Ten Most Interesting QB Battles
Hey, this is Eric once again from the blog, Saturday Sound Offs. I'll promise to get something more creative than "Top 10s" in the future, but.....
What are the most interesting QB battles going on in college football camps today? We’ll try to examine what QB positions mean to the team as a whole, how important they are in the grand scheme of things, and whether or not there’s a certain amount of drama to the controversy. Some honorable mentions: North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Hawaii, Maryland, Kentucky, Southern Miss, Penn State, and Ohio. We’ll begin with #10:
10. San Jose State-The Spartans have enough talent across the board to compete with the best of the best in WAC play. But do they have a capable QB on the roster? Respectable veteran and four-year starter Adam Tafralis is gone and graduated leaving a pretty sizeable hole to be filled. The starting job has come down to four candidates: Myles Eden, Kyle Reed, Sean Flynn, and Jordan LaSecla. Eden was the backup last year and was decent enough in that role. His passing skills aren’t the best, but he is more a runner and he does provide that dimension. Kyle Reed was supposed to become the best option from day one, but he’s come down with a foot injury that has hindered his chances of becoming the starter. He came from California and was a splashy transfer, but this injury has set his development in the offense back a little bit. Sean Flynn was injured, another JUCO recruit who got stuck with some bad luck. He figures to throw his hat into the ring as well. Jordan LaSecla, believe it or not, is the leading returning passer, but is most likely the fourth guy on the depth chart. The good news is with all of these QBs, odds are at least one will work out.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Kyle Reed (when healthy)
9. Bowling Green-Huh? They already have a QB: Tyler Sheehan. Correct, but the monkey wrench that is Andrew Beam became a factor this spring. Beam is as JUCO transfer that definitely has all of the measurables with a big arm and accuracy to go along with it. It’s not like Sheehan didn’t have an impressive season last year when he led Bowling Green to its 8-4 turnaround. He made wise decisions, can make all of the throws, and was pretty much labeled as the leader of the team. But Andrew Beam is a bigger passer with many of the same qualities. If Sheehan doesn’t keep improving, Beam might see some time. The potential is there for an upset. Also, Nate Brown is the QB of the future and Greg Brandon likes him so much he’s basically looking for excuses to put him in. Brown might be the backup if Beam sits out one year, provided he doesn’t take the job.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Tyler Sheehan
8. South Carolina-Steve Spurrier’s air raids have been successful in a lot of places. One place it hasn’t been is in Columbia, South Carolina. This is his fourth year and he’s still searching for a viable option at the QB position. Stephen Garcia was supposed to be the guy, but he had his run-in with the law a while back and probably won’t be the starter. Garcia can run a little bit, but he’s a better passer and could potentially usurp the job from Chris Smelley who wasn’t flashy at all in his limited role last year. He’s only a sophomore, but he can still develop as a legitimate passer in Spurrier’s offense. Garcia is the guy that Gamecock fans would rather see, but Spurrier will do what is in the team’s best interest. The experience that Smelley got starting a few games last year will probably do him some good. Tommy Beecher is a guy to keep an eye on as well if he can surprise the coaches before the opener on August 28th.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Chris Smelley
7. USC-Probably no school has gotten this much hype as they try to settle the QB situation. Mark Sanchez was the hotshot recruit of a few seasons ago, but not many people expected Mitch Mustain to transfer all the way out to the country’s left coast, being from Arkansas. I think Mustain surprised a lot of us when he decided to don the Cardinal and Gold instead of transferring to Gus Malzahn’s offense in Tulsa, but hey, what do I know, anyway? Sanchez is the frontrunner, no question, but this QB battle will become more interesting down the road. USC’s schedule is not loaded with cupcakes by any means; look at the thing! The year opens up with Virginia and Ohio State and if you know anything about these two teams, they’re best known for their defense. If Sanchez doesn’t deliver early on, there will be a sect of USC fans calling for Mustain to start. We’ll see how Pete Carroll handles the situation, but it’s nothing if it’s not intriguing.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Mark Sanchez
6. Tulsa-If there’s one thing that will keep the Golden Hurricane from being as productive as they were last year, it will be the absence of Paul Smith. But, Todd Graham might have a diamond in the rough yet to be found. Smith was always a serviceable passer until Malzahn morphed his “decentness” into a passer going nuclear and hope is that he will do the same for David Johnson who has patiently awaited his turn to become the starter. He’s a senior, but Clark Harrell has more upside, especially for the future of the program, and Jacob Bower comes in from junior college. Bower was busy backing up John Beck at BYU before transferring and now he’s coming in to Tulsa to win the job. Word is, Bower might be ahead of the curve in his development as the top passer the program has to offer.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Jacob Bower
