History could be repeating itself, and Rich Rodriguez knows it pretty well. It’s been 24 years since his last major rebuild in Morgantown, and the situation feels strikingly similar. In 2001, Rodriguez’s first season saw a mere three victories, and Phil Steele predicts WVU will again be near the bottom of the Big 12. But Rodriguez isn’t one to crumble under pressure easily—he’s narrowed the QB competition to two, ramping up intensity as the team aims to make some noise.

The quarterback competition in Morgantown is really heating up, and right now, it’s anyone’s guess who will win the job. Although Rich Rodriguez plans to wait until midway through fall camp to announce a starter, Nicco Marchiol, Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson, and Charlotte transfer Max Brown are all vying for the position. The fans are excited, with many expecting Marchiol to ultimately take the lead. Even Rich Rodriguez is pretty impressed by his gameplay. “I watched a little bit of film, and I thought Nicco (Marchiol), in the opportunities he played, played really, well. He had a great command about him,” Rodriguez said on SI.

Well, the hype is pretty real. Even PFF College Football Show’s Dalton Wasserman is buzzing over Nicco Marchiol’s ceiling. “He’s made three career starts for the Mountaineers, and he’s won all three of them, which is good. He played decently last year. And I think honestly, if you’re looking for someone as an athlete who they want to run a run-heavy offense with as a kind of dual threat—is he the most dynamic athlete? Is he a Jalen Milroe or something like that? Not necessarily. But he makes good decisions in the option game,” Wasserman said.

That’s the cold, hard truth—Nicco Marchiol might not have Jalen Milroe’s wheels, but his sharp decision-making is exactly the spark Rich Rodriguez’s squad needs. With 20 career games under his belt, including three starts, Marchiol has already proven he can deliver under pressure, completing 71 of 122 passes for 742 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s ready to hit the ground running. So, when Wasserman said, “He’s a physical runner. He’s got good vision. I think he’s somebody who can run this specific offense, and that’s what’s going to give him a chance.” He wasn’t bluffing.

But let’s not count Jaylen Henderson out of the race just yet. Even this guy possesses serious talent. In 2023, as a redshirt sophomore at Texas A&M, he emerged as the Aggies’ offensive leader, starting the final four games. He powered the offense, accounting for eight of their 14 touchdowns in the last three regular-season games, displaying dual-threat ability. He recorded a 165.2 efficiency rating, completing 53 of 78 passes for 715 yards and six touchdowns. In his first start against Mississippi State, he shone with four total touchdowns, going 11-of-19 for 150 yards, and rushing for 60 yards with two scores.

Despite that, for now, Marchiol remains the favorite for the QB1 position. With the decision lying on the hook, there’s another move making headlines in West Virginia.

Rich Rodriguez’s major step to tackle WVU defensive issues

West Virginia’s 2024 defense was a straight-out disaster from the start, prompting a rare mid-season coordinator change just to stem the bleeding. Ranking 121st out of 128 FBS teams in total defense, they allowed a staggering 413.6 yards per game with a 50.8% stop rate. It felt like a repeat of the historically awful 2012 unit that surrendered 38.1 points and 472.5 yards per game—numbers somewhat masked by Geno Smith and the explosive plays of Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey.

That’s right. In 2012, WVU gave up 63 points in a win over Baylor, 45 in a win over Texas, 49 in a loss to Texas Tech, 55 against Kansas State, 39 versus TCU, 55 at Oklahoma State, 50 against Oklahoma, and 38 in a bowl loss to Syracuse. The 2024 defense echoed that collapse, conceding 45, 49, 52, and 42 points in four of their last seven games. So, you know that they were in really bad shape last year.

But despite the defensive meltdown, Rich Rodriguez isn’t backing down. His move? Massive roster overhaul. “They added 25 transfers on the defense this year. That’s just—that’s Rich Rod saying, “Listen, man, we need to fix this,” right? Because, like I said, I believe Purdue was the only defense in America—or defense in the Power Four—that was worse in EPA per play last year,” Max Chadwick said. But the real question remains: will that group be able to make an instant impact? Well, we will know in the future, but for now, 25 is a massive number.

Even so, WVU’s 2025 defense boasts a lot of transfer talent, so the hype is justified. First up is Jimmori Robinson, who’s still waiting for NCAA clearance but is already turning heads. Michael Coats Jr. has lockdown potential, and Jordan Scruggs could surprisingly emerge as the top cornerback. Fred Perry and Justin Harrington bring swagger to safety, while Darrian Lewis and Jordan Walker improve depth. Chase Wilson and Braden Siders are tackling machines; Eddie Kelly Jr. reinforces the D-line. There’s no doubt that this crew is ready to flip the script.

Now, with a revamped defensive unit and a QB1 battle lying right on deck, let’s wait and see how this season turns out for Rich Rodriguez and his team.