Neal Brown Names Doege Backup to Kendall

Bowling Green transfer Jarrett Doege has now taken over as QB2

Photo by Doug Johnson-Sports Illustrated West Virginia

Last night on the Neal Brown Coaches Show, HCNB let the cat out of the bag as to who will be the backup quarterback — Bowling Green transfer Jarret Doege.

Doege and redshirt freshman Trey Lowe competed for the spot throughout the week, but it seemed like Doege already had an edge. Last week, quarterbacks coach Sean Reagan admitted that they were preparing Doege as the backup as early as last week. 

This news comes after former backup quarterback Jack Allison entered the transfer portal. 

For fans that have been clamoring to see Doege in live game action, this is good news for you. However, keep in mind that coach Brown made it clear that Austin Kendall is the starter. Regardless of how much the offense has struggled, the blame shouldn’t be placed squarely on Kendall’s shoulders. Brown noted that dropped passes have been a big issue throughout the season, and inconsistency from the offensive line provides virtually no rushing attack. 

Brown also mentioned that there is a plan to get Trey Lowe III into the game at some point this weekend as well. So, there’s a good chance that we could see all three line up behind center, unless Kendall is just picking Texas Tech apart. 

Oh, the irony. 

Is there a better time for Doege to make his Mountaineer debut than against Texas Tech? The Doege family would tell you absolutely not. Jarret’s brother Seth was the starter at Texas Tech from 2011-2012 and played for then-assistant coach Neal Brown at the time. 

At this moment in time, it's important to remember that West Virginia could technically still make a bowl game. With the new redshirt rule, Doege is allowed to play in four games and retain his redshirt. If he plays in all four of the final regular season games, he will not be eligible to play in the bowl game. 

Still, with the team sitting at 3-5, I would expect the coaching staff to play him in all four remaining regular season games. This prevents him from losing a game of experience that is valuable to gain familiarity with the offense and his teammates.

As a two year starter at Bowling Green, Doege tossed for 4,041 yards and 39 touchdowns, completing 62.7% of his passes.