Nicco Marchiol days in West Virginia gold and blue have come to a close.
It's been a busy Wednesday for the West Virginia Mountaineers – just over a week after they first learned Marchiol was injured and days after head coach Rich Rodriguez said that Marchiol was meeting with specialists in Arizona, his home state, and would be out for several weeks, news broke in the earlty afternoon that Marchiol was expected to medically redshirt and miss the rest of the season. But just hours later, that announcement was followed by an even bigger one – Marchiol is expected to enter the transfer portal and leave WVU football behind.
NEW: West Virginia starting QB Nicco Marchiol is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal at the end of the season.
— On3 (@On3sports) October 1, 2025
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This will mark the end of a four-year tenure with the program that has seen Marchiol play for two head coaches in Rodriguez and former WVU head coach Neal Brown. Marchiol was originally a four-star high school prospect out of Chandler, Arizona, and commited to Brown and his staff over offers from multiple ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC programs. He decided to remain with the Mountaineers after Brown was fired following the 2024 season, and Rodriguez named him the the starting quarterback at the beginning of the season
But Marchiol's performance in 2025 was not fully what the coaching staff and fan base expected from Marchiol – he often struggled to get the offense moving and appeared a bit too immobile for the offense that Rodriguez runs, which often features more of a dual-threat quarterback. He was 66-for-98 passing for just 720 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions through four games, and was benched multiple times after starting during the season. Twice, however, he was brought back into the game after being benched – once in a loss to Ohio, and again in a win over Pitt.
Some fans wondered about the timing of his injury and if they would see him back in a Mountaineer unifrom this season, or ever again. It turns out, those indulging in that theory were correct. Stay tuned for more analysis and news regarding Marchiol's departure.