10-07-2025
West Virginia's quarterback still undecided, Rich Rodriguez isn't concerned about position
FRISCO, Texas — FRISCO, Texas – The talk of Big 12 Media Days was the quarterback-dominated conference, and West Virginia football wasn't in those conversations because Rich Rodriguez still hasn't named the starter. Throughout the spring, Rodriguez kept his cards close to his chest, while fans were left to speculate based on who came out first in the Gold-Blue Game or who wore what jersey.
Nobody could make an official conclusion until Rodriguez tipped his hand.
Not having a starting quarterback in a quarterback league with Heisman Trophy contenders should make a head coach nervous, because in a couple of months, your inexperienced starter will face off against some of the best in college football with multiple games of experience.
Rodriguez has a lot of options for a starter, making it harder. West Virginia's quarterback room houses redshirt junior Nicco Marchiol, Texas A&M graduate senior transfer Jaylen Henderson, Charlotte redshirt junior transfer Max Brown, redshirt junior Scott Kean, and three freshmen, who are just coming in this fall or redshirted last year.
Despite the long list of options and the August 30 game with Robert Morris 50 days away, Rodrigeuz isn't nervous, even though he said it's the position a coach should worry about the most.
'I think that's probably the room I'm the least worried about, from an athletic and a talent standpoint,' Rodriguez said. 'I've got three guys who have played some games in college football. I've got a couple really good young players. We have the talent there. Now, they gotta learn our system. They gotta obviously get better individually at what they can do, but we gotta put the pieces around them as well.'
Through speculation, the quarterbacks can be narrowed down a little to a group of three, the ones who have experience. Marchiol, Henderson, and Brown are the best options to land the role because of their previous college experience. Marchiol started some games for WVU last year, Henderson threw 78 passes for the Aggies last year, and Brown played five games for the 49ers.
The three have been training this summer to improve their chances of the starting spot. Marchiol posted on social media, showing his offseason workouts, while Henderson also did around the same time. The two weren't working out together, but have been behind the scenes with the rest of the group.
Center Landen Livingston said the quarterbacks have done a 'great job' this summer and spring setting up workouts together.
For a center, having multiple signal callers might seem daunting with different needs, but Livingston hasn't been hindered.
'Being part of the O-line, being the center, my job is to protect whoever's back there, and that'll be my job,' Livingston said. 'We're just focused on getting the job done. When push comes to shove, you gotta make a play.'
Receiver Jaden Bray said the same about working with different quarterbacks without knowing the starter. In unsupervised practice, Bray said all the quarterbacks get together with the receivers and just rotate, forgetting about who's with the ones, twos or threes.
'There's no like, even set ones, twos or threes,' Bray said. 'I just line up, run the route, catch a ball. It's been easy. It's been fun.'
WVU isn't the only one in the Big 12 without a starting quarterback. Colorado's Deion Sanders brought two quarterbacks to Big 12 Media Day because he didn't know who to start. Oklahoma State also doesn't have a quarterback.
Rodriguez hasn't made a decision and might not until gameday. Even after naming a starter, don't count out WVU rotating quarterbacks during the game, based on how Rodriguez sounds.
In just a couple of weeks, fall camp starts up, and the quarterback competition will ensue again, with Rodriguez not worried about it.
'It's gonna be a fun quarterback competition,' Rodriguez said. 'I'm hoping I have three I can win with. I think we do. Now, if we have two that we can win with, I'll play both of them. If I have three, I'll play all three of them, but I have a good quarterback room, I think.'
