Jaylen Henderson Might Be the QB WVU Needs and Saturday Could Prove It

The West Virginia quarterback battle may be settled, but we and the rest of the public won't know the decision until the Mountaineers take the field this Saturday against Robert Morris. Even then, there's a good chance that multiple quarterbacks see the field and Rodriguez uses their performances to determine what happens in Week 2 and beyond.

Today, we're going to talk about why Jaylen Henderson should be the starter.

Before you freak out or misinterpret this as predicting him to be the guy, let's be clear — I believe Nicco Marchiol will be QB1. This is more of a "making the case" for Henderson type of story, which we did with Marchiol just a few days ago.

Let's break it down.

The pass game

Nov 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Jaylen Henderson (16) in action during the first quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Henderson does a really good job of keeping a strong throwing platform, even when on the run or under pressure. One of the biggest areas Marchiol has struggled in is making the right decision and giving his teammates a chance to make something happen when under duress. Too many times, he held onto the ball, took a sack, or threw a ball into traffic. Not Henderson. His mobility helps with that, which is probably why he gives off a calmer presence when the defense sends numbers.

Arm strength is certainly not an issue either. There were a couple of "NFL" throws he made while at Texas A&M, going from the left hash to the far sideline or vice versa, and put them on the money. His passes have a little extra zip on them as well, helping him squeeze passes into tight windows.

In his three starts for the Aggies in 2023, Henderson went 52-of-77 for 704 yards and six touchdowns while throwing only two interceptions. This does not include the bowl game, where he completed an 11-yard pass on the first play of the game and exited with an arm injury.

He helped A&M put up 51 points on Mississippi State, cruised past Abilene Christian, and went toe-to-toe with Jayden Daniels and the LSU Tigers. Against LSU, he completed 25-of-35 pass attempts for 294 yards and two scores.

Running ability

This, for me, is the separator. Yes, Marchiol can run. Yes, Marchiol is a willing runner. But Henderson just has a different gear to him. When he takes off, it's like he's shot out of a cannon. Pat White speed? No, but the back of his jersey can become familiar to defenders.

Sure, the 104 yards on 41 carries don't look impressive, but you can attribute that to LSU's defensive line getting after it and sacking him four times in that game. What he can do with his legs not only adds another element to the run game but also helps extend plays in the pass game.

With Henderson, there are more flashes of explosiveness, but maybe not quite the consistency you would get from Marchiol.

Highlights from first start at Texas A&M

Jaylen Henderson first career start at Texas A&M 👀

WVU has a QB battle going on! pic.twitter.com/0x99jRmtku
— Jerry West Enthusiast (@Eersfanatic) August 11, 2025

The pass game

Running ability

Highlights from first start at Texas A&M

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