Quarterback. It is considered the most important position on the football field, and perhaps the most important position in all of sports.
In Morgantown, there isn't as much mystery surrounding the position as there have been in the past few seasons. WVU's starting quarterback is Garrett Green, and Neal Brown knows his top backup is Nico Marchiol.
So, without further ado, here is the continuation of Gold and Blue Nation’s roster review series on West Virginia’s quarterback group.
Garrett Green
Green's only focus this offseason has been on becoming a better quarterback. He excels at using his legs to extend plays, rushing for 1,354 yards and 22 touchdowns over the past three seasons, with just over half of those coming last season. Where he has struggled with inconsistency at times is as a passer.
In his first year as a full-time starter in 2023, Green completed just 53 percent of his passes, good for 101st among FBS quarterbacks. After working intensively with personal QB coach David Morris early in the offseason, holding extended passing sessions with his current group of targets and becoming more ingrained in West Virginia's offense, Green is hoping to see a significant uptick in his passing percentage in 2024.
“I want to be in the 70s during the season,” Green said in March. “High 60s is the floor. 68% is the floor for me. I want to be in the 70s.”
Despite some statistical shortcomings, Green is still rated the highest among returning quarterbacks in the Big 12, according to PFF data.
Nico Marchiol
The former four-star player is enjoying the quietest offseason of his West Virginia career. Outside of the team, the expectation was that Marchiol would enroll immediately and compete for a starting spot in 2022. Instead, the Arizona native has spent the past two years primarily as a reserve. He saw increased playing time last year while Green was injured, getting the team back on track against Pittsburgh and then using his arms and legs to help beat Texas Tech a week later.
Marchiol completed 10 of 19 passes for 82 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the Gold-Blue Spring Game. His role as WVU's backup quarterback is clearly defined. The goal is for Marchiol to develop and be ready when called upon.
“He had a great month of December,” Brown said this spring. “He did a really great job preparing for the bowl game, scrimmages and all that. The big thing for him is pre-snap discrimination and post-snap decision-making. He's made great strides and that's what we've really focused on in the spring.”
Ryder Burton
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding WVU’s quarterback corps is who the third quarterback, the “break glass in an emergency” quarterback, will be. Scott Keene (2) and Jackson Crist (3) are each enrolled in multi-year programs.
Burton transferred to Morgantown from Provo, Utah, via the transfer portal this offseason. He announced his decision in mid-May and signed his scholarship contract about a month later. A redshirt freshman, Burton has four years of eligibility remaining and zero collegiate playing experience.
Burton is still early in his West Virginia career, but he has already won a QB1.
“Ryder's a great guy. He came in under a really unique situation. Me and him have spent a lot of time together and done a lot of stuff together,” Green said last month. “He's really looking forward to learning and growing, especially within Coach Brown's offense. But I'm really encouraged by his work ethic, how great he is in practice and what a great person he is.”
Burton had 48 touchdowns and 4,273 passing yards during his junior and senior years of high school.
Completing the depth chart
- Scott Keene
- Jackson Crist
- Khalil Wilkins
Notable retirees
Review of previous position groups
For daily player analysis this week, visit GoldAndBlueNation.com. All coverage is also available in the free Gold and Blue Nation app, available for download on Apple and Google Play. Android devices.
