Quarterback Battle Wide Open as Fall Camp Gets Rolling

Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in the comments.

WVU Kicks Off Fall Camp with Five QBs in the Mix

Rich Rodriguez opened fall camp with a roster full of strangers and a quarterback competition that’s as wide open as it gets. All five scholarship QBs will rotate for now, and he’s in no rush to name a starter. Whoever

takes the first snap against Robert Morris on August 30 will be the guy — but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the only one who plays. “If I have three quarterbacks I can win with, I’ll play all three,” Rodriguez said.

It’s part of a larger evaluation process that’ll take up most of the next two weeks. With 115 new players, Rodriguez says the only way to know what he’s got is to make practices more live than he normally would — especially for quarterbacks. It’s a lesson he says he learned back in 2005, when keeping Pat White in bubble wrap cost him valuable reps.

Rodriguez met with the media Wednesday holding a sheet with player names, numbers, and positions — a reminder of just how new this roster is. To help speed up the learning curve, he said the staff is mixing position groups during off-field “fireside chats” to get to know players on a personal level. “Everybody’s new,” he said. “It’s our job as coaches to get them ready to play.”

Mountaineer Roundup

With a spot in the $1 million TBT championship on the line, Best Virginia is calling on WVU fans to bring the noise against Eberlein Drive. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. this evening at the Charleston Coliseum and will air on FS1. Tickets are available here.
Sophia Nickel, a sophomore defender from Golden, Colorado, is joining the Mountaineers after appearing in all 19 matches for Kansas last season. She helped the Jayhawks post eight shutouts and gives the Mountaineers some added depth on the back line.

The Bengals have waived rookie tight end Kole Taylor, the team announced this morning. Taylor signed with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent in May.
Aaron Rodgers is already a big believer in former WVU center Zach Frazier — and thinks he might be the first to start a fight. During The Pat McAfee Show’s visit to Steelers training camp, Rodgers praised Frazier’s intelligence, toughness, and wrestling background, even joking that the Fairmont native is already making calls for him at the line. When asked who might be the first to throw hands in camp, Rodgers didn’t hesitate: “If something starts, whip his ass. Get it on, baby.”

"No fighting but...

If something starts kick his ass" @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/UkzVnmD6LO
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 30, 2025

Geno Smith’s presence is already reshaping the Raiders. The veteran QB has stepped in as the clear leader in Vegas, impressing with his command of the offense — and the locker room. He’s building chemistry with All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers, who Smith says he “can’t give the ball enough.”
Kyzir White could be Denver’s final piece. With Drew Sanders injured and linebacker depth shaky, Predominantly Orange suggests the Broncos make a late push for White, who posted 137 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2024 as a full-time starter for Arizona.

Former WVU deputy AD Keli Zinn, who spent more than a decade in Morgantown, has been named Rutgers’ new athletic director. She takes over after a year-long vacancy and most recently served in the same role at LSU.
Deion Sanders is back at Colorado’s fall camp after undergoing surgery for bladder cancer. Players and coaches told ESPN his presence has already lifted the team. As our friends at Heartland College Sports noted, Sanders’ return is big not just for the Buffs, but for the Big 12
Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is today at 6 p.m., and SB Nation has a full rundown of the biggest rumors and moves so far.
Shohei Ohtani left his pitching start early Wednesday night after throwing six straight balls and showing signs of discomfort in the fourth inning. The Dodgers pulled him after just 51 pitches, but he remained in the game as the designated hitter. LA is calling it precautionary.
Gilbert Arenas has been charged by the DOJ for allegedly running an illegal high-stakes poker ring out of his LA mansion. The operation, known as “Arenas Poker Club,” allegedly took a cut from each hand — making it illegal under federal law. Arenas faces up to five years in prison.