ESPN Lists West Virginia as Worst Big 12 Team in Future Power Rankings

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg has released his two‑year future power rankings of all 68 Power-4 conference teams, and West Virginia earned a spot at No. 66—the lowest‑ranked Big 12 program, ahead of only Stanford and Purdue.

While programs like Arizona State, Iowa State, and Kansas State are trending upward nationally, the Mountaineers appear stuck in transition, at least according to Adam Rittenberg.

The justification for West Virginia’s ranking was based on six different categories: returning quarterback, likelihood of a multi-year quarterback, offensive and defensive line outlook, roster management, star power, and coaching staff.

Unfortunately, West Virginia doesn’t fit the bill for any positives in Rittenberg’s eyes.

The three main aspects of the ranking boiled down to not having a returning quarterback, an overall lack of star power, and the program facing a portal-driven rebuild.

The Mountaineers lost Garrett Greene after a long career with the program, leaving Nicco Marchiol as the main man under center. Other areas away from the quarterback position are just as unpredictable, but one bright spot the team can capitalize on is in the backfield with veteran Jahiem White.

Rich Rodriguez returns to Morgantown with a track record of offensive innovation, but he does inherit a program dealing with some adversity after the Neal Brown era. With little stability at quarterback and an unproven supporting cast, West Virginia enters the 2025 season with more questions than answers.

Rittenberg’s power rankings paint a stark picture: West Virginia is the Big 12’s most vulnerable link, with roster volatility and quarterback uncertainty holding them back.

But it’s also a blank slate—with new blood, rebuilds can surprise. If WVU can rally around a quarterback, retain key contributors, and muscle through early instability, a move upward by 2026 is still within reach.