Morgantown, West Virginia – Prior to West Virginia’s humiliating 18-6 loss in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, redshirt senior quarterback Jarret Doege said that he wanted to only focus on winning the game and had not given much thought to whether he will return for his sixth year of eligibility to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers next season.
Instead, Doege wanted to play the game, then sit down with head coach Neal Brown to discuss his future. Now that the game is over, Doege’s conversation with Brown will certainly be interesting and will have a major impact on the future of the football program.
Here are Doege’s current options for next season:
1. Return to West Virginia – Although this seemed like the most likely choice prior to the bowl game, Doege’s performance and the offense’s inability to move the ball could mean that Neal Brown won’t welcome him back with open arms.
Brown, who has been blindly loyal to Doege over the past two seasons, might be ready to move forward with one of his young quarterbacks – Garrett Greene, Will “Goose” Crowder or freshman sensation Nicco Marchiol – and will have to have the very difficult, uncomfortable discussion with Doege about leaving the team.
If Doege and Brown decide that he should return, it will likely lead to huge mistrust within the fanbase in the direction of the program. Will fans really sit through another year of Jarret Doege as the starting quarterback with so much young talent sitting behind him?
2. End his college football career – This would be a particularly tough decision for Doege, who has another full year of eligibility remaining, but ultimately he’s played five seasons and perhaps he’s ready to move on with his life. With a 18-25 overall record at Bowling Green and West Virginia, he hasn’t been particularly effective at winning games and maybe he doesn’t want to face the pressure of another season of average or below average results.
3. Transfer to play elsewhere – This seems like the least likely scenario but not because Doege wouldn’t want to transfer somewhere else but because other schools would almost certainly not be interested in him.
Bringing in a sixth year starter for one season could be an attractive option for some teams, but again, Jarret Doege has not been effective and has shown that he has tremendous limitations as a quarterback. His poor pocket presence and complete lack of mobility make him a human target for any decent defense.
With that said, Jarret Doege not returning appears to be best for everyone. He’s handled criticism like a professional and has given his best effort over the past three seasons for the Mountaineers, but ultimately he doesn’t have it and his return for another year could result in Neal Brown losing his job, setting the football program back years in the process.
Worst nightmare: Jarret Doege, following another disastrous bowl game performance, saying, "I have unfinished business next season."
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) December 29, 2021
Got to give it to Neal Brown, he's loyal.
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) December 29, 2021
For those saying it's the offensive line's fault, perhaps you're right. But Doege has zero ability to escape the pressure. And #WVU has two All Americans on the offensive line.
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) December 29, 2021
