WVU's Spot in ESPN's Future Power Rankings Will Raise Some Eyebrows

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Predicting the trajectory of a football program used to be a lot easier to do. You knew who would be there and for how long. Now, it's one big guessing game with the transfer portal being as chaotic as it is on a yearly basis.

Although a team can flip into a contender overnight, most programs still experience a multi-year climb (Sorry…too soon?) to the top of their respective league. Rich Rodriguez may not have West Virginia back in the national conversation this fall, but in 2027, it's certainly possible.

Not everybody sees it that way, though.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg put out a college football future power ranking earlier this month, projecting where all 68 Power Four teams will be over the next two years. The quarterback situation, offensive line/defensive line outlook, roster management, star power, and coaching staff are all a part of the evaluation.

Among the 68 teams, he has West Virginia at No. 53. That is a 13-place improvement from the last time he did this exercise, but it still feels a little low.

Nine teams in the Big 12 sit ahead of the Mountaineers: Texas Tech (11), BYU (15), Utah (25), Houston (26), Arizona State (27), TCU (31), Arizona (32), Oklahoma State (41), and Kansas State (48).

Why West Virginia should be ranked higher

In Rittenberg's defense, West Virginia doesn't have much proven star talent at the moment. I believe QB Mike Hawkins Jr. is going to be a stud, and the same goes for guys like RB Amari Latimer, WR Prince Strachan, OL Kevin Brown, S Matt Sieg, and so on. But when you compare it to the production and experience others have, I can understand why WVU is ranked where it is.

But in future power rankings, it's all about projecting, right?

The Mountaineers signed one of the top recruiting classes in the Big 12 and then followed that up with a strong showing in the transfer portal. The coaching staff was able to pull that off despite being on the job for less than a year and going a measly 4-8. Just think of what they'll be capable of once they start winning games and showing signs of a program heading in the right direction.

The resources are in place, as are the donors for West Virginia. The big names like Pat McAfee and Ken Kendrick will obviously do their part, but there are others who are doing everything they can to help the Mountaineers be competitive in the NIL space. This state cares deeply about WVU athletics, and that passion will go a long way in helping them put together strong offers for players.

I'm not sure some of the Big 12 schools listed ahead of WVU are in as good of a position or better in that regard. That said, that's only one piece of the puzzle, albeit a big one.

The other is development.

Rich Rod has a knack for producing high-octane offenses once he's settled in at a place and gets his guys in the building. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley is one of the most respected young defensive minds in the game, and Rick Trickett is arguably the best offensive line coach in college football. Those three alone are a pretty good start.

Because there are still so many uncertainties, I get the placement of West Virginia, but if you're buying Rich Rod's vision, I'd have to think another 10-12 spots higher would be a fair ranking.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/westvirginia as WVU's Spot in ESPN's Future Power Rankings Will Raise Some Eyebrows.

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