Based on what sources have been saying all week and the official news that Jaylen Henderson is out, WV Sports Now reports that Khalil Wilkins will start on Friday night.
Jaylen Henderson has been officially downgraded to “out” for the BYU game. After being listed as “questionable” most of the week, Henderson was moved to “out” Wednesday night.
Henderson’s absence further solidifies what WV Sports Now has been reporting all week – the freshman will start for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia will start Khalil Wilkins Friday night at BYU. Wilkins gets his shot as WVU’s third different starting quarterback of the season.
Wilkins completed 3-of-6 passes for 63 yards and threw a touchdown pass against Utah. He also added 9 rushing attempts for 39 yards.
— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) October 2, 2025
After starting veteran Henderson against Utah, Rodriguez will look to a younger option as West Virginia attempts to upset BYU.
During his weekly press conference, Rodriguez, who admitted Henderson failed to provide the spark they were looking for against Utah – he completed just three passes for 22 yards and only ran for 28 more, raved about what he saw from Wilkins.
“Khalil can make all the throws and obviously he’s a dynamic runner. He’s got some explosive ability. I think his future, his upside looks really good,” said Rodriguez when asked to evaluate Wilkins’ play. Rodriguez also added that Wilkins is “explosive” and has a tremendous upside.
This news comes on the heels of Nicco Marchiol’s tenure at WVU coming to an end. Marchiol will receive a medical redshirt for 2025 and then transfer at the end of the season.
West Virginia and BYU are set to kickoff from Provo, Utah at 10:30 pm ET. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
For a related story, several players could return to acton for WVU this week.