Former West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol didn’t land the starting job at Northwestern, with news coming out of Evanston, Illinois, on Monday that former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles won the competition.
The decision makes sense for a few reasons. Chiles fits Chip Kelly’s offense better because of his dual-threat skill set, especially his ability to create with his legs.
Marchiol has been limited in that area. Chiles also got a head start by committing to Northwestern in early January, while Marchiol didn’t make his choice until mid-March.
On top of that, Marchiol is working back from a foot injury that ended his 2025 season early.
That said, Marchiol is not completely out of the picture. If Chiles runs into trouble, the door could open for Nicco to take another shot at the job.
It was a little surprising that Marchiol stayed at WVU after the coaching change. He clearly loved the school and had pictured himself as the guy, but once Rich Rodriguez was hired to replace Neal Brown, the fit started to look awkward.
Marchiol could run, but he wasn’t the kind of quarterback who was going to make defenders miss in space. He usually had to power through contact to create something, and that only takes an offense so far.
In this system, some wiggle matters unless a quarterback can make up for it by being a top-tier passer. Marchiol was a good thrower, with solid accuracy and a strong sense of where to go with the ball, but not elite.
His arm strength was slightly above average.
The offensive line was rough last season for the Mountaineers, and the skill talent around him took hits too, especially after Jahiem White and Jaden Bray were lost for the year. Even so, his struggles escaping pressure remained a problem.
If Neal Brown had stayed, Marchiol likely would have had a strong chance to spend two solid years as West Virginia’s starter. He was better suited for that kind of offense, not one that asked the quarterback to improvise on the move. That’s why his landing at Northwestern stands out a bit.
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