UTSA linebacker Jimmori Robinson (40) celebrates a defensive stop that forced a fourth down, in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tulane in New Orleans, Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

When many think of West Virginia University football coach Rich Rodriguez, they think of offense, and for good reason. One of the godfathers of the spread option, Rodriguez has employed one of the most explosive offensive schemes for decades.

Yet offense isn’t the only thing on Rodriguez’s mind as he enters his second stint as Mountaineer football coach. Getting to the quarterback is another important component for him, so effective pass rushing is one of the spots where Rodriguez wants to build during the spring practice season.

“When you start evaluating a program, you’ve got to have quarterbacks who can throw and receivers who can run routes and catch,” he said. “But you’ve got to be able to rush the passer, too.

“You look at how guys get paid in the NFL, the quarterback is going to get 15 to 18% of the salary cap and then they’re probably going to go after a left tackle or a pass rusher,” he added.

Pass rushing is a category in which the Mountaineers could definitely improve. WVU finished 12th in the 16-team Big 12 and tied for 98th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with just 20 sacks recorded in 2024. Of those 20, 6½ came from All-Big 12 first team defensive lineman T.J. Jackson, who graduated. No other player recorded more than 3½ last season.

“I think we needed to address that in recruiting,” Rodriguez said. “I think we did.”

WVU pulled in some immediate help at edge rusher, starting with UTSA transfer Jimmori Robinson, last season’s American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year who was 10th nationally with 10½ sacks. The Mountaineers also pulled in Wyoming transfer edge Braden Siders and dove into the junior college pool for a trio of pass rushers – Hutchinson Community College’s Marshawn Oxley, Cerritos College’s Adam Tomczyk and Citrus College’s Keenan Eck, rated the No. 2 juco edge by 247Sports.com.

That should put the Mountaineers on their way to better QB pressure, but Rodriguez reminded everyone that the players still are in t-shirts and shorts.

“We haven’t had any practice in pads yet,” he said. “So stay tuned.”

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While some coaches’ strategy is to put the top players on the roster on special teams, Rodriguez subscribes to a different philosophy. He likes placing his backups at the top of the special teams chart.

“One, they’re fresher,” the coach said. “But also, you know, they maybe take a little more pride in that.”

He’s not completely averse to slotting in starters on special teams. A dynamic athlete who starts at receiver or defensive back could be the team’s punt returner or kick returner. Yet, for the most part, the second stringers move to the first line on special teams for Rodriguez.

“Typically, I’ll get guys that are maybe in a rotation, that maybe a backup at a position, but they’re going to be great special teams players.”

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Rodriguez said he loves the new technology that is at his disposal these days, and at the top are the GPS vests that players wear to gauge both their speed and the distance that they run.

“The GPS thing’s been great,” he said. “I think it’s accurate for the most part. I don’t know how accurate the speed part of it is, but the best thing I get from it is the yardage that they run.”

He said that, for the most part, position players will run about 6,000 yards in a practice, while linemen will run about 5,000 yards.

Well, with one exception.

“The linemen were all getting 5,000 yards and we had one lineman that got 8,500 yards,” Rodriguez said with a laugh. “Did he keep the vest on when he drove home or something?”