West Virginia
West Virginia Snap Counts vs. Robert Morris by Position
The first game of the 2025 season is in the books as West Virginia cruised to a 45-3 victory despite a slow start in the first half.
Coming into the game, head coach Rich Rodriguez said he wanted to play a bunch of players and, at some point this season, break the record for most players played. Removing special teams from the equation, a total of 86 players saw snaps for the Mountaineers on Saturday – 40 on offense, 46 on defense.
Below is a position-by-position breakdown of the snaps, via Pro Football Focus, along with a few thoughts of mine at the end.
Quarterback
Nicco Marchiol – 61
Jaylen Henderson – 12
Scotty Fox Jr. – 3
Khalil Wilkins – 3
Running Back
Jahiem White – 47
Clay Ash – 14
Cyncir Bowers – 12
Tye Edwards – 4
Tyler Jacklich -2
Wide Receiver
Cam Vaughn – 43
Rodney Gallagher III – 39
Jaden Bray – 37
Jeff Weimer – 27
Preston Fox – 17
Oran Singleton Jr. – 17
Jarod Bowie – 16
Cyrus Traugh – 9
Justin Smith-Brown – 9
Jordan McCants – 6
Logan Ramper – 3
Christian Hamilton – 3
Jarel Williams – 3
Tight End
Grayson Barnes – 35
Jacob Barrick – 19
Ryan Ward – 11
Noah Braham – 8
Colin McBee – 8
Greg Genross – 6
Offensive Line
Kimo Makane’ole – 61
Ty’Kieast Crawford – 61
Walter Young Bear – 61
Nick Krahe – 61
Landen Livingston – 60
Carson Lee – 19
Malik Agbo – 18
Josh Aisosa – 18
Donovan Haslem – 12
Mickel Clay – 12
Robby Martin – 6
Brandon Homady – 6
Defensive Line
Hammond Russell IV – 30
Edward Vesterinen – 27
Nate Gabriel – 24
Devin Grant – 21
Asani Redwood – 19
Eddie Kelly Jr. – 17
Adam Tomczyk – 14
Corey McIntyre Jr. – 11
Oluwayesi Omotosho – 5
Elijah Simmons – 5
Quinton Goins – 3
Brandon Caesar – 2
Taylor Brown – 1
Bandit
Braden Siders – 23
Curtis Jones Jr. – 22
MarShon Oxley – 6
Wilnerson Telemaque – 1
Linebacker
Chase Wilson – 34
Reid Carrico – 31
Ashton Woods – 17
Ben Cutter – 17
Ben Bogle – 9
Jackson Biser – 9
John Lewis – 6
Mike Hatie – 3
Cam Torbor – 3
Cornerback
Jason Chambers – 38
Michael Coats Jr. – 35
Derek Carter Jr. – 13
Devonte Golden-Nelson – 7
Nick Taylor – 7
Tyrence Crutcher – 6
Keyshawn Robinson – 6
ChaMarryus Bomar – 3
Nickel/Sam
Fred Perry – 39
Jordan Scruggs – 19
Zae Jennings – 6
William Davis – 4
Safety
Darrian Lewis – 37
Kekoura Tarnue – 24
Israel Boyce – 20
Chris Fileppo – 10
Justin Harrington – 10
Jordan Walker – 10
Kaleb Gray – 3
Julien Horton – 3
Clay Ash RB2?: I wasn’t all that surprised to see Ash get some touches, but to see that he was the lead guy after Jahiem White was a little surprising. Diore Hubbard, for some reason, did not play. He could be banged up, but I’m sure we’ll get some clarity tomorrow.
The court guys: Jimmori Robinson didn’t play, of course, but the other three who took the NCAA to court over eligibility all saw game action. Jeff Weimer was fourth among receivers with 17 snaps, Tye Edwards logged four at running back, and Justin Harrington logged ten.
Healthy DL numbers: A bunch of guys were able to play a good amount of snaps, which Zac Alley has to love to have on film. They won’t go as deep next week, but could still roll with seven or eight.
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
How West Virginia’s 33 Transfers Did at Their New Schools in Week 1
Between The Eers: Downplaying the Overreactions from West Virginia’s Opener
Sunday Morning Thoughts: For a Team with 82 Newcomers, It’s Only Up From Here
WVU QB Nicco Marchiol Breaks Silence After Winning Starting Job: ‘It Was Earned’
Freshman QB Scotty Fox Jr. Gives WVU Fans Exciting Moment Against Robert Morris
West Virginia
Two Mountaineers Could Be on Team USA’s Radar in the Near Future
Baseball and the 4th of July. It goes together so well, and perhaps one day, we will see a pair of West Virginia Mountaineers sporting the red, white, and blue for Team USA in the Olympics (set to return in 2028) or the World Baseball Classic.
I know most everyone’s attention in West Virginia over the last two or so months has been consumed by the Mountaineers’ magical run to the College World Series, so you may not realize how much of a tear former Mountaineer star JJ Wetherholt has been on in the big leagues.
We’ll catch you up to speed.
In the first 81 games of his career, Wetherholt has hit 12 home runs, recorded 35 RBI, and has slashed .260/.357/.398. On top of being one of the best-hitting second basemen in the entire game, he is a perfect 9/9 on stolen base attempts and has been elite with the glove, committing just two errors on the season, giving him a fielding percentage of .994.
One of the best moments of Wetherholt’s red-hot start was this leadoff home run against Paul Skenes, last year’s Cy Young award winner.
JJ Wetherholt hits a leadoff shot off Paul Skenes! pic.twitter.com/7KzVkutArL
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 30, 2026
Hitting a bomb off one of the most talented pitchers in the game certainly raised some eyebrows, but I’m not sure even that tops what he did in just his second game, shooting a ball through the right side of the infield, collecting his first-ever walk-off hit in the majors.
JJ WETHERHOLT WALKS IT OFF! pic.twitter.com/5Adski5dMn
— MLB (@MLB) March 28, 2026
For you baseball junkies out there, Wetherholt currently has a WAR (wins above replacement) of 3.8. Only nine others in the entire MLB — pitcher or position player — have a higher rating. Those players are P Christopher Sanchez (PHI), P/DH Shohei Ohtani (LAD), OF Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), SS Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), IF Kevin McGonigle (DET), P Chase Burns (CIN), P Jacob Misirowski (MIL), OF Andy Pages (LAD), and SS Otto Lopez (MIA).
The next big league star
I think if you polled 100 scouts at the next level, you would get pretty close to a consensus that West Virginia catcher/second baseman is going to be a really good player in the big leagues for a really long time. The hit tool is off the charts, as we all know, but the glove is just as impressive. He finished the season with an overall fielding percentage of .987, helping him earn All-American honors at two different positions, which is incredibly rare. I won’t go as far as saying it’s the baseball version of what Travis Hunter did at Colorado playing wide receiver and corner, but it’s pretty darn close.
As a sophomore, Kelly flirted with a .400 batting average for much of the season before ending the year with a .382 mark. He belted 19 home runs and drove in 63 runs. The scary thing for opposing pitchers is that he still has a ton of room to get bigger and stronger, which will only improve his power numbers and slugging percentage.
With another strong year in 2027, Kelly could be one of the handful of names considered to be the No. 1 overall pick in next summer’s draft.
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West Virginia
Iconic country music band Alabama takes stage for West Virginia’s America 250 celebration
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Thousands descended upon the West Virginia Capitol on Friday night to hear one of the most iconic country music bands of all time.
Alabama took to the Boulevard Stage shortly before 8 p.m. and gave fans a show lasting approximately 90 minutes, despite the grueling heat that has been factor throughout America250 celebrations and the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta.
Performing songs such as “Song of the South,” “Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” and the classic “Dixieland Delight,” the two-time Grammy Award-winning band even gave West Virginians a treat by playing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which the band said was at the request of Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
The band opened up a weekend full of performances at the Capitol. The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra will take the stage on Saturday, while the Marshall Tucker Band will perform on Sunday.
The performances are just a piece of what is going on at the Capitol, as vendors and family-friendly activities are offered all weekend. In the evenings, fireworks, light shows and drone shows will light up the night in celebration of America’s 250th.
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Additionally, a 230-foot Ferris wheel is free for visitors to ride throughout the weekend.
West Virginia
America250 fireworks, events happening this weekend in North Central West Virginia
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – Independence Day weekend is here, and communities across North Central West Virginia are celebrating with parades, festivals, and fireworks.
The events we’ve been made aware of are listed below for Friday and Saturday. If you know of an event that’s not listed, feel free to email us at news@wdtv.com.
Friday — July 3
- Elkins’ Red, White & Summer Nights First Friday — Elkins — 4-9 p.m.
- Fireworks on the Hill (sponsored by WDTV and the Bridgeport CVB) — Bridgeport — 9:45 p.m.
- Terra Alta Volunteer Fire Department — Terra Alta — 100th annual fireworks celebration at 10 p.m.
- Burnsville Freedom Festival —Burnsville — parade starts at 6 p.m.
Saturday — July 4
- Mountaineer Days — Thomas — Noon to dark (fireworks included)
- 100th Old Fashion Day in the Park — Terra Alta — 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Morgantown Municipal Band performance — Morgantown — 11 a.m., Parade 4 p.m. and fireworks at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park after dark
- Elkins Fourth of July Parade — Elkins — 5 p.m. with fireworks at 9 p.m.
- Stonewall Resort — Roanoke — Fireworks at dark
- Barbour County Fairgrounds — Philippi — fireworks at dark
- Downtown Weston Street Fair — Weston — fair begins at 5 p.m. and fireworks at 10:15 p.m.
- Downtown Thomas — Thomas — festival begins at 8 a.m. and fireworks at dark
- Jawbone Park — Buckhannon — celebration at 5 p.m. and fireworks at dark
- Palatine Park — Fairmont — fireworks at 10 p.m.
- Monongah Town Hall — Monongah — fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
- Sagebrush Round-Up — Fairmont — country music and fireworks from 4-10 p.m.
- Fairview Volunteer Fire Department — Fairview — parade starts at 10 a.m., and fireworks start at 10 p.m.
- Burnsville Freedom Festival — Burnsville — event runs from 3-9 p.m. with fireworks at 10 p.m.
Editor’s note: The video for this story will be added once it airs. Please check back for the updated video.
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