West Virginia May Have Found Their Quarterback of the Future in Loss to TCU

BY Justin Walker & Jonathan K. Martin | WV Sports Chat

In the wake of a hard-fought 23-17 loss to a formidable 6-2 TCU team on Saturday night, the WVU football program might have stumbled upon a silver lining—and potentially their quarterback of the future—in true freshman Scotty Fox Jr.

As the Mountaineers’ season teeters at 2-6 overall and 0-5 in Big 12 play, the emergence of Fox could signal a shift in identity and renewed hope for the program heading into 2026.

Fox delivered a performance that turned heads, throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns. His performance set school records for most completions and passing yards in a game by a true freshman.

While TCU’s passing defense has been struggling this season, the Mentor, Ohio, native showcased poise and maturity beyond his years, playing clean football with no turnovers and maintaining composure in a high-stakes environment.

The 6-foot-2 signal caller also has excellent chemistry with wide receiver Cam Vaughn. Fox connected with Vaughn six times in the second half for 85 yards. However, Vaughn was targeted several more times and was able to pick up two pass interference penalties on the TCU secondary to help extend drives.

Fox’s overall performance, along with his chemistry with Vaughn, could lead to this West Virginia offense finally finding an identity. Rodriguez is known as a coach who likes to run the football more than he passes. However, with the Mountaineers’ top two running backs out with season-ending injuries, and an offensive line that has struggled to open running lanes, maybe Rodriguez will lean more on the passing game moving forward. 

That will not be easy, however, with a game against top-25 Houston coming up on the schedule. The Cougars have a very stingy defense. They rank number 37 in the country in passing yards allowed, giving up less than 194 yards per game. The Mountaineers follow that up with a home game against Colorado, then at Arizona State and back home against Texas Tech to close out the season.

With a daunting remaining schedule and the slim chance of a 4-0 finish to secure bowl eligibility, the focus for WVU is increasingly shifting toward 2026. Fox, with multiple years of eligibility remaining, represents a long-term investment.