College Football
Nicco Marchiol Set to Make First Start for Northwestern
With his team looking to stay in the hunt, Nicco Marchiol will get the start for Northwestern on Saturday. The former Mountaineer will be under center when the Wildcats take on Iowa due to starter Aidan Chiles out with an injury, as per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Chiles has been dealing with an upper-body injury. Marchiol has only thrown one pass in a brief appearance this season.
He transferred to Northwestern after spending his entire college career with West Virginia.
Marchiol finished his Mountaineer career with 1,462 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He arrived in Morgantown in 2022 and spent four years, including a redshirt freshman season, at WVU.
West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol (8) drops back to pass in Cincinnati during a game in 2024. (WVSN photo by Cody Nespor)
Marchiol last played for WVU in their 41-10 loss at Kansas. According to WV Sports Now’s sources, he then disclosed a foot injury to Rodriguez and his staff after the game.
A week after being crowned West Virginia’s hero for leading the Mountaineers to a comeback win over Pitt, Marchiol was only 15-of-27 for 127 yards as WVU struggled to find a rhythm on offense throughout most of the game in Lawrence. He also threw a pick and ran for -4 yards on six attempts on the ground.
West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol (8) celebrates a huge play for the Mountaineers in a 2023 win over Pitt. (WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose)
Marchiol, who decided to stay an play for Rodriguez after spending three years under Neal Brown, had 720 passing yards, 56 yards on the ground, three total touchdowns and two picks in four games in 2025.
For WVU fans interested in watching Marchiol in action, Northwestern will kickoff with No. 19 Iowa at 7:30 pm ET, providing a couple hours of opportunity before West Virginia plays at Texas Tech at 9:30 pm ET. Marchiol and Northwestern will air nationally on Fox.
Find more coverage of Nicco Marchiol at WV Sports Now.
