- Head coach: Neal Brown (sixth season)
- 2023 record: 9-4 (Won Duke’s Mayo Bowl)
- PFF power ranking: 39th
- Chance to win the Big 12: 6%
- Strength of schedule: 36th
- Projected win total: 6.4
- FanDuel win total: 6.5
- 2024 recruiting rank (On3): No. 50 nationally, No. 8 in the Big 12
West Virginia head coach Neal Brown entered 2023 on the hot seat after a combined 22-25 record in his first four years with the Mountaineers. There wasn’t much optimism that he would turn it around, as West Virginia entered the season with a 4.5 preseason win total. But the program exceeded every expectation with a 9-4 finish, its best record in seven years.
Quarterback Garrett Greene had a breakout season, and the Mountaineers featured an electric backfield duo — Jaheim White and CJ Donaldson Jr. All three return and form one of the more exciting offenses in the Big 12. There are some concerns on the other side of the ball, particularly the front seven, but a strong secondary should keep the defense afloat.
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Biggest Strength: Run game
West Virginia has a top-10 running back unit in college football, thanks to Jaheim White and CJ Donaldson Jr., who each rushed for around 800 yards last season. Garrett Greene is also a dynamic rushing threat, tying for first among FBS quarterbacks in 2023 in rushing touchdowns (13).
Biggest Weakness: Pass rush
The Mountaineers struggled to get after the quarterback last year, placing among the 20 worst teams in the nation in pass-rush win rate (29%). Two of their four starting defensive linemen transferred, including edge defender Jared Bartlett — the only West Virginia defensive lineman to post a pass-rushing grade above 65.0 last season.
2023 Team Overview
Offense |
||||
| EPA per play | Yards per play | Successful play rate | Explosive run play rate | Explosive pass play rate |
| 0.093 | 6.4 | 37.4% | 18.9% | 17.3% |
| 31st | T-25th | 44th | 21st | 27th |
Defense |
||||
| EPA allowed per play | Yards allowed per play | Successful play rate allowed | Explosive run rate allowed | Explosive pass rate allowed |
| 0.020 | 5.9 | 36.6% | 15.1% | 15.2% |
| 84th | T-90th | 100th | T-62nd | 101st |
Three Notable Transfer Portal Additions
- S Jaheem Joseph (Northwestern): 80.7 PFF grade
- DI T.J. Jackson (Troy): 89.7 PFF grade
- CB Garnett Hollis Jr. (Northwestern): 73.0 PFF grade
Three Notable Transfer Portal Losses
- EDGE Jared Bartlett (Cincinnati): 56.0 PFF grade
- DI Mike Lockhart (SMU): 56.7 PFF grade
- S Hershey McLaurin (Houston): 74.2 PFF grade
Quarterback Spotlight: Garrett Greene
2023 Grade: 90.9
Key Stat: 10.2% big-time throw rate (highest in FBS)
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