Former WVU QB Nicco Marchiol Transfers to Big Ten School

Former West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol announced on Monday night that he has committed to the Northwestern Wildcats after a long stay in the transfer portal. The quarterback announced his decision to join the Big Ten squad on his X account with a simple message attached to his commitment graphic.

“ALWAYS bet on yourself.”

ALWAYS bet on yourself. @NUFBFamily pic.twitter.com/VGBnfcwn6n
— Nicco Marchiol (@MarchiolNicco) March 16, 2026

Marchiol was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and never got the opportunity to attempt more than 100 passes in a single season with WVU. Marchiol was recruited by then-head coach Neal Brown to be the quarterback of the future after Garrett Greene. Greene vastly outperformed expectations throughout his junior and senior seasons, which kept Marchiol off the field. However, after Greene’s senior season, Brown was fired as the head coach of the Mountaineers, putting Marchiol in an even tougher situation than before.

Much like his message he put on X, Marchiol chose to bet on himself and stay in Morgantown with head coach Rich Rodriguez returning home. Unfortunately, it didn't work out the way anyone had hoped, and the quarterback finally hit the portal after his fourth season in the gold and blue.

Nicco Marchiol will always have a place in WVU history

Although Marchiol’s WVU career didn’t end up quite as well as he had hoped, it is still fair to say that he will be looked back on fondly by WVU fans for years to come. Marchiol proved himself as the ultimate next man up after leading WVU to two victories in the Backyard Brawl against Pitt. No win means more to the Mountaineer Nation than that one, and the fact that Marchiol has several wins in that series means he will always have a place in WVU football history.

Marchiol is betting on himself to go to a Power 4 conference with already stiff competition at QB. Aidan Chiles transferred from Michigan State to join Northwestern just a few short months ago. The Wildcats also have a new offensive coordinator in Chip Kelly, who finds himself back in the Big Ten and college football as a whole after a stint with the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2025 season. Marchiol will have an uphill battle to not only earn the starting job, but to earn playing time this season. One thing is clear: Marchiol has proven that when his number is called, he can deliver, and Northwestern fans should be excited they got a fierce competitor in the portal in the middle of March.