WVU Might Already Have the Answer at QB for the Future

Things are about to turn around in Morgantown, and it's largely because Rich Rodriguez will have an offense that can move the ball consistently and create explosive plays.

The quarterback room is in terrific shape with Michael Hawkins Jr. and Scotty Fox Jr. at the top for 2026, but the guy that will eventually take the baton a few years down the road, in my opinion, is current freshman Jyron Hughley, who is the nephew of former WVU QB and assistant Ja'Juan Seider.

Hughley is not only a dynamic player but truly loves the game and is a sponge looking to soak up information. That's always who he has been, and he has great leadership in the room that he can lean on over the next couple of years as he develops.

For the first time in a long time, there's a real vision and legit optimism in the quarterback room, giving the program the best chance at sustained success since dare I say Rich Rod's first tenure in Morgantown?

By the time Hughley could take over as a redshirt sophomore or junior, the Mountaineers should be in a much better place with NIL, depth, talent, and overall retention.

For years, West Virginia has relied on transfer quarterbacks and will likely do so the next two seasons as well. Believe it or not, Garrett Greene is the only high school quarterback who has developed into a full-time starter at WVU since Geno Smith.

Others like Ford Childress, Chris Chugunov, Nicco Marchiol, and Scotty Fox have all started games, but not on a full-time basis throughout the course of a season. They were all thrown into the fire and didn't have the ideal path where they could sit, learn, develop, and enter a good situation like Hughley could, assuming all goes well in the next couple of years.

The Belle Glade, Florida, native is the best true dual-threat quarterback to sign with West Virginia in my ten or so years covering the program. A lot is made of his ability to run the ball and rightfully so, as he rushed for over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior, but he can really spin it, too.

He can layer the ball with accuracy, make throws off his back foot if needed, and is an exceptional downfield thrower of the ball. In this offense, he should be able to not only put up big numbers but also keep the interceptions to a minimum. He only threw ten picks in nearly 400 career pass attempts in high school, and in this system (with development), he should be elite at protecting the football.

It's been a long time since there's been a serious runway for success in Morgantown, but with this current quarterback situation, the future feels brighter than ever.