Rich Rodriguez discusses the redshirting in current college football

College football continues to evolve and one area that is true is when it comes to true freshmen and the decision over whether to play or redshirting them.

In the past, fall camp was a proving ground to see which of the true freshmen on the roster had the ability to help the team in their first year or if allowing a year to develop was the best course.

It was just part of the mindset of all the coaching staffs across the country but not so much anymore including at West Virginia.

“What are we going to do? Redshirt them for the next coach or the next team? You know what I mean? Hell with that,” head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “Shoot if they could help at all as freshmen them suckers are playing, man.”

It’s hard to argue with that approach in today’s game of college football as rosters turnover annually and there is a pressure to win immediately even for new coaching staffs.

“I ain’t saving them for the next coach here or the next damn coach somewhere else that they transfer to,” Rodriguez added.

Rodriguez said that he’s seen that some of the lower levels are advocating for five years to play five and while current freshmen can play in four games and the bowl game while maintaining a redshirt perhaps that is something that could benefit this level as well.

“Which of these freshmen can we get ready to play? Not even thinking about that part,” Rodriguez said.

Sorting through the freshmen is challenging as each of them are good players and wouldn’t be with the program if they hadn’t earned the right to be here. 

But the biggest challenge is to take the next step to have success in college.

“The ones that have great success that are ones that are, you know, really engaged and cognizant of learning, getting better, you know, doing the little extra,” he said.

Talent will only take you so far, there also is a desire to approach your craft the right way and elevate yourself further than those you’re competing against.

“So we got to do a little bit more,” he said.

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