom transferred from Coffeyville Junior College.

“This is the least I’ve ever known about an opposing team,” West Virginia defensive coordinator Zac Alley admitted.

Defensively, the transfers include starting nose tackle Okechukwu Egbuziem from South Dakota, starting mike linebacker Patrick McDonnell from Walsh, starting sam linebacker Jakari Patterson from Austin Peay, starting free safety Elijah Davis from Ball State and starting strong safety Carter Odell from Florida Atlantic.

RMU’s special teams include backup punter and starting holder Nate Ost from Ohio State and kick returner Owen McGraw from Eastern Michigan.

Anything either coach says about the other team is purely guesswork at this point.

“There are so many unknowns,” Rodriguez admitted. “They have three new coordinators, so they could be something totally new, too. Who is going to be doing it? There is a little guesswork on both ends, I guess.

“You’ve got to play a game to find out, and the hardest part about a first game is it’s a little different on game day, and we’ll find out about some certain guys on Saturday,” he said.

Robert Morris last qualified for the FCS playoffs in 2010 when Joe Walton was coaching the team. Walton’s name, incidentally, is on their football stadium.

The contest will be Robert Morris’ first-ever visit to Milan Puskar Stadium.

Here is today’s Countdown to Kickoff:

10 – Rich Rodriguez has coached a player that was named Offensive Player of the Year TEN times during his 28-year career.

9 – NINE former Mountaineer players survived cutdown day and are on active NFL rosters as of Wednesday, Aug. 27. They are Rex Sunahara (Cleveland Browns), Dante Stills (Arizona Cardinals), Rasul Douglas (Miami Dolphins), David Sills V (Atlanta Falcons), Wyatt Milum (Jacksonville Jaguars), Geno Smith (Las Vegas Raiders), Zach Frazier (Pittsburgh Steelers), Austin Brinkman (Houston Texans) and Colton McKivitz (San Francisco 49ers).

8 – EIGHT different positions on offense and defense have “ors” listed on the depth chart released earlier this week, including all five quarterbacks.

7 – SEVEN different Mountaineer players have appeared in at least 37 career games during their college football careers heading into today’s season opener: Kekoura Tarnue (44), Jordan Walker (43), Chase Wilson (42), Preston Fox (41), Ty’Kieast Crawford (39), Oliver Straw and Eddie Kelly Jr. (37).

6 – The last time West Virginia had at least SIX defensive or special teams touchdowns in a season happened in 2011 when the Mountaineers scored six. The most since 2000 were the 10 produced that season.

5 – The Mountaineers have scored at least 49 points in each of their last FIVE games against FCS opponents dating back to 2020. WVU defeated Eastern Kentucky 56-10 in 2020, LIU 66-0 in 2021, Towson 65-7 in 2022, Duquesne 56-17 in 2023 and UAlbany 49-14 last year.

4 – Rich Rodriguez won his last FOUR home openers during his first tour of duty at West Virginia in 2004 (East Carolina), 2005 (Wofford), 2006 (Marshall) and 2007 (Western Michigan).

3 – West Virginia’s roster this year features players from 23 different states and THREE different countries – Australia (Oliver Straw), Finland (Edward Vesterinen) and Liberia (Kekoura Tarnue).

2 – Rich Rodriguez is one victory shy of tying Dana Holgorsen for SECOND on West Virginia’s all-time wins list behind leader Don Nehlen with 149. Holgorsen earned 61 victories from 2011-18, one more than Rodriguez registered during his first tenure here from 2001-07 when he went 60-26.

1 – Today’s game will be Robert Morris’ FIRST-ever visit to Milan Puskar Stadium.

A special 2 p.m. kickoff has been assigned for today’s Gold Rush Game, meaning all fans are encouraged to wear their gold to the stadium.

ESPN+ (Brian Custer and Max Starks) will provide television analysis.

Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield radio coverage gets underway at 11 a.m. with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading into regular network coverage at 1 p.m. with veteran play-by-play man Tony Caridi, analyst Dwight Wallace and sideline reporter Jed Drenning providing commentary.

The broadcast can be heard on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com and the Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.

Be sure to stop by afterward for complete postgame coverage.

