QB Battle Provides New Opportunity for the Offense

WVU's offense will look a little different in 2023.

West Virginia will have a new look at quarterback for the 2023 season and it’s the first time during the Neal Brown era the two signal-callers fighting for the starting job can contribute to the running game.

“Both of the guys vying for the starting quarterback job are both capable of pulling the ball on any read plays but also calling quarterback runs which changes the game,” said West Virginia head coach Neal Brown. “It makes it easier from a playing call perspective and it puts pressure on it, especially on first and third downs where we got to get better.”

Garrett Greene comes into the competition with the most experience. The junior has been featured in run packages while awaiting his turn to take over the offense. He made his first career start against nationally ranked and Big 12 Champions Kansas State last season and threw for 203 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and a rushing TD. However, the following week, a hit to the head against Oklahoma State in the season finale ended his season.

As a freshman, Nicco Marchiol entered the game for an injured Greene on the opening possession of the second half. However, it was Jaylen Anderson ripping off a 54-yard touchdown run, then following it with a 57-yard TD run on the ensuing drive. Marchiol finished the day with 28 yards on 2-9 passing.

The running game has been the strength of the Mountaineer offense, and the success can be credited to running backs coach and newly promoted offensive coordinator Chad Scott. With two athletic quarterbacks fighting for the starting job, the quarterback will have more of an opportunity to pull the ball in in read options and it showed promise on the first day of spring practice.

“Being that we haven’t done it in the past because we hadn’t had that type of guy at that position to do the zone reads,” said Scott. “I thought the reads were really clean today, and It was a surprise to our defense too because they were diving in towards those backs – they weren’t used to defending both and it created a couple of explosive runs for those guys.”

West Virginia will have plenty of options in the backfield with three running backs, Tony Mathis Jr., C.J. Donaldson, and Jaylen Anderson all notching 100-yard games last season but the threat of the quarterback should create more space for a loaded running back room, and more opportunities in the passing game. 

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