Morgantown, WV – One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Mountaineer Football program heading into the 2025 season is the quarterback position. Since the beginning of spring camp, Coach Rich Rodriguez has been adamant that a competition for starting signal-caller will take place, even into fall camp. At this moment, Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson, and Max Brown are battling it out with no reports of a clear leader.
However, while fans will keep a close eye on this position battle for the next month, we believe there is a clear front-runner at this point. That would be none other than Marchiol, who has been with the West Virginia Football program since 2022.
Today, we are going to give you THREE REASONS as to why we expect Nicco Marchiol to be the starting quarterback on August 30th against Robert Morris.
- Experience – Though Marchiol is not the only quarterback on the roster with experience, he is the only signal-caller with consistent appearances throughout his career. While serving as a backup to Garrett Greene, who was starting quarterback in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Marchiol made 19 appearances in injury and mop-up relief. He amassed a 3-0 record, tallying 742 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. The Arizona native also notched 285 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. With three seasons of Power Four experience under his belt, 2025 will be the year he is finally ready to take the reins of a big-time program like West Virginia.
- Talent – For anyone that was at the Gold-Blue Spring Showcase in April, this one is the most obvious reason. Marchiol is the most talented quarterback in the position room for the Mountaineers. While Henderson and Brown both bring the speed and acceleration to run Rodriguez’s spread offense, Marchiol is the only one with the arm talent to make the unit even more dangerous for defenses. His ability to pull the ball and pick up yards will also cause headaches for opponents, giving West Virginia a true “dual-threat” quarterback.
- Most-Proven – This reason may be the hardest to argue, but hear us out. At this moment in time, Marchiol has proven to be a winner for the Mountaineers. Having not lost a start at quarterback in Morgantown, Marchiol will easily be the most “sure” option come August. Despite the small starting sample size, no other quarterback on the roster has won to the extent that Marchiol has in his career.
WVU kicks off the 2025 season against Robert Morris in August 30th. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
