Roster Retention Progress at WVU, Plus the Latest on Mike Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook

West Virginia player retention efforts are accelerating as head coach Rich Rodriguez and the front office work to lock in key contributors before the regular season winds down.

With the signing date falling the week after the regular season concludes and the transfer portal opening shortly after, the Mountaineers are pressing to finalize roster agreements early, West Virginia Mountaineers On SI reported.

“I understand why a lot of programs want to wait until the end of the regular season, but because the signing date is the following week and the month after that is the portal, everything happens so quickly that we’re trying to get some of that done, particularly with the personnel staff that we have,” Rodriguez said.

A few players have already verbally agreed to stay in Morgantown for next year, though names are being withheld until the majority of the roster moves are completed.

Quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. and his brother, Maliek, are not among those who have verbally agreed to a new deal yet, according to West Virginia Mountaineers On SI. However, healthy discussions between West Virginia and their representation have persisted throughout much of the season.

Interest from both sides remains strong, leaving an open window for an agreement before the season ends.

The Mountaineers are also working to secure running back Cam Cook, who holds the option to return for a fifth season if he decides against turning pro.

While some fans might assume Cook is a lock to declare for the NFL after this year, he retains another year of eligibility and is expected to seek official feedback from the NFL before making his final choice.

Addressing the broader roster strategy, Rodriguez outlined the internal benchmarks used to determine retention targets during a press conference on Tuesday.

“We have two slogans that we kind of go by: Hard Edge and Earned Success. If you have earned success and have more years to play, obviously we’re going to try to do what we can to retain you. If you haven’t earned success, but we think you have the capability to do it, we’re going to try to get you back. You don’t want to reward somebody if they haven’t earned success yet. We’re having those discussions every day with the staff, and then discussions are going on with some of the players to, as we speak,” Rodriguez said.

The transfer portal will open on January 4th and close on January 10th, serving as the sole window for players to enter the portal before they are permitted to sign with a new school at any time.