Story by
Inside WVU's Offensive Pyramid: The Cornerstones, Breakout Candidates, Wild Cards + More
- Story by
- Inside WVU's Offensive Pyramid: The Cornerstones, Breakout Candidates, Wild Cards + More
WVU Athletics Communications
West Virginia's offense is going to be a whole lot more entertaining in 2026, and I know that's not saying much because of how low the bar is thanks to last year's atrocious production. But hey, that's the past, and brighter days are ahead.
I will be posting another depth chart projection just before the start of fall camp, but to hold you over until then, I present to you the West Virginia offensive pyramid. Below, I categorized every offensive player on the WVU offense by what I see them being in 2026 - a cornerstone, a difference-maker, a key contributor, a breakout candidate, a wild card, or a depth piece.
Advertisement
Tier 1: The Cornerstones
WVU Athletics Communications
QB Mike Hawkins Jr., RB Cam Cook, OL Nick Krahe
One or two more players could very easily work their way into this tier, but they have a little more convincing to do than these three. You could say Mike Hawkins Jr. needs to prove that he deserves to be in this group, and I would have no problem with you holding back on that. I fully believe he is exactly what Rich Rod and Co. thought he was, and then some. Regardless, they have three years to build with him.
Although Cook is technically a senior, he does have the option to return in 2027 if he so chooses. I'm not sure how beneficial that would be for him, but even just for 2026's sake, he will be the engine that makes this thing go.
Advertisement
Nick Krahe had solid production a year ago in his first season as a full-time starter and has made massive strides this offseason working with Rick Trickett. He has developed himself into an All-Big 12 caliber player who is well on his way to being a draft pick at some point.
Tier 2: The Difference-Makers
WVU Athletics Communications
RB Amari Latimer, WR Jaden Bray, WR DJ Epps, OL Wes King, OL Amare Grayson, OL Carsten Casady
These are your high-level starters/producers. Latimer is the only player in this tier who is not a starter, but when you are RB2 in Rich Rod's system, you are going to get a lot of carries. Even with Cook rushing the ball likely over 200 times, there are still 200-300 carries to go around.
Advertisement
Bray and Epps, you may disagree with. Bray because of the injury history and Epps because of the one year of production at Troy. This is, however, somewhat of a projection of what we'll see in 2026, and for WVU's offense to reach its full potential, those two have to be difference-makers, and from everything I gather, the staff fully expects them to be.
Had I done this type of story a year ago, I wouldn't have put a single offensive lineman in the top two tiers. This year, four of the starting five are, and you could make an argument for all five. We'll get to that other guy here in a second. The trio of King, Grayson, and Casady brings a ton of experience to the room and elite pass protection.
Tier 3: Key Contributors
WVU Athletics Communications
QB Scotty Fox Jr., OL Kevin Brown, TE Ryan Ward, TE Josh Sapp, OL Landen Livingston, OL Cam Griffin, OL Josh Aisosa, OL Deshawn Woods
Advertisement
True freshman offensive lineman Kevin Brown and tight end Ryan Ward are the only two projected starters here. They could absolutely be difference-makers in 2026, but Ward has to prove he can be, and it's a little unfair to expect Brown to be in year one, even if everyone believes he will be, myself included.
Cam Griffin (Jax State transfer) and Landen Livingston were both starters a year ago, so the fact that they are the sixth and seventh guys in the rotation shows the improved depth up front. I threw Scotty Fox in this one because he is QB2 and doesn't really qualify for Tiers 1 & 2 for that reason, nor Tier 4.
Tier 4: Breakout candidates
WVU Athletics Communications
WR Prince Strachan, WR John Neider, WR Cyrus Traugh, TE Cam Ball, OL Malik Agbo
Advertisement
Strachan, Neider, and Ball could all see a ton of snaps this fall. Strachan is slated to start opposite Jaden Bray, while Neider will rotate in as an option on the perimeter, and Ball can be a big red zone target for Mike Hawkins with his 6'7" frame. Strachan showed what he was capable of in his final year at Boise State, which led to USC snatching him up in the portal a year ago. The talent is still there; he just needs to stay healthy.
Traugh and Agbo have made tremendous progress this offseason, putting themselves in a spot to earn a role at their respective positions. Traugh will have a ton of guys listed ahead of him on the depth chart, but the staff can't stop talking about him. Perhaps he'll be a back end of the rotation receiver/special teamer. Agbo spent a bunch of time in the weight room to bulk back up, getting to a playable weight. He will battle Kevin Brown for a starting spot, but he likely ends up as a swing tackle.
Tier 5: The Wild Cards
WVU Athletics Communications
RB Martavious Boswell, RB Chris Talley, WR TaRon Francis, WR Keon Hutchins, WR Kedrick Triplett, OL Devin Vass
Advertisement
This group is full of talent and high-end potential. Boswell and Talley are, without question, the fastest dudes in the running back room, but have Cam Cook and Amari Latimer ahead of them. I would expect one of the two to emerge and get a decent workload as RB3, but that doesn't mean they will produce strong results, though.
Francis has all the makings of a future star. Will it happen anytime soon? Probably not this year, but he could be a top four or five option at WR. His build and skill set remind me a lot of Buffalo Bills wide receiver DJ Moore.
The two JUCO products at receiver, Hutchins and Triplett, have a ton of speed. Because of how many options WVU has, I'm not sure both will be a fixture in the pass game, if either of them. That being said, they have the explosiveness to be big-time threats.
Lastly, K-State transfer Devin Vass has the potential to be a starter, but unfortunately, he is going to be locked out of that by Amare Grayson and Nick Krahe holding down the guard spots. If he gets an opportunity, though, it'll be interesting to see how Rick Trickett moves forward, assuming he performs well.
Advertisement
Tier 6: Depth Pieces/Developmental
WVU Athletics Communications
QB Max Brown, QB Jyron Hughley, QB John Johnson III, QB Wyatt Walker Brown, QB Max Anderson, RB Lawrence Autry, RB Andre Devine, RB Darius Morant, WR Armoni Bomar-Weaver, WR Greg Wilfred, WR Charlie Hanafin, WR Robert Oliver, WR Malachi Thompson, WR Landon Drumm, WR Brad Mossor, TE Kade Bush, TE Sam Hamilton, TE Carter Zuliani, TE Xavier Anderson, OL Rhett Morris, OL Trevor Bigelow, OL Aidan Woods, OL Jonas Muya, OL Lamarcus Dillard, OL Raymond Kovalesky, OL Camden Goforth, OL Andreas Hunter
I won't go too deep here, mainly because this cluster of players is very unlikely to see the field in meaningful situations this fall. For them, it's about the future. Well, that is for all of them except senior quarterback Max Brown, who is here as a depth piece.
Advertisement
Today's best reads
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/westvirginia as Inside WVU's Offensive Pyramid: The Cornerstones, Breakout Candidates, Wild Cards + More .
