Storylines to Keep an Eye On for WVU Football at BYU

Can freshman Khalil Wilkins provide WVU the spark it needs to upset BYU and win their first conference game? West Virginia fans willing to stay up will find out on Friday night.

Below are some of the key storylines to keep an eye on when West Virginia battles BYU in Provo ahead of a much-needed bye week.

WVU QB Khalil Wilkins Expected to Start for Mountaineers at BYU

Based on what sources have been saying all week and the official news that Jaylen Henderson is out, WV Sports Now reports that Khalil Wilkins will start on Friday night.

West Virginia will start Khalil Wilkins Friday night at BYU. Wilkins gets his shot as WVU's third different starting quarterback of the season.

Wilkins completed 3-of-6 passes for 63 yards and threw a touchdown pass against Utah. He also added 9 rushing attempts for 39 yards.

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) October 2, 2025

Jaylen Henderson has been officially downgraded to “out” for the BYU game. After being listed as “questionable” most of the week, Henderson was moved to “out” Thursday morning.

Henderson’s absence further solidifies what WV Sports Now has been reportingall week – the freshman will start for the Mountaineers.

After starting veteran Henderson against Utah, Rodriguez will look to a younger option as West Virginia attempts to upset BYU.

During his weekly press conference, Rodriguez, who admitted Henderson failed to provide the spark they were looking for against Utah – he completed just three passes for 22 yards and only ran for 28 more, raved about what he saw from Wilkins.

“Khalil can make all the throws and obviously he’s a dynamic runner. He’s got some explosive ability. I think his future, his upside looks really good,” said Rodriguez when asked to evaluate Wilkins’ play. Rodriguez also added that Wilkins is “explosive” and has a tremendous upside.

WVU QB Nicco Marchiol Expected to Transfer After Season

Soon after news about WVU medically redshirting Nicco Marchiol began to circulate, the rest of the story started to unravel.

It’s now expected that Marchiol will transfer at the end of the season. On3 Sports has also reported about both Marchiol’s redshirt and eventual exit on Wednesday.

Rodriguez said Marchiol has seen multiple doctors about his injured foot, first in Colorado and then in Arizona, where he’s currently staying to be close to his family.

“He called me yesterday. He’s out in Arizona, I believe. He’s seeing some doctors out there, and he told me that the one or two doctors that he talked to said that he had a foot problem and that he’s going to be out for several weeks. What I told him is we’ve got great doctors and trainers, so I want our doctors and trainers to communicate with his doctors so they get on the same page and know exactly what it is. He’s definitely out in the short-term, and then once their doctors talk to our doctors and trainers, we can figure out how long it’s going to be, I guess,” said Rodriguez.

Marchiol last played for WVU in their 41-10 loss at Kansas. He then disclosed a foot injury to Rodriguez and his staff after the game.

BYU HC Kalani Sitake Refuses to Underestimate Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia

As his team prepared to face West Virginia, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake refuses to ever underestimate the Mountaineers. Even aware of WVU’s recent injury report, Sitake  will never underestimate a team coached by Rich Rodriguez.

Sitake expressed his respect for Rodriguez and his legacy in college football throughout his Monday press conference.

“West Virginia is a really good team. With a lot of talent. I know they have an amazing head coach. I admire him (Rodriguez), and I know he’ll have his guys ready,” said Sitake while adding that anyone who knows college football knows Rich Rodriguez.

BYU HC Kalani Sitake Refuses to Underestimate Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia

And beyond admiring Rodriguez’s impact on the sport, Sitake brought up the challenge facing Rodriguez when they matched up over a decade ago. When Rodriguez was the head coach at Arizona, Sitake was coaching linebackers and serving as Utah’s defensive coordinator.

But Sitake doesn’t expect their past to provide him any advantage now, fully expecting Rodriguez to have adapted his offense so many years later.

Regardless what happens on the field on Friday night, Sitake always wants to make sure he shows his opponent the respect they deserve. Sitake actually said his desire to show respect is what prompted his team running on the field while carrying the West Virginia state flag before a 2023 game in Morgantown.

West Virginia and BYU are set to kickoff from Provo, Utah at 10:30 pm ET. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

For related content, Mike Asti and Luke Blain discuss Nicco Marchiol’s departure and WVU legacy before previewing the BYU game on a recent episode of Mountaineer Report.