5. Cincinnati-Again, the QB position will determine whether or not the Bearcats will be competing with West Virginia for the Big East crown or lost in the pack with the Pittsburghs and Louisvilles of the conference (ironically, both beat Cincy last year). Ben Mauk was denied a sixth year of eligibility that could have put the Bearcats in that echelon with the Mountaineers, but Brian Kelly will have to move on and find a suitable replacement between veteran Dustin Grutza, Notre Dame transfer of Demetrius Jones, red shirt freshman and athletic Chazz Anderson, and perhaps Tony Pike. Grutza is probably the starter heading into day one, but don’t count out the possibility of Jones wresting the job away from him. Demetrius Jones is maybe a better fit for the spread offense. Even though Kelly can plug just about any QB in his system, he is looking for somebody like a Dan LeFevour to run it. Jones is the closest thing with the best combination of passing and running, but Chazz Anderson’s name has been thrown around. Anderson might be the starter later in his career, but he probably won’t see any starting time. There might be a few special packages for him right now, but it’s mainly a fight between Jones and Grutza.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Dustin Grutza
4. Georgia Tech-Who will run Paul Johnson’s triple option offense? Calvin Booker might. He’s got the most experience and he’s sorta fast. The Auburn transfer is the oldest player and while that’s something a lot of coaches are looking for, it might not be ideal for Johnson to develop this offense for the future with a senior at QB. So, it comes down to sophomore Josh Nesbitt or red shirt freshman Bryce Dykes. Dykes impressed the coaching staff with the handling of the offense this spring and it might just pay dividends. He was a walk-on making this story even more special. But, Nesbitt has the best mixture of youth, arm strength, and speed making him the frontrunner. He’s the kind of athlete that Paul Johnson could build this archaic offense around. And, I just want to get this in, but the offense will work at Georgia Tech. Johnson has the freedom to recruit the kind of players that fit his scheme too, a luxury he didn’t have a lot of at Navy.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Josh Nesbitt
3. Cal-Who will start for the Golden Bears this year? It’s a good question and while most of these previously mentioned QB battles have three guys vying for the spot, Cal only has two. But if nobody steps up, it could be the difference between the Holiday Bowl and another 6-6 collapse back to the Armed Forces Bowl. The Golden Bears might not be good enough to reach the BCS, but if Nathan Longshore or Kevin Riley can step up and be the main man, it will elevate them to a level of play that they’re at least used to. Longshore has been a major disappointment, ever since the 2006 regular season. And sort of in 2005 when he couldn’t beat out Joe Ayoob. But regardless, he’s now a senior and that should help his case, but he hasn’t been ultra-productive like he’s been expected to. Outside of a brain cramp against Oregon State, Kevin Riley has pretty much done what he’s supposed to. He’s a sophomore now and he has Longshore beat in the scrambling department. Even though he’s the future, look for Longshore to start the majority of the games. Even though whatever momentum he had to become the starter is waning, I think he’ll save his spot with a big regular season.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Nathan Longshore
2. Michigan-All of the fuss created by the hiring of Rich Rodriguez has led many to say his offense is “ill-suited” to his players and that he’s trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, yada, yada, yada. That discussion is the most overrated thing I’ve ever seen. It’s not like Michigan is at a loss for talent and if you saw the Capital One Bowl, those players who were immersed in Lloyd Carr’s pre-1980’s offense, seemed to do just fine out of the shotgun. Seesh (I should probably note to you that I’m a Michigan fan). But regardless, there is a legitimate concern at QB. Ryan Mallett transferring, despite Rodriguez’s attempts to convince him to stay, opened the door for Tyrelle Pryor--wait, no. He decided not to come to Michigan anyway. So, the count is 0-2 for Rodriguez with QBs and he’s hoping not to strike out. It’s a four-man race with Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan being the main players. Threet is coming in from Georgia Tech and he seems to have the best handle on the offense. Sheridan has been making strides, but he probably doesn’t have the skill necessary to start at this level. David Cone hasn’t been mentioned much at all which surprised me, but I think he is as good as any QB on the Michigan roster. Justin Feagin might see some special packages thrown his way, but there’s no chance he’ll be the main starting QB. It won’t matter anyway because these guys will be keeping the seat warm for Shavodrick Beaver.
Shot in the Dark Guess-Steven Threet
1. North Texas-I’ll try not to hype this team as much as possible because they will be an average Sun Belt team this year when it’s all said and done, but you’d be lying if you said this offense isn’t one of the must fun to watch. Okay, I guess you wouldn’t have to be since it’s really hard to find them on TV at all (I saw the team play once against UL Monroe on ESPN+), but that’s beside the point. Todd Dodge came in and revamped this offense from day one, but he was plugging in Daniel Meager and Giovanni Vizza sporadically to see which one stood out the most. In steps his son, Riley Dodge, who might or might not be the opening game starter. Dodge comes in from Southlake Carroll where his dad used to coach, so let’s just say he’s “born into the system.” He’ll have the experience playing in the offense necessary to take the job, but Meager and Vizza won’t just roll over. These guys have experience at the college level and might learn from their repeated mistakes. The reason this is the number one most interesting QB battle is the father-son thing. I believe if Dodge wins the starting QB job, it won’t be because of nepotism; the guy is the real deal and one of the biggest recruits that North Texas has ever landed. Just a forewarning to Sun Belt teams everywhere--Watch out for the Mean Green in two years or so.
Shot in the Dark Guess-Riley Dodge
Be sure to check out my blog, Saturday Sound Offs-The Blog for the College Football Junkie.
9. Bowling Green-Huh? They already have a QB: Tyler Sheehan. Correct, but the monkey wrench that is Andrew Beam became a factor this spring. Beam is as JUCO transfer that definitely has all of the measurables with a big arm and accuracy to go along with it. It’s not like Sheehan didn’t have an impressive season last year when he led Bowling Green to its 8-4 turnaround. He made wise decisions, can make all of the throws, and was pretty much labeled as the leader of the team. But Andrew Beam is a bigger passer with many of the same qualities. If Sheehan doesn’t keep improving, Beam might see some time. The potential is there for an upset. Also, Nate Brown is the QB of the future and Greg Brandon likes him so much he’s basically looking for excuses to put him in. Brown might be the backup if Beam sits out one year, provided he doesn’t take the job.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Tyler Sheehan
8. South Carolina-Steve Spurrier’s air raids have been successful in a lot of places. One place it hasn’t been is in Columbia, South Carolina. This is his fourth year and he’s still searching for a viable option at the QB position. Stephen Garcia was supposed to be the guy, but he had his run-in with the law a while back and probably won’t be the starter. Garcia can run a little bit, but he’s a better passer and could potentially usurp the job from Chris Smelley who wasn’t flashy at all in his limited role last year. He’s only a sophomore, but he can still develop as a legitimate passer in Spurrier’s offense. Garcia is the guy that Gamecock fans would rather see, but Spurrier will do what is in the team’s best interest. The experience that Smelley got starting a few games last year will probably do him some good. Tommy Beecher is a guy to keep an eye on as well if he can surprise the coaches before the opener on August 28th.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Chris Smelley
7. USC-Probably no school has gotten this much hype as they try to settle the QB situation. Mark Sanchez was the hotshot recