MAILBAG: Glossy Helmets, Resources, Portal Names to Watch + More

Answering this week's questions from West Virginia fans.

Kim Klement-Imagn Images

There's a lot of moving and shaking going on with the WVU football team as staff members and some players exit, and new coaches and players are making their way to Morgantown. That's the theme of this week's mailbag.

To participate in next week's West Virginia On SI mailbag, be sure to send me a DM on X @Callihan_ or wait for my tweet asking for submissions each Friday.

From @EFarley38:

Q: Any word on glossy helmets coming back?

A: Great question! Personally, I hope so. I loved the matte look at first because it was new and different. Now, almost everyone has it. Plus, since they turned to matte helmets, the on-field results haven't been great. And yes, I'm totally blaming the helmets here. I do think they come back, but not sure when. 2025? Unlikely. But sometime in the near future.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: What other transfers should fans watch out for?

A: I'd take a look at the Jax State guys first. My gut tells me he wants to get those guys on board first, or at least figure out which ones he can get to follow him. S Fred Perry, CB Fred Davis, and CB Geimere Latimer are the names to watch there.

From @TomTheLoud:

Q: What does it look like on the money side now? Are we still going to be "bottom four resources?"

A: The internal belief is that they can be in the top half of the league. When do they make that jump? I'm not totally sure. Everything with the athletic program's financials has been very close to the vest, but that's the case everywhere. If they say they are committed to winning and brag about how much money they'll have, it better get put to use, and right away. There's no need to wait around.

From @wvlawgeek:

Q: How do you see local, regional, and national media covering our beloved Mountaineers next season?

A: Honestly? Not much different, at least on a national scale. Yes, Rich Rod is a big name, but it's nowhere near the hype that followed Deion Sanders to Colorado. Pat McAfee will be the only one on a national level talking about the Mountaineers on a weekly, or sometimes, daily basis. That will change when and if WVU starts winning again. It will be a much bigger deal on the local level, for sure.

From @FrazierMcguire:

Q: When do you think the remainder of coaching staff gets filled and who might they be?

A: I did a prediction article for the entire staff a few days ago, most of my predictions listed on there remain, with the exception of Rod McDowell and Rick Trickett. You can check out my predictions here.

From @ScottEl13805771:

Q: You see any more transfers committing?

A: Oh yes. There will be a ton of transfers coming in. Rodriguez will certainly land a few in the coming weeks, but expect more movement in the spring. That's typically when he's hit the transfer portal hard, at least according to the data over his last two years at Jacksonville State.

From @Jackson48645777:

Q: Do you see any players returning out of the portal?

A: I do. I think we'll see at least a few. I couldn't begin to guess as to who those would be, but I get the sense that some of these guys are testing out the market to see what their value is, going back to WVU and asking if they can get that type of NIL package here. WVU will pay those it wants to keep, but they're not going to overspend, especially on those who have limited eligibility.

From @Starcher_haden:

Q: What do think is the biggest need to sign out of the portal?

A: Whew, boy. That's a loaded question. I listed the five biggest needs in an article I did last week, which you can check out here. I'd say the number one priority has to be fixing the secondary. It was a complete and utter mess this past season from top to bottom. The starters were extremely inconsistent, and they also lacked quality depth. There are issues with just about every position on the roster, but this has to get fixed first and foremost.

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