WVU's Khalil Wilkins has ups and downs in first collegiate start

MORGANTOWN — On Wednesday, there was news that four-game West Virginia starting quarterback Nicco Marchiol was going to medically redshirt and was planning on entering the transfer portal at the end of the season. WVU’s best quarterback, and the one it won two games with, including over Pitt, wouldn’t return to WVU. 

So, it was up to backup Jaylen Henderson, who transferred over from Texas A&M. Marchiol was injured after Kansas, so Henderson got the nod against Utah. He didn’t look good, but he was the most experienced quarterback left on the roster. 

Along with Marchiol being out, Henderson popped up on the injury report and was also listed as out for BYU. WVU would be starting a third quarterback in three games. Who was up next to start against No. 23 BYU?

That’d be redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins. Rich Rodriguez sent out Wilkins as the first quarterback for the Mountaineers.

“That was a tough environment to get your first start in,” Rodriguez said.

Wilkins played in a couple of games this season and saw extended time in the second half against Utah. There were ups and downs, and Wilkins revealed his strength, which was running the football. Passing was still a work in progress.

On Wilkins’ second drive against BYU, he made a mistake. He threw a big pass out on the sideline to Rodney Gallagher, picking up the first down, and gaining some confidence. Then, Wilkins eyed down a receiver in the flat. It was too much that the BYU defender jumped the route and took it all the way to within the 10-yard line. 

From that point on, Wilkins didn’t find enough success to help WVU win the game. There were some big strikes over the middle of the field, picking up first downs. He also took a shot to Cam Vaughn, which was bobbled and eventually intercepted. His biggest pass was to Jeff Weimer for 38 yards, another contested grab.

Wilkins was 7-for-15 for 81 yards and two interceptions in his first start.

“I think he’d like to have a lot of plays back,” Rodriguez said. “I thought he competed his tail off.”

He was more effective on the ground, but he might’ve run too much.  Wilkins ran the ball a whopping 23 times for 89 yards, which was pretty much all of WVU’s offense. 

Wilkins ran so much that after every play you’d wonder if he’d get up. After one play, he was hurt and was subbed out because he was banged up. True freshman Scotty Fox came in for a couple of plays, and then Wilkins came back in. 

“I don’t know if the quarterback can last a season with this many quarterback runs,” Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware said on the broadcast.

The amount Wilkins runs is definitely not sustainable, so the passing will have to improve.

With that being said and all the issues, without Marchiol for the foreseeable future, it feels like Wilkins will be Rodriguez’s quarterback for the future. He had flashes throwing the ball and carried the heavy workload on the quarterback runs. Wilkins fits Rodriguez’s system.

“He played hard,” Rodriguez said. “For a freshman in that environment. He was into the game.” 

Henderson could come back and take over, but with WVU 2-4 on the season, it might be better to get the youngster more reps. Rodriguez kind of made it clear late when the game was pretty much over, when he kept in Wilkins and didn’t sub him out for Max Brown or Fox. Fox came in late and hit on a long touchdown, but that was when there was very little time left. 

Who knows at this point? The quarterback guessing game continues into the bye. 

“I won’t make a decision on who’s starting until game time,” Rodriguez said.