Competition is never a bad thing when it comes to maximizing effort.
It’s clear that head coach Rich Rodriguez is looking for that this spring in the quarterback room by adding a pair of upperclassmen to the mix to compete with redshirt junior Nicco Marchiol.
Marchiol has only played a total of 423 snaps over his three years with the program but has been effective when asked to step into a larger role due to injury to starter Garrett Greene. Marchiol has completed 71-122 passes with 8 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He's also rushed for 285 yards and 3 scores.
In terms of the wins and loss column, he has gone 3-0 as a starter and is essentially 4-0 if you include the Pittsburgh game in 2023 when he played all but a few snaps to open the game.
But it’s clear that at worst, the coaching staff is looking to challenge him by bringing in some other upperclassmen arms to add to the competition under center. The Mountaineers have secured commitments from not one, but two fellow quarterbacks with just two seasons of eligibility remaining in Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson and Charlotte transfer Max Brown.
Henderson, 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, had previous stops at Fresno State and Texas A&M. Henderson did not appear in a game at quarterback in 2024 but played in five games in 2023 where he completed 53-78 passes for 715 yards with 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also rushed for 104 yards and 2 scores. During his time at Fresno State, he completed 5-8 passes for 49 yards and rushed 68 yards on 14 carries.
But over those four years, Henderson has played just 248 snaps. He completed 68.8 percent of his passes in 2023 and was especially effective against the blitz, completing 23-30 passes on 40 dropbacks for 342 yards and a pair of scores. He also completed 6-13 passes 20+ yards down the field for 217 yards and a score.
Also, an effective runner, Henderson had 91 yards on scrambles and 66 on designed runs. He also forced a total of four missed tackles showcasing his athleticism.
Brown, 6-foot-3, 230-pounds, played six games during his lone season with the 49ers where he completed 43-93 passes for 561 yards with 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. The Oklahoma native started his career at Florida where he redshirted during his first year and then completed 19-28 passes for 192 yards in 2023.
Brown has played a total of 313 snaps at the college level and like Henderson is a dual-threat option that is looking for the opportunity to prove himself in a new destination.
He had a total of 9 big-time throws in just 62 completions, which are passes with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.
Brown also has been an effective rusher with 222 yards at the quarterback spot with 106 of that coming off scrambles and 116 in designed run situations.
That pair, both redshirt juniors, will jump into the mix with Marchiol and redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins and true freshman Scotty Fox in the quarterback competition. While the incumbent Marchiol is considered the favorite heading into the spring, a new coaching staff always makes things interesting.
At worst, the two newcomers raise the overall level of competition in that room, and everybody benefits but at best it creates a situation where the Mountaineers have potentially multiple starting options. It also will aid in the sense that if there are injuries there will be at least three options with some experience instead of having to rely on either a first or second-year player without any game reps.
West Virginia has been busy adding to the quarterback room and that competition level should benefit all.
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