MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia University football team added a name to its wide receiver room – a familiar one it had only to look to last year’s roster to find.
WVU coach Rich Rodriguez confirmed that Preston Fox had rejoined the team and was practicing with the Mountaineers on Monday. Fox announced his retirement from football after the 2024 season, but had a change of heart and contacted Rodriguez to see if there was a spot for him on the team.
“I thought he was out of eligibility,” Rodriguez said Monday. “I didn’t realize he had another year. He called me and said he wanted to talk about coming back. I said ‘sure.’ So he came over, we met and I said I’d love to have him.”
Fox, a Morgantown native, not only returns a veteran presence to the receiving corps, but also brings back an important special teams player. He twice earned All-Big 12 honorable mention as a kick and punt returner. Last season, he was WVU’s top kick and punt returner, averaging 27.64 yards per kick return with a long of 43 yards and averaging 8.08 yards per punt return with a long of 29 yards.
He also caught 12 passes for 131 yards, but could see an increase in production with the departures of Hudson Clement, Kole Taylor and Traylon Ray.
“He’s a good football player,” Rodriguez said. “I think all his teammates loved him, and it’s good to have him. I think he’s a guy who can help us at all of our receiver positions. He’s a smart guy.”
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Rodriguez got a well-traveled and well-respected veteran in hiring new running backs coach Larry Porter. Porter has been on the college sidelines since 1998, has tutored some top runners and is considered a top recruiter.
Rodriguez said that hiring someone with such a resume was the entire point.
“I kind of felt I needed another veteran presence,” Rodriguez said. “I have some really good young coaches, but I needed another veteran presence, so it’s good to have Larry on board.”
Porter spent the last four seasons at the University of North Carolina, coaching Omarion Hampton, who looks to come off the board early in this year’s NFL draft.
Speaking of running backs, Rodriguez said that leading returning rusher Jahiem White, who has been sidelined this spring recovering from injury, could be back on the field for the last part of spring practice.
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WVU announced many of the events that will be available April 5 surrounding the Gold and Blue Spring Showcase at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Admission to the event is free, but fans are required to claim a ticket at fevo-enterprise.com/event/Wvufootballspringgame25. All tickets will be issued via mobile delivery. Fans are requested to donate to WVU Medicine Children’s at the time of checkout when claiming their ticket. Gates to the stadium will open at noon for the 1 p.m. showcase.
An Almost Heaven Village kickoff concert featuring the Powell Brothers will be free to the public from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the east side of the stadium. Fans can bring their own food and drink to the concert and food trucks will be available. No outside food will be permitted inside the stadium, but concession stands will open at noon.
Along with the concert, WVU will present an Almost Heaven Village fan experience from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. featuring inflatables, a DJ, yard games, balloon art, caricature drawing and face painting.
Following the showcase, fans will be welcomed onto the field for 30 minutes for photos and other activities.
— Story by Derek Redd