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NIL

Miami WR Malachi Toney Announces Career News Amid College Football Season

Published

2 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes defeated the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies 10-3 in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It was a defensive battle, ultimately decided by a late fourth-quarter score and red-zone interception by Miami.

With the score tied at 3 and 1 minute, 44 seconds left in the game, Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Carson Beck.

Up next for the Hurricanes is a Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic matchup against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s an uphill battle, as ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Hurricanes a 29.5% chance of winning.

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10).© Robert Myers-Imagn Images

Before his heroic performance, though, the wide receiver revealed an exciting Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) update. In a joint Instagram post, Toney revealed a new NIL partnership with Hellstar, a popular clothing brand that has a sports training component.

“We are so proud to announce our first Hellstar Sports College Athlete NIL signing – Malachi Toney🌟.,” the post caption read. “We had the privilege to coach @malitoney10 while he was apart of our high school 7 on 7 program, so now seeing him shine on the collegiate level we couldn’t be more proud.”

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What Colorado’s Athletic Department Valuation Says About Buffaloes’ Growth

Published

2 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In the growing landscape of college athletics, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals play a vital role in sports. Some programs are set up better than others based on a program’s valuation. Programs with higher valuations can help some of the top-performing teams stay successful.

CNBC released its valuation rankings for the country’s athletic departments, showing their growth from the 2024 fiscal year. The Colorado Buffaloes are ranked No. 47 in the nation, a rise from No. 55 in 2024.

Colorado Buffaloes valuation NIL transfer portal Deion Sanders Coach Prime Big 12 College Football Basketball Folsom Field — Nov 25, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sanders on the field against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Breaking Down Colorado Buffaloes’ Valuation Ranking

Colorado’s 2025 valuation is $574 million, with a year-over-year value change of 22 percent. The program’s 2024 revenue is set at $147 million, with a 16 percent year-over-year revenue change.

A program’s valuation determines its monetary worth, and it is important to look at the growth, which shows that Colorado is trending in the right direction. It is also important to note that the valuation rankings are based on all of the athletics, not just the football program.

Where Colorado Ranks In The Big 12

When focusing on the Big 12 conference, several of the programs are in the same vicinity with their valuation ranking.

No. 39 Kansas: $620M
No. 41 Oklahoma State: $600M
No. 42 Baylor: $585M
No. 46 Iowa State: $575M
No. 47 Colorado: $574M
No. 49 Texas Tech: $570M
No. 50 TCU: $568M
No. 55 Arizona: $529M
No. 57 BYU: $500M
No. 58 West Virginia: $481M
No. 60 Utah: $451M
No. 62 Kansas State: $435M
No. 63 Arizona State: $430M
No. 68 Cincinnati: $280M
No. 70 UCF: $262M
No. 73 Houston: $222M

MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet

MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News

While from the top valuation of Kansas to the bottom, which is Houston is a significant difference in the Big 12, the conference teams are still in a similar vicinity overall. With it having to do with all athletics, the programs that have consistently strong teams, such as Kansas’ basketball team, make sense to have a higher valuation.

Looking at the Big 12 as a whole shows that the Colorado Buffaloes are in the top five for their valuation and trending upward.

Calling Back To Deion Sanders’ Comments On Fairness

While valuation is not the same as revenue, seeing the difference in the conferences does call back to Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ comments on the fairness between programs. The schools in the top five for their valuation are either in the Big Ten or the SEC, and all are in the billions.

“You talk about equality,” Sanders said during the Big 12 media day. “All you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent, and you understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs. It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25, $30 million to a darn freshman class.”

Although the valuation is on the programs’ overall athletics, Sanders has been outspoken about money when it comes to building the football program. With the Buffaloes facing a mass exodus through the transfer portal, Sanders has highlighted that several players are leaving because of money.

The positive side is that the Buffaloes’ valuation is growing with a 22 percent increase. This shows that the school’s athletics overall are being valued higher, and will help lead to more money poured into the program. With more money, the Buffaloes can put more of an emphasis on NIL as they look to build their roster and compete in the Big 12.

Insider Reveals Biggest Reason Behind Colorado’s Transfer Portal Mass Exodus

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

From a player retention standpoint, the first few weeks of the offseason haven’t been kind to the Colorado Buffaloes.

