The West Virginia Mountaineers had problems in their QB room. Head coach Rich Rodriguez hadn’t settled on a QB1 and experimented with Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson, and Khalil Wilkins. Owing to that uncertainty, West Virginia has lost 6 games already. But in the last game against TCU, something else happened. WVU got a sliver of hope. Why? Freshman QB Scotty Fox Jr’s brilliance took the Mountaineers quite close to a win. This time, against Houston in Week 10, that promise finally seems to be fulfilling.

The Mountaineers are 31-21  against a 22nd-ranked Houston. The third quarter is currently in progress, and just 6:33 minutes are left. All signs point now to a West Virginia victory. The reason? In came Scott Foxy Jr with his brilliance again. The QB has so far completed 10 out of 19 passes for 98 yards and has rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown already. Not to mention, there have been no interceptions from the freshman QB, who passed 301 yards against TCU. With this game, the Mountaineers QB is on the verge of creating history.

Who Is Scotty Fox Jr.?

A native of Mentor, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, with a rich sports culture for its youth. Scotty Fox Jr grew up supporting the Cleveland Browns and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Football then became his first love as he grew up to love the sport along with his younger brother Gavin. For instance, earlier this year when Scotty penned an emotional message for his high school after graduating. The WVU QB posted a picture of himself from his childhood, wearing an Ohio State t-shirt, with his brother, who held a football, hugging Scotty. Football then shaped Scotty’s career from early on.

“Scotty, he loves this game. He’s a junkie, he’s got legit arm talent, and he is a football junkie. He’s a kid that we wanted to be able to get our best 11 guys out there,” said Scotty’s high school mentor, coach Matt Gray. According to Gray, it wasn’t always easy for Scotty to make the first team, even in high school.

The young QB found himself on the field just in his third game of his freshman year. It could have been too much for the QB, but Gray made sure it didn’t happen. The coach persisted with Scotty Fox, and the 6’2″ and 210 lbs QB repaid that faith. He threw for 1,268 yards and 17 touchdowns in just six games in 2019 at a 61.6% completion rate. Apart from putting in incredible on-field performances, Scotty Fox Jr also took up a prominent leadership role.

Meet Rich Rodriguez & WVU’s freshman QB sensation with past OSU ties

Scotty’s recruiting journey began in his freshman year, and he received offers from prominent programs like Indiana and WVU. However, his childhood team, Ohio State, didn’t extend him an offer. Still, Scotty focused on what he had on his plate. So, after WVU extended him an offer in May 2023, making him their sole QB target for the 2025 class. He committed early in November 2023, when head coach Neal Brown was at WVU. However, when Brown was fired, the apprehensions were there, and he could have decommitted. Instead, he stayed loyal.

“When I committed to West Virginia and their staff and then saw they got fired, I was a little uneasy. But I talked to their AD (Wren Baker) and staff, and they said they’d be bringing in a good guy. I don’t know who it is yet, but I trust them. I’m staying with West Virginia because I trust them,” said Scotty Fox Jr at the time. However, when it became clear that WVU’s old coach, Rich Rodriguez, would be coming back, Scotty finally signed his NIL.

“Knowing his winning history, how he pushed his players, I’m super excited to work with him and meet him and get a relationship started,” said Fox Jr. For him, the history of Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia stood out as he cited his 60-26 record from 2000 to 2007. That faith has finally paid off for Scotty Fox Jr as he has just scripted history.

The QB, apart from leading his high school team to a 13-1 season in his senior season, threw for 2,759 yards and also rushed for 317 yards, showcasing dual-threat talent. Scotty Jr showed that again in the last game when he passed for 301 yards against TCU. That feat etched his name into the history books.

Becoming the first freshman QB to pass 300+ yards at WVU in a single game. Moreover, while writing this, Scotty Fox has scored another 34-yard rushing touchdown for West Virginia, as the team is 38-28. And it’s just the start for Scotty Fox. It’s like how Pat McAfee echoed. “Scotty Fox.. the freshman sensation.. is gonna come in and win this for the Mountaineers,” said McAfee.