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Sep 27, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Khalil Wilkins (14) runs away from Utah Utes defensive end John Henry Daley (90) during the third quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Sunday Morning Thoughts: WVU’s Hope May Rest in Wilkins and a Youth Movement

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 7:44 AM ET

Very few believed this team would amount to much in year one, given that Rich Rodriguez brought in over 80 new players this offseason. There was some belief out there that WVU could be this year's Arizona State or Indiana, but the talent (in ASU's case) or the schedule (in Indiana's case) weren't there for West Virginia to take advantage of.

Adversity, however, was expected. Anytime you bring this many new pieces together, you're going to have some moments. Unfortunately for WVU, there's been more than they'd like, and for the most part, there hasn't been much to get excited about in regards to the future.

Many of the transfers that Rodriguez brought in are in their final year of eligibility, and many of those who have multiple years left haven't played much. This was always going to be year zero, a wash. Just one of those seasons you just try to get through without getting hammered every week, and you hope to find some key pieces to build with entering year two, or in this case, "year one."

Outside of wide receiver Cam Vaughn and some flashes from cornerback Nick Taylor and bandit Curtis Jones Jr., I'm not confident in saying anyone else on the roster is a definite piece of the foundation.

We're not even to the halfway point, but after Friday, we will be. Yet still, it already feels like a lost season. Two blowout losses in league play, injuries everywhere on the offensive side of the ball, and a constant revolving door at quarterback.

So, what needs to happen in the final seven games?

It's simple, find those building blocks. Yesterday, it was encouraging to see Khalil Wilkins make some plays with both his legs and his arm despite missing on a couple of throws he'd like to have back. It didn't erase the sting of another blowout loss, but at least WVU fans had something to hold hope in entering a new week.

Now, there's a good chance that Wilkins struggles if given the start at BYU this Friday. If that comes to fruition, don't bail on him and think he can't be the guy. It's a tough opponent, a tough place to play, a short week, his first start (again, not official yet), and it's a process.

But it's not just the quarterback position either. The right side of the offensive line is another area that should look to turn to its younger options. I'm not advocating for Rodriguez to replace every player who is in his final year of eligibility, but Kimo Makane'ole and Ty'Kieast Crawford have not played well this year, and it appears as if they're not going to figure it out. If that's the case, you might as well at least try to give Donovan Haslem, Josh Aisosa, and Malik Agbo more in-game reps.

You can't get too deep into the season where you still don't have those building blocks for the future. Why not make some of those changes now? Give them some tape to learn from going into the bye week and study it for the next two weeks before taking the field again.

This article first appeared on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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