Today, linebacker Reid Carrico will run through the flames onto Mountaineer Field for the last time. It’ll be his last time suiting up in the Gold and Blue and last time playing in front of the Mountaineer fans. Carrico said there will be no tears, though.

“I’m trying to stay calm, cool and collected until Saturday,” Carrico said. “Then we’ll see where we’re at.”

Carrico is one of 40 seniors being recognized before West Virginia’s game against Texas Tech at noon. Yes, 40 seniors, which is around a quarter of the roster.

“First thing is, you realize how many guys are going to lose,” defensive coordinator Zac Alley said. “Just by the seniors alone, we might have to run on the field with the introductions this week if we want to kick off in time. 41 guys or something like that. They’ve got to come out and be recognized. That’s awesome. It’s good to have that kind of opportunity to show them, there with their families, making a big deal. That’s the greatest honor in football, being recognized as a senior.”

WVU’s seniors are in a unique situation. Most of the seniors came in with Rich Rodriguez when he was hired last winter, meaning they’ve only been in Morgantown for a couple of months. And, if you look at the seniors being recognized, a lot of them have made a big impact this year, like safety Fred Perry, corner Michael Coats and wide receiver Jeff Weimer.

Some of them are returners, like Carrico, and all of them bought into Rodriguez’s culture, even if it was only for a couple of months, and there were more lows than highs.

“Sometimes it’s hard, like, some of these guys have only been here six months or less,” Rodriguez said. “I’m really proud of that class because there have been tough moments this year, of course, and not everything has worked out for those guys like they wanted it to, or we wanted it to, but they’ve hung in there and battled and been good for our program. I’m really proud of them, whether they’re a guy that’s been here one year or five or six years. They’ve worked really hard to help us get our program where we want to. This senior class, they at least helped us establish the culture in some way.”

This might be the end of the road for some of the seniors. With the eligibility rules and the leeway with junior college years, some seniors could return for another year. Tight end Grayson Barnes is one of them, and he said he’d definitely come back if he can.

“I have looked into it,” Barnes said. “I’ve talked with coach [Nysewander] and Chuck Lillie about it and everything, and there is a small chance, from what I’ve heard. It’s not so likely as of right now, but they told me that they’ll have more information for me on Monday.”

For others, this is the end of the road, like Carrico. Carrico hasn’t thought of what’s next after his final game in college, whether that might be going into coaching or something else.

Right now, Carrico is just making sure he plays Saturday’s game like every other game.

“There’s a lot of stuff that goes through your mind, last go round, but I’m trying to just keep it simple and attack it like any other week, I guess,” Carrico said. “Just doing all the preparation, all that stuff to go out and have a good game.”

There is an opportunity to go out with a bang, and for the seniors to ride off into the sunset. WVU hosts No. 5 Texas Tech on its Senior Day, the toughest opponent of the season. The Red Raiders need a win to clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship, and another win will improve their chances of getting a bye in the College Football Playoff.

It might not have been the year the seniors were hoping for, but if WVU were to win that game, the seniors and the 2025 team would be etched into the history books, with a proper send-off.

“I’ve been telling the guys all week, and I believe this: you walk down the hallway here, and there’s a mural beating Clemson,” Alley said. “I was on the Clemson team. 70-24, or whatever it was, in the Orange Bowl. Geno Smith is up there with the picture, Tavon Austin, and all. I told the guys all week, you win this one, regardless of the year, your name goes on the wall, your picture goes up in the building somewhere, because it’s a top 10 win. You don’t get the opportunity to do that very often, to beat a guy, beat him at your place, and be that highly ranked. Our mindset is that we have an opportunity to make a statement. You come back 20 years from now, come back to your kids, ‘man, I was on a team right there. That’s me.’ That’s kind of a big deal. And I think our guys bought into that.”