Trending
West Virginia
2025 record: 4-8
Expectations
West Virginia underwent wholesale lineup changes under second-year coach Rich Rodriguez as the Mountaineers chase an elusive Big 12 championship.
Injuries took a heavy toll in the first year of Rodriguez’s second stint with the team. The Mountaineers were among the lowest-scoring teams in the Big 12 despite being among the nation’s fastest-tempo offenses.
During the offseason West Virginia lost nearly three-fourths of its roster, including more than 50 who entered the transfer portal. The portal also brought in some potential standouts, especially on offense.
“We looked more for production as opposed to potential, guys that have been very productive, whether it’s at a Group of Five school or what have you, that started and played in college games and wanted to try to play at the highest level,” Rodriguez said.
West Virginia has yet to win a Big 12 championship since entering the league in 2012. Its last 10-win season was a decade ago and there’s little reason to doubt that trend will end. The Mountaineers haven’t been ranked in the AP Top 25 since 2018, the longest drought among Big 12 schools and one of the longest in the Power Four.
Strengths include running game and offensive line
Rodriguez hopes to get a big improvement out of a lackluster spread-option offense with the addition of quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and running back Cam Cook, the nation’s top rusher last season with 1,659 yards at Jacksonville State. Cook was selected to The Associated Press all-America third team.
Opening holes for them should be an offensive line that added a half dozen transfers along with Kevin Brown, a 6-foot-6 freshman who is expected to start at left tackle. Rodriguez admits that last year’s unit lacked size.
Rodriguez has reunited with veteran offensive line coach Rick Trickett. The pair worked together at West Virginia from 2001 to 2006 before Trickett spent the next decade at Florida State.
Weaknesses include questions at wide receiver and defense
West Virginia lost its top seven receivers from a year ago when the Mountaineers caught just 10 TD passes and only one player had more than 400 receiving yards. Jaden Bray is being counted on to be the centerpiece of this year’s unit, but he’ll have to stay healthy. Bray sustained season-ending foot injuries in each of the last two years in which he played a total of seven games.
Rodriguez also has spoken highly of 6-foot-5 Prince Strachan, who was limited by an ankle injury last season and played in just one game at Southern California.
West Virginia had five blowout losses, including a 49-0 setback to Texas Tech to end the season. The defense allowed a Big 12-worst 28 TD passes and 265 passing yards per game, eighth-worst in the nation. The defense returns just one of its top 10 tacklers and no one who started more than one game for the Mountaineers last season.
New faces
QB Michael Hawkins Jr. (transfer from Oklahoma), RB Cam Cook (transfer from Jacksonville State), WR DJ Epps (transfer from Troy), DB Andrew Powdrell (transfer from UNLV), DE Harper Holloman (transfer from Western Kentucky).
Key losses
RB Jahiem White (transferred to North Texas), QB Nicco Marchiol (transferred to Northwestern), DB Fred Perry (graduated), LB Reid Carrico (graduated), RB Diore Hubbard (transferred to Wyoming).
Biggest games for the Mountaineers
Vs. Arizona (Oct. 10), at Texas Tech (Nov. 7), at Utah (Nov. 27).
Pittsburgh
2025 record: 8-5
Expectations
The Panthers have been stuck in the mushy middle of the ACC since winning the conference title in 2021, going 16-16 in league play over the last four years.
If Pitt wants to escape it in 2026, it will depend largely on how big of a step forward quarterback Mason Heintschel takes in his second season. Heintschel was a revelation at times as a freshman last fall, topping 300 yards in five of his first six starts before leveling off in a disappointing final month in which an outside chance to reach the College Football Playoff and the ACC title game vanished in blowout losses to Notre Dame and Miami.
The schedule is decidedly more user-friendly this time around. While Pitt will have to travel to face the Hurricanes in late October, the stage is set for another strong start. The Panthers play five of their first six at Acrisure Stadium and in a wide-open league, they hope the lessons of late collapses in the last two seasons will stick.
“Getting back to the ACC championship, that’s our goal,” Heintschel said. “We get back to there, go win that game, then obviously the sky’s the limit. College Football Playoff, all that stuff.”
Strengths include the development of QB Mason Heintschel
Heintschel and offensive coordinator Kade Bell seemed to click almost immediately, with Heintschel’s quick decision-making in Bell’s uptempo approach helping Pitt’s playmakers get into space and do damage. Heintschel is confident the relationship he’s built with Bell can flourish with more production on the field.
