The five biggest questions as West Virginia enters fall camp
West Virginia is set to embark on fall camp starting on Wednesday, after an offseason which featured a coaching change and tons of roster turnover.
Here are the top five questions as the Mountaineers enter their final month of prep ahead of the 2025 season.
Who wins the QB battle?
For any team in the country, not having an answer at quarterback this time of year, automatically makes this a top question entering camp, and West Virginia is one of those teams.
The Mountaineers seem to have three truly viable options under center, with Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson and Max Brown.
Marchiol is the lone returner of the group, playing in 19 games in his career, with a few starts mixed into that number. Last season, Marchiol appeared in eight games, and in his career, he has completed 58 percent of his passes for 742 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. On the ground, he has 285 rushing yards and three scores.
Henderson is entering his first season at WVU, transferring from Texas A&M. Last year, Henderson did not see any game action, but in 2023, he played in five games and was the starting quarterback for the Aggies for their final four games of the season. Henderson has played in 10 games in college, completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 764 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. As a rusher, Henderson has totaled 170 yards and two scores.
Brown has spent time at Florida and Charlotte across two seasons, playing in 11 games in his career. Brown has completed just over 51 percent of his passes in his career, accounting for 753 yards, three touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He has totaled 109 yards on the ground as well.
It’s clear West Virginia has options at the quarterback position, as head coach Rich Rodriguez has talked about wanting at all positions. However, the big question is how this battle will play out, and if one starts the season with the job, do they keep it, as Rodriguez is also not shy about playing multiple quarterbacks.
How does the secondary pan out?
The entire defense for West Virginia is basically new from last season, and a big part of the roster turnover occured in WVU’s secondary.
Between the safety and cornerback spots, West Virginia has 12 seniors combined. 11 of them are newcomers this offseason. That type of turnover is common across the board, but what’s somewhat uncommon is how old both position groups are.
That seniority will likely create a lot of competition this August, with guys fighting for spots, as they also have limited eligibility remaining. The result of that competition remains to be seen, but don’t be surprised if those two groups are decided a lot later on in fall camp.
Who starts where on WVU’s o-line?
In recent years West Virginia’s offensive line has not had many question marks surrounding it as they’ve had future pros scattered across the line. This year, that’s a different story.
West Virginia has five seniors and four juniors in an offensive line room that features 21 different guys. Unlike some other positions, there are also a few returners among those nine, with Xavier Bausley and Landen Livingston being the two.
Livingston will likely end up being WVU’s starting center, but other than that, this next month will decide who the Mountaineers open the season with up front. Walter Young Bear, Donovan Haslam, and Carson Lee are three of those veterans who will likely be fighting for the two guard spots. Then on the edge, Bausley, Malik Agbo, Ty’Kieast Crawford, Mickel Clay will be fighting for the two tackle spots, along with another returner in Nick Krahe.
What playmakers besides Jahiem White and Cam Vaughn emerge?
West Virginia is going to be looking for playmakers on the offensive side, and besides players named Jahiem White and Cam Vaughn, who will be a difference maker for the Mountaineers.
White is WVU’s RB1 heading into the fall, rushing for 845 yards and seven touchdowns in his sophomore campaign last season. White is known for his smaller size, but his ability to burst and be quick going up the field, while he will be heavily used in a Rodriguez offense. Vaughn comes to West Virginia from Jax State, where he caught 48 passes for 803 yards and five touchdowns last season in his first year of seeing playing time in college.
It’s obvious the Mountaineers have talent with that pairing at running back and wide receiver, but who else are names to watch as potential playmakers for WVU this fall.
Rodney Gallagher, Jaden Bray and Preston Fox are all returners, but where do they fit into the fold. Rodriguez also picked up multiple wide receivers in the transfer portal and bolstered the running back room as well. It cannot be a two-man show for WVU on offense this fall, and whoever emerges the fastest this fall will likely see the field the most to open up the season.
How is life under Rich Rodriguez?
Maybe the biggest question mark this next month is what changes are going to be the most noticeable from last year to this year under Rich Rodriguez, and how does he handle this second go around at West Virginia.
Rodriguez’s exit was ugly and that’s no secret, but the West Virginia native is back in the saddle, desperate to bring a winning product to Morgantown. How do things look differently under Rodriguez, and what are the biggest changes (besides scheme) that will occur.
Additionally, with a brand-new coaching staff, how will everything work and all parts interact during their first camp together, especially with 70 new players in the building for the Mountaineers, that’s the biggest question facing this team this fall.
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