Present, Future of QB Position a Bright Spot for WVU

Neal Brown reiterated something that he’s said multiple times before after his team’s monster performance against Towson. Brown made his feelings known about both the present, and maybe most importantly, the future of the quarterback position at WVU.

Following a game that saw all 4 quarterbacks on the roster play and also lead a drive that ended with a touchdown, Brown professed his confidence in starter JT Daniels, but also any of the young options the Mountaineers have to take over when Daniels time in Morgantown is up. Brown echoed this sentiment when he officially named Daniels the stater just days before kickoff of the Backyard Brawl, but it holds even more weight hearing it right after watching the others actually in action during a game.

Garrett Greene backed up former Mountaineer Jarret Doege and only made a few spotty appearances late in the season, seeing mostly designed run plays. Against Towson, he did go 3 for 6 for 45 yards passing, granted his touchdown was thanks to his legs.

Will Crowder had played before this season, in fact his the lone game he saw action in was when WVU also faced an FCS opponent like Towson. Crowder completed both pass attempts against LIU in 2021 for 28 yards through the air. Crowder was perfect on this day too, completing all 6 of his passes for 57 yards and leading the Mountaineers into the end zone.

Practice could only tell you so much about true freshman Nicco Marchiol. The quarterback many fans hoped they would see play in a game most expected to be in hand by halftime did eventually enter the game with about 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Marchiol’s college debut was a positive one. He went two for four, but the highlight came in the rope he threw to Preston Fox in the corner of the end zone. The ball was exactly where it needed to be and elicited loud cheers from the fans who were still left inside the stadium.

It’s obviously the Daniels show this season, and that’s certainly been working out well. Brown hinted that Daniels has that “it” factor often placed on elite quarterbacks. He said Daniels is always even keel and has experienced what it takes to win. Daniels led USC to a Pac-12 conference championship game and was a member of Georgia’s national championship team, although he only started the first 7 games of that season.

Moral of the story is Daniels is the upgrade WVU was looking for right now, but he is not a long term solution. Daniels could return next season, but that would be the max for his college eligibility. And the Mountaineers offense may not miss a beat no matter who claims the QB1 spot from that point on.