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West Virginia transfer QB Nicco Marchiol commits to Northwestern
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- West Virginia transfer QB Nicco Marchiol commits to Northwestern
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Nicco Marchiol has found his next destination in the transfer portal. Per On3's Pete Nakos, the former West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback announced he has committed to Northwestern , giving the Wildcats another experienced signal-caller as they reshape their offense heading into the upcoming season.
Marchiol's move comes after an injury-shortened year at West Virginia that ultimately led to a redshirt season. According to earlier reporting from Nakos , Marchiol was medically redshirted while exploring the transfer portal at the end of the 2025 season, a decision that left him with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
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The Chandler, Arizona native began last season as West Virginia's starting quarterback, opening the year with starts in the first four games before suffering a foot injury during the Mountaineers' matchup against Kansas in September. The injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season and ultimately reshaped the trajectory of his career.
West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez confirmed the severity of the injury at the time while discussing Marchiol's medical situation: "He called me yesterday," Rodriguez said . "He's out in Arizona seeing some doctors out there, and he told me that the one or two doctors that he talked to said that he had a foot problem and that he's going to be out for several weeks."
Rodriguez also emphasized the importance of coordination between medical staffs: "What I told him is we've got great doctors and trainers, so I want our doctors and trainers to communicate with his doctors so they get on the same page and know exactly what it is," Rodriguez said.
Despite the setback, Marchiol leaves West Virginia with valuable experience. Across 23 career games with the Mountaineers, he completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 1,462 yards while throwing 10 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He also contributed as a runner, totaling 341 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
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One of the highlights of his West Virginia tenure came earlier in the season when he delivered an efficient performance in a rivalry win over Pittsburgh . In that game, Marchiol completed 19 of 25 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown to lead the Mountaineers to a 31–24 overtime victory.
Alas, Marchiol arrived at West Virginia as a highly regarded recruit. A former four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, he was viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects in the country and drew interest from multiple Power Five programs before signing with the Mountaineers.
Football pedigree also runs in the family. Marchiol is the son of Ken Marchiol, who previously played linebacker in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers .
Now heading to Northwestern, Marchiol will look to reset his career in the Big Ten Conference. With two years of eligibility remaining and starting experience already under his belt, he could quickly become a key piece for the Wildcats as they build toward the future.
