MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — While the local media will do everything in its power to suggest otherwise, there will not be a quarterback controversy for the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2025. The media will attempt to convince the fanbase that head coach Rich Rodriguez is uncertain about who he starting at quarterback all the way up until just moments before the Mountaineers kick off against Robert Morris on August 30th at Mountaineer Field. Rodriguez will confirm that multiple quarterbacks are capable of winning games for West Virginia and he won’t give any clues as to who the starter will be. Remember, this happens every single year, as there are no benefits to tipping off the opposing team on who will be behind center for the team.
The reality, however, is that there is a clear-cut starter and that is none other than redshirt junior quarterback Nicco Marchiol. Obviously Marchiol will have to earn the job during Spring and Summer camps, but there are a lot of major differences between him and the rest of the quarterbacks on the roster. Marchiol, who is 4-0 during his career as a starting quarterback for the Mountaineers while filling in for then-starter Garrett Greene, has quite literally done everything the right way since arriving in Morgantown, and he has earned his shot to prove that he is the guy now.
For those questioning whether Nicco Marchiol should be the starting QB in 2025, DON’T FORGET WHO HE IS! This man is the ultimate winner and fits Rich Rodriguez’s offense perfectly.
6’2 230, 4.6 40, cannon for an arm, runs over defenders, WINNER! https://t.co/5NHEBTfthS
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) December 17, 2024
Marchiol has proven that he can throw the ball downfield accurately, he is a powerful runner who can run over opponents, he’s a natural born leader who his teammates will rally around, and, most importantly, he is a winner. Head Coach Rich Rodriguez recently did an interview with Jim Rome and was asked what he looks for in a starting quarterback, and Rodriguez sounded as if he was perfectly describing Nicco Marchiol. “Well, obviously you want a guy that can make throws. For us, we play with 11. We may not run the quarterback 30 times, but he has to at least be willing to do that if it takes that to win a game. So we want to have a quarterback who is willing to run, has some athleticism to do that, can make all the throws, and is the type of leader that people will follow. Everyone wants that, but we truly want that point guard who can shoot the three and knows when to do that.”
Rich Rodriguez says what he’s looking for in a quarterback and it sounds exactly like Nicco Marchiol! #WVU pic.twitter.com/TXFrWd6e7U
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) January 8, 2025
Transfer Jaylen Henderson is a very capable quarterback who is an outstanding addition to the program, but to think that Henderson will simply come in and immediately take over the team is very naive. Henderson has proven that he is capable of performing at a high level against quality opponents, but this is Nicco Marchiol’s team until it is taken away from him, and if you know anything about Nicco Marchiol, he’s not going to allow that to happen; Marchiol would rather die than lose this job.
It’s important to remember that Marchiol, who was the team’s prized four star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, has unfortunately played under Neal Brown, perhaps the worst offensive mind in Power 4 football, for the past three years. Brown wouldn’t know talent if it was standing right in front of him waving a red flag, and Marchiol has been the victim of that since arriving in Morgantown. Now, free of Brown and in the absolute perfect offense to showcase his talents, Marchiol is primed to take over this program and lead the Mountaineers to greatness in 2025 and beyond.
I’ve seen people claiming that Nicco Marchiol isn’t right for Rich Rodriguez’s offense and it just shows an insane lack of football knowledge.
He was literally built to run Rich Rod’s offense and he’s never lost a game at #WVU. Pencil him in as the team’s starter in 2025!
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) December 17, 2024
When West Virginia takes the field against Robert Morris in Rich Rodriguez’s second stint as the head coach of the Mountaineers, I would be absolutely stunned if anyone but Nicco Marchiol was the starting quarterback for the team. Marchiol is that once-in-a-lifetime combination of outstanding talent and leadership that is very rare in college athletics, and he will shut all of critics and naysayers up very quickly in 2025.
Why we believe Nicco Marchiol will be the starting quarterback for the Mountaineers in 2025! #WVU ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/MojTd6p632
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) February 16, 2025
