By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – The quarterback race is wide open at West Virginia University. Yesterday, Coach Rich Rodriguez officially opened the three-man signal-caller race for the Mountaineers going into the 2026 season. While Scotty Fox, Michael Hawkins Jr., and Max Brown will have their fair shake to claim the starting quarterback role, one among them currently holds the upper hand.
That is none other than sophomore Scotty Fox.
Fox began the 2025 season as the 4th string quarterback behind Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson, and Khalil Wilkins – all of whom have left the program via the transfer portal. It wasn’t until game seven at UCF that the Ohio native finally earned the opportunity to become the starting quarterback. Though Fox had a shaky start to his tenure, he improved down the stretch and even had the Mountaineers competitive as heavy underdogs.
Fox finished his freshman season connecting on 59.4% of his passes for a team-leading 1,276 yards and 7 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. He also made an impact on the ground accumulating 201 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. The numbers may not jump off the page as a player ready to take off in 2026, but Fox’s composure and control of the offense say otherwise.
Today, I am going to list 3 REASONS that quarterback Scotty Fox will be the next superstar for the WVU Football program. Though certain factors, such as early struggles, can be a catch for many fans in this sentiment, these reasons ultimately cancel out any of those doubts.
- Experience in the system – Experience in Division I college football is gold. This is especially true in a specific offensive or defensive scheme. Coach Rich Rodriguez runs a spread option offense in which players become better as they play in it. Going into 2026, Fox has already seen extended playing time in six games in Rodriguez’s offense. Week-by-week, he displayed improvement and a strong understanding of the offense. Fox even had WVU in games it shouldn’t have been in – specifically a mid-November date with Arizona State. If he continues to trend upward, Fox could be in for a massive breakthrough in the very near future.
- A new dynamic – For a large portion of the 2025 season, the Mountaineer offense was stagnant. Once Fox was inserted into the lineup, the entire energy and attitude of the team changed. The team suddenly became more competitive and appeared to play more aggressively. That says a lot about Fox. His teammates were clearly confident in his abilities. A player that can elevate the play of those around him is worth every penny of NIL thrown his way. Scotty Fox is THAT GUY.
- The talent is there – While it took some time for decision making to catch up, Scotty Fox never lacked the talent to compete at the Power Four level. With incredible arm strength and solid accuracy, he can make every throw required of him in Rodriguez’s offense. Even without the top end speed to make him a dangerous threat as a runner, Fox is also sneaky enough in the running game to make him a headache for defenses. Another offseason will only further develop his skills.
Fox will have to earn the starting quarterback position for the Mountaineers. Even with the impending quarterback battle, fans should be exceedingly excited for his future in the Old Gold & Blue.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
