WVU QB Chaos: Rich Rodriguez Picks Former Michigan Castoff as Starter, Snubs Homegrown Hero
Morgantown, WV — June 3, 2025
In a move that’s sending shockwaves through the Mountaineer faithful, newly re-hired head coach Rich Rodriguez has named former Michigan backup quarterback Tyrese “T-Rex” Wallace as WVU’s starting QB1 for the 2025 season — bypassing the presumed heir apparent and West Virginia native Colton McGraw, a four-star local product and fan favorite.
Wallace, a redshirt junior with just 11 total pass attempts in his college career, transferred from Michigan after riding the bench for three seasons behind J.J. McCarthy’s successors. Many viewed his arrival in Morgantown as nothing more than depth insurance. But according to Rodriguez, Wallace’s “raw dual-threat ability” and “swagger that can’t be taught” won him the job.
“I don’t care about hometown politics or recruiting stars,” Rodriguez said bluntly in a press conference this morning. “Tyrese brings fire. He’s hungry. He’s angry. He reminds me of a young Pat White — if Pat had been benched for three years and came out swinging.”
But fans and insiders are furious. McGraw, the pride of Hurricane, WV, broke multiple state records in high school and had been groomed under former coach Neal Brown to take the reins this fall. Social media erupted within minutes of the announcement, with hashtags like #JusticeForColton and #FireRichRodAgain trending regionally.
“Colton bled blue and gold his whole life. And they’re giving his dream to a Michigan castoff who hasn’t started a game since high school?” tweeted former WVU lineman Jarrett Dunlap. “This is why loyalty in college football is dead.”
Adding fuel to the fire, multiple sources within the program confirmed McGraw found out about the decision through Instagram, not from Rodriguez or the coaching staff — a public relations disaster that could reverberate into the locker room.
“This is calculated chaos,” said local sports analyst Trent Marlow. “Rodriguez has always thrived on disruption. He doesn’t want to rebuild WVU quietly. He wants to blow it up and rebuild in his image — even if it means torching a local hero in the process.”
Rodriguez, who infamously left WVU in 2007 for Michigan under a cloud of controversy, seems to be embracing the villain role this time around. “I’m not here to win homecoming court,” he smirked. “I’m here to win football games.”
Wallace, for his part, appeared unfazed by the drama. “I’ve been counted out my whole life,” he said. “Let ‘em talk. I’ll be dancing in the end zone.”
Whether this bold move ignites a new era of WVU dominance or backfires spectacularly remains to be seen. But one thing’s certain — RichRod is back, and he’s not here to play nice.
