West Virginia QB Nicco Marchiol has matured in his role
West Virginia redshirt sophomore quarterback Nicco Marchiol has continued to make critical strides in his development for the future.
Marchiol appeared in nine games this past season and completed 30-53 passes for 247 yards with a pair of touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Modest numbers, but his importance to the roster was magnified early in the year when starter Garrett Greene went down with an ankle injury.
Marchiol stepped in after the first series of the Pitt game and led the Mountaineers to a 17-6 win over the Panthers and then started the following week in a 20-13 win over Texas Tech. It wasn’t the flashiest of appearances, but Marchiol was able to do enough to secure some critical early wins.
The experience was invaluable for Marchiol whose understanding of the offense is a critical component if the Mountaineers need to call on the redshirt sophomore.
As a quarterback, Marchiol has high-end ability and can run the football in a physical style. He is good at delivering the ball between the hashes with velocity and throws a good deep ball despite the fact that didn’t necessarily manifest itself in the game when he was called upon.
Marchiol was a highly regarded high school option who has continued to make improvements during his time on campus as he’s seen the biggest jumps of late.
"In the past, we might have to change some things around if he had to play. But the spring he had, the summer he had and thus far we wouldn't have to change the gameplan at all for him. He's progressed that much," offensive coordinator Chad Scott said. "Particularly in the pass game seeing it. Seeing the coverage and making the right throws and being on the same page as the wide receivers."
That started in December leading into bowl prep and then spilled over into the spring and summer as the signal-caller has made significant steps under center
“He doesn’t have as much stress on him and that’s going to allow him to play more freely,” head coach Neal Brown said.
Not all prospects develop at the same pace and Marchiol is an example of that as he has become much more comfortable as a college quarterback.
"His eyes were in windows and he was looking at safeties," position coach Tyler Allen said. "He's really come a long way in anticipating throws."
The biggest jumps have come in the arena of simply understanding defenses as well as schematically what the Mountaineers are doing not only in the pass game but the run game which takes some time. It's started to click for him.
"Starts with his preparation which sounds really simple. He's matured as a football player so when he turns on the video he knows what to watch. He knows how to prepare he's done a good job of asking for the scripts so he can be prepared going into each practice," Brown said.
That has been evident in open practices in the spring where it was obvious that Marchiol had made major strides in his game and has carried over into the fall.
"He's improved from being just a guy that can run the ball and we find ways to run him to being able to call pass plays and allow him to read the coverage and make throws," Scott said.
The main focus will be the continued development of pre-snap identification as well as decision-making once the ball is snapped.
"Pre-snap he has a lot better understanding of what defenses are trying to do to him but I've been really pleased," Brown said.
And the work has paid off.
"I fully trust Nicco. In the last 12 months, he is a completely changed quarterback. Mentally, physically throwing the ball. Huge mentally, I fully trust him if he had to go in and play," Allen said.
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