Khalil Wilkins Changed the Conversation at QB for WVU — Is It His Job to Lose?

Has West Virginia found its quarterback in Khalil Wilkins? While I'm not sure of the answer to that, I do believe he has earned the right to start this weekend against UCF and currently gives the Mountaineers the best chance to win.

If you were unable to stay awake for the BYU game (no one blames you) and just saw the box score, you probably thought Wilkins really struggled. He completed just 7-of-15 pass attempts for 81 yards and tossed two interceptions, while rushing for 89 yards and a score on 23 carries.

Three of those incompletions were drops, one on tight end Jacob Barrick, one on Justin Smith-Brown, and the other on Cam Vaughn, which turned into an interception. If those two plays are made, Wilkins' completion percentage for the game goes from 46% to 66%, he's over 100 yards throwing, and has just one pick. Still, not a stat line that's going to light the world on fire, but it would have been a better indication of how well he played.

Lavell Edwards Stadium is a difficult place to play, and there wasn't a single moment where Wilkins looked bright-eyed, timid, or bothered by the environment, which is pretty remarkable considering that was his first career start.

For me, he passed the eye test. He made some nice throws, most of which traveled 10 yards or more (10 of his attempts to be exact), and of course, made some really good things happen with his legs. That added dimension of the offense allowed WVU to convert 46% of third down opportunities against what was the seventh-ranked third down defense in the country.

Scotty Fox Jr. will certainly have his opportunities down the stretch as well, but for now, I believe the right decision is to continue to roll with Wilkins, allow him to build off his relief appearance against Utah and his start against BYU, and see what kind of strides he can make over the next couple of weeks. If he takes a step back or puts the ball in harm's way too often, then the switch to Scotty Fox or Max Brown can be made.