Nicco Marchiol’s Moment: Can WVU’s New Era Start Under Center?

WVU redshirt junior quarterback Nicco Marchiol elected to return to the Mountaineers this offseason, following the firing of former Head Coach Neal Brown.

After sitting behind Garrett Greene for the past few seasons, Marchiol is the favorite to earn the starting quarterback position. Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson and Charlotte transfer Max Brown are also competing for the spot.

Marchiol is no stranger to winning big games, as he currently sits at 3-0 as a starter, including back-to-back wins over Arizona and Cincinnati this past season. Dating back to the 2023 campaign, he replaced Greene, who suffered an injury, to lead WVU over Pitt giving Mountaineer fans a glimpse of what to expect in the future.

Not only was the 6-foot-2 field general solid throwing the ball downfield last season, completing 66.1% of his passes, but he was also a threat in the ground game. Marchiol ran for two touchdowns and 140 yards in limited action.

Rich Rodriguez, who is entering his second term as head coach, added several talents to the receiving room including Jacksonville State transfer Cam Vaughn, as well as North Carolina transfer Christian Hamilton.

His first tenure with WVU was from 2001-2007, where he recorded a 60-26 record. Rodriguez led WVU to four Big East Conference titles and was rewarded with Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and 2005.

With his past programs, Rodriguez has incorporated a lot of run plays for the quarterback, playing in the favor of Marchiol. He also has proven his ability to take of the football, only throwing two interceptions in 2024.

After finishing 9-4 in 2023, WVU had a ton of momentum heading into last season. However, the team struggled to find its rhythm in 2024 going 6-7.

Since 2017, the Mountaineers have finished with eight or more wins just twice and with a program with rich history, Marchiol will have the chance to bring success back to Morgantown.