Rich Rodriguez staying quiet on naming WVU’s starting QB, isn’t opposed to using 2
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia football is nearing two weeks of fall camp and is three weeks away from kicking off against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 5. Rich Rodriguez has still not named his starting quarterback for the second straight year.
The field has narrowed down to two: returner Scotty Fox Jr. and Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr. Both have prior experience. Fox started in the second half of the season of last season, breaking freshman program records, and Hawkins was a former 4-star who also started as a true freshman for the Sooners.
For Rodriguez, asking who the starting quarterback is a touchy subject. He's sprinkled in progression updates throughout the spring and fall, and if you're wondering, they are progressing. But not one of them has emerged as the starter, or separated enough for Rodriguez to publicly declare someone.
He was asked what will tip the scales, and didn’t reveal too much.
"What coach Rod's feeling at that particular time," Rodriguez said. "This guy's the best guy; he starts. This guy's the second-best guy; he's second. Whoever I think is best."
Rodriguez thinks it’s fascinating so many people want to know who the starting quarterback is going to be.
"Maybe you want to find out who is going to start, buy a ticket and come to the great Mountaineer Field," Rodriguez said.
What's the reasoning behind leaving the quarterbacks a mystery? Rodriguez said it doesn't provide a strategic advantage for other teams since all of WVU's quarterbacks are similar. If the QBs were a lot different, like one was a runner and another was a pocket passer, you'd have to gameplan differently, so it’d be smart to keep mum.
Rodriguez joked he does it to keep the media up at night.
"I want it to bother you," Rodriguez said. "I want you to stay up at night. 'Is coach Rod going to tell me today? Because if you don't, my life is going to be miserable. But, if he tells me today, I'll sleep much better.' That just gives me a reason."
The more realistic answer is to keep the competitiveness among the quarterbacks. Neither quarterback will get complacent and feel like they need to go above and beyond at all times to win the starting role.
It might create issues, though. Rodriguez is constantly rotating different quarterbacks with different strengths and weaknesses. The quarterbacks are unique to some extent, but they are all strategically pretty similar and, most importantly, can run efficiently.
"We got to have enough variety in the offense that they got to be able to run everything, but inevitably, they all probably have certain plays that look like they’re more comfortable with," Rodriguez said. "That’s part of us sorting it out, too. All of our quarterbacks can run, and the arm strength of our quarterbacks is really good. Our younger guys are still growing stronger, but all of our older quarterbacks can make all the throws with ease. That’s a good thing."
In a perfect world for Rodriguez, this competition gives him two quarterbacks to use this fall. He can run a quarterback one drive, and if he gets tired, which could happen in a tempo offense, there's a good enough option to replace him. If a quarterback is hot, Rodriguez won't take him out.
There's the saying, if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks. That doesn't resonate with Rodriguez.
"I disagree with that," Rodriguez said. "If you got two guys ready to win with them, and that’s a pretty good thing."
Whether it’s one, two or three, everyone will most likely find out at the same time, on Sept. 5 when WVU hosts Coastal Carolina to open the season.
"What time is the first game?" Rodriguez said. "Noon? You can tailgate in the blue lot until 11:58, but make sure you get in time because at noon we might be kicking off or kickoff returning, and we'll see who runs out there. I'm gonna know before then. I may know before I tell the coaches and quarterbacks. I may know right now. Probably do."