Several key Buffs have announced their intentions to enter the college football transfer portal when it opens next month, including wide receiver Omarion Miller, safety Tawfiq Byard and freshman defensive end Alexander McPherson. While every situation is unique, one Colorado insider believes money has been a common denominator among players’ reasons for leaving Boulder.

Insider Reasons Colorado Transfer Portal Exodus Buffaloes NIL Deion Sanders Alexander McPherson Tawfiq Byard Omarion Miller — Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) is tackled by Utah Utes defensive back JC Hart (14) during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

“The super majority of those people, I’m talking 95 percent, are going to be leaving for a bigger bag,” Thee Pregame Show’s Uncle Neely said on his YouTube channel. “This ain’t transferring in 1990. This ain’t transferring in the year 2000. This is 2025. This is business now. This isn’t, ‘Oh, I don’t like the coach. Oh, I don’t want to be treated the way they treat me.’

“This doesn’t mean something is wrong. These are business decisions now. But what we like to do is run with the narrative that woe is me, something must be wrong, something must be going on. How are all these people leaving?”

The NIL (name, image and likeness) era has rocked college football, and the depressing truth is that schools with more money will ultimately land the best players. In the Big 12, no school better exemplifies that trend than new conference champion Texas Tech.

Who’s Leaving Colorado?

As of Sunday, 16 Colorado players will enter the transfer portal next month. That group includes 12 defensive players, six members of the Buffs’ 2025 high school signing class and a few other Buffs who spent only one season in Boulder.

Below is an updated list of Colorado players who plan on entering the transfer portal:

Safety TJ Branch
Defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis
Cornerback Noah King
Cornerback Teon Parks
Linebacker Mantrez Walker
Safety Terrance Love
Safety Tawfiq Byard
Wide receiver Omarion Miller
Defensive tackle Brandon Davis-Swain
Offensive lineman Carde Smith
Defensive end Alexander McPherson
Offensive lineman Tyler Brown
Defensive tackle Gavriel Lightfoot
Defensive tackle Christian Hudson
Defensive tackle Tawfiq Thomas
Wide receiver Dre’lon Miller

Uncle Neely shared his take that Colorado’s losses should be replaceable via the transfer portal.

“Have you ever stopped to say, what am I actually losing by those people leaving?” Uncle Neely said. “Have you ever looked at the numbers production-wise of who has announced that they’re getting up out of here and what you’re actually losing by them leaving?… Is it replaceable via the portal? And in this business in college football, is it replaceable cheaper? I would wager to say the answer is yes in all regards.”

MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet

MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News

The college football transfer portal will open on Jan. 2 and close Jan. 16. Colorado coach Deion Sanders and his staff can begin adding players from the portal at the start of that period.

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Report: LSU finalizes deal to hire Ole Miss’ Kevin Smith, puts him among highest paid RBs coaches

Published

4 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Lane Kiffin is bringing another Ole Miss assistant with him to LSU. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Tigers have finalized a deal to hire Rebels running backs coach Kevin Smith for the same role.

Smith is reported to have a salary of close to $1 million, which would make him one of the highest-paid running backs coaches in the country. He is the sixth Ole Miss assistant to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.

The other coaches joining Kiffin at LSU are offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach Joe Cox, receivers coach Joe McDonald, inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan and quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens. So far no defensive assistants from the Rebels have made the jump to Baton Rouge.

Smith worked with Kiffin as a running backs coach at Florida Atlantic form 2017-19 and joined his very first staff at Ole Miss in 2020. He stayed for the next two seasons in Oxford before leaving to take the running backs coach position at Miami in 2022.

Smith’s stint with the Hurricanes was a short-lived one as he returned to Ole Miss in 2023 and stayed through this season. Now he’ll look to continue the success he has enjoyed with Kiffin while building up the running backs room at LSU.

Smith helped to develop running backs such as Quinshon Judkins and Kewan Lacy during his time in Oxford. This past season, Ole Miss ranked fifth in the SEC with 185.6 rushing yards per game as Lacy led the conference with 21 rushing touchdowns and ranked second with 1,366 yards.