While the Panthers do dip into the transfer portal, they lean into having more carryover than most schools. Wide receiver Blue Hicks returns after averaging 17.4 yards per reception and running back Ja’Kyrian Turner had nearly 900 yards of total offense as a freshman.
Weaknesses might be the question marks on defense
Coach Pat Narduzzi has a track record of producing NFL-caliber defenders, a trend that continued with electric linebacker Kyle Louis being selected in the fourth round by Miami this spring. While linebacker Braylan Lovelace brings plenty of experience, he’ll be surrounded by newcomers or players stepping into larger roles after Louis turned pro and Rasheem Biles transferred to Texas.
Defensive coordinator Cory Sanders, in his first year at the position after being promoted following eight seasons coaching the secondary, will try to put his own stamp on a unit that is known for its aggressiveness.
“A lot of times we say ‘car crash’ in the defensive room,” Lovelace said. “That’s just something we’re trying to do, make big collisions that disrupt things. You disrupt it, there’s nothing they can do about it.”
New faces
WR Malik Knight (transferred from Western Carolina), TE Carson Kent (transferred from Oklahoma), RB La’Vell Wright (transferred from Western Kentucky), LB Alex Sanford Jr., (transferred from Purdue), DB Raion Strader (transferred from Auburn).
Key losses
RB Desmond Reid (graduated), WR Kenny Johnson (now at Texas Tech), LB Kyle Louis (drafted by the Miami Dolphins), WR Poppi Williams (graduated), LB Rasheem Biles (transferred to Texas).
Biggest games for the Panthers
At Virginia Tech (Oct. 2), at Miami (Oct. 24), vs. Florida State (Nov. 13), at Louisville (Nov. 21).
Cincinnati
2025 record: 7-6
Expectations
The Bearcats have steadily improved since joining the Big 12 in 2023, including reaching a bowl game last season for the first time since 2022. However, late-season struggles the past two years have put coach Scott Satterfield on the hot seat. Cincinnati was 7-1 and ranked 16th in the AP poll before losing their final five games last year.
Once again, Cincinnati had to do a massive rebuild of the roster, especially at the skill positions. The only saving grace for the offense is that it has one of the top offensive lines when it comes to Power Four programs. Defensive coordinator Nate Woody was brought in from Army and will run a 3-4 scheme charged with rushing the quarterback instead of dropping eight into coverage.
The Bearcats will have one of the toughest schedules in the Big 12. They host No. 12 Texas Tech and 21st-ranked Utah but also go on the road to face No. 14 BYU and No, 23 Houston. It could come down to the UC’s final home game against Colorado on Nov. 21 to determine if the Bearcats will be bowl eligible and Satterfield will return for a fifth season.
The offensive line is biggest strength
The offensive line has three potential Day 2 NFL draft picks in left guard Evan Tengesdahl, left tackle Joe Cotton and center Taran Tyo. Tengesdahl is a preseason AP All-America and the leader of the group. The Bearcats allowed only eight sacks last season, second-fewest in the FBS.
While the defense lost most of its starters, it does return its two best players from last year in Antwan Peek Jr. and Johnathan Thompson. Peek is moving to an outside linebacker spot so that he can rush the passer more while Thompson had 8 1/2 tackles for loss last season.
If Cincinnati gets involved in a battle of field position, punter Max Fletcher is back after averaging 45.4 yards per punt last season and being named to the All-Big 12 second team.
Weaknesses include inexperience at skill positions
Satterfield once again has a situation where he has a new quarterback, running back and receivers. Georgia Southern transfer JC French IV doesn’t have the dual threat capabilities that Brendan Sorsby had, but he did throw 20 touchdown passes against eight interceptions last season.
French will also need to make sure the offense can have longer drives. The Bearcats were last in the FBS in time of possession, averaging less than 25 minutes per game. They were also last in first-downs allowed.
New faces
QB JC French IV (transfer from Georgia Southern), EDGE Thomas Johnson, (transfer from North Carolina Central), WR Cade Wolford (transfer from Kent State), LB Filip Maciorowski (transfer from Northern Illinois), WR WR JV Gibson (transfer from Oklahoma).
Key losses
QB Brendan Sorsby (transferred to Texas Tech then ruled ineligible by NCAA due to gambling), S Christian Harrison (transferred to Arkansas), LB Jake Goldway (NFL), WR Cyrus Allen (NFL), TE Joe Royer (NFL).
Biggest games for the Bearcats
Vs. Kansas State (Sept. 26), vs. No. 12 Texas Tech (Oct. 25), at No. 14 BYU (Nov. 28). -- Associated Press