WVU fooball head coach Rich Rodriguez didn't mince words when asked on Wednesday about the quarterback lineup in the Big 12 Conference.
During an appearance at Big 12 Media Days, the veteran coach entering his second stint leading the Mountaineers was asked how he feels his quarterback room measures up against the rest of the league. Before answering that question, Rodriguez took a moment to address just how much talent he feels the league has at the position entering the 2025 season -- and why it's actually a bit discouraging to him as a coach.
"There is a lot of good quarterbacks," Rodriguez said. "Hell, that ain't very pleasing to me, I wish there were no quarterbacks returning."
In true Rodriguez fashion, he expressed his dismay at the talented gunslingers he'll have to line his team up against this all with a hint of humor. But he also reiterated that he doesn't think any other conference at the FBS level measures up to the Big 12 in terms of quarterback talent, despite the fact that the league is often dismissed as lower tier league in comparison to the Big Ten and SEC.
"I think it's the best collection of returning quarterbacks in the country by conference," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez's quarterback room hasn't received a ton of love compared to the competition in the Big 12, and but he said he "likes" the talent he has at the position and expects healthy competition as the team enters fall camp.
Right now, the projected top two on the depth chart are returning junior Nicco Marchiol, who is 3-0 as a starter for the Mountaineers, and Texas A&M transfer and redshirt senior Jaylen Henderson. He also mentioned he critical he believes getting the position right is to a team's success.
"It starts at that position," he said. "If you don't have a good quarterback you have no chance to win. There's a lot of really good quarterbacks in the Big 12 this year."