Ole Miss had its best season in program history this year to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. However, Kiffin was not granted permission from the school to finish out the season with the Rebels after he accepted the LSU job.

Other assistants, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., were allowed to complete the playoff run with Ole Miss. The Rebels defeated Tulane in the first round and will face No. 3 Georgia, which they lost to earlier this season, in the quarterfinals.

As of right now, it looks like most of the Ole Miss offensive staff will follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge. The defensive side keep defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who has been on staff at LSU since 2024.

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Former 4-star QB announces plans to enter college football transfer portal

Published

8 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The quarterback market is expected to be extremely competitive this offseason.

A ton of experienced signal-callers have announced their decisions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, including Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker, Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, and TCU’s Josh Hoover, among countless others.

The right move can benefit young quarterbacks, as players such as USC’s Jayden Maiava and Oregon’s Dante Moore benefited from transferring early in their careers.

An offseason coaching change has led one former blue-chip recruit to explore his options in the portal.

Former Four-Star Quarterback Expected To Enter Portal

On Sunday, Memphis true freshman quarterback Antwann “AJ” Hill announced his plans to leave the program after one season, per On3.

Hill appeared in two games in 2025, earning a redshirt. His most extensive action came in a 31-24 loss to UAB on October 18. Hill entered the contest after starting quarterback Brendon Lewis went down with an injury. In roughly two quarters of action, he completed 13/25 passes for 176 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

On the season, Hill connected on 19/32 passes for 223 yards with 1 touchdown to 1 interception.

Hill is transferring after Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield was hired away by Arkansas. The Razorbacks don’t have a ton of depth at quarterback. Redshirt freshman KJ Jackson holds the most experience on the roster with five appearances and one start last season.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Arkansas is involved in Hill’s transfer recruitment.

Hill was one of the highest-ranked prospects in program history to sign with Memphis. He was regarded as the No. 15 QB and a top-200 recruit in the 2025 class. Hill chose the Tigers over Florida following official visits to both schools.

During his prep career at Houston County High School, Hill compiled over 11,000 passing yards and led his team to at least one playoff victory in all three seasons as a starter.

Overall, Hill completed 800-of-1239 passes for 11,020 yards with 123 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. He added six more scores on the ground.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback is expected to have four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Former Carolina wide receiver set for WWE main roster debut

Published

9 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Former South Carolina wide receiver Matrick Belton is reportedly going to get a real shot on the main roster in the WWE. Belton, who goes by Trick Williams in the top professional wrestling and sports entertainment company, joined WWE in 2021 in the NXT brand. Now, he’s going to move up to either the Raw or Smackdown roster.

NXT is basically the developmental arm of WWE while Raw and Smackdown – shows on Mondays and Fridays, respectively – are considered the main roster. According to this report from PWInsider.com, Belton will make an appearance on the upcoming Smackdown, which was pre-taped.

Whether Belton moves to Raw or Smackdown is to be determined. Here’s the reporting from PWInsider:

Former WWE NXT and TNA Champion Trick Williams will debut on Smackdown on 12/26 with the storyline being he’s a free agent looking to sign with the brand. We are told Williams has not been officially listed internally on a brand yet, so he could appear on Raw in the upcoming weeks as well, but he’ll be moving to the main roster in 2026.

Belton is a two-time NXT champion and also held the TNA World Championship for 140 days earlier this year. Belton, a former SEC football player who was in the Philadelphia Eagles’ minicamp in 2018, recently got engaged to another former SEC athlete – women’s basketball player Anriel Howard, who played for three years at Texas A&M and her final year at Mississippi State.

Belton, a Columbia native who played for Keenan High School, joined the program in 2014 after spending his first two years out of high school at Hampton University. After sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules, Belton played in every game for South Carolina in 2015 and made five starts. He caught 11 passes for 121 yards his first season on the field.

As a senior in 2016, he played primarily on special teams, appearing in nine games. He played in 21 games over the course of his two-year career with the Gamecocks and made five starts.

Belton also spent time in training camp with Philadelphia Eagles. However, he decided to take a chance on pro wrestling and started training at the Combat Zone Wrestling Academy in New Jersey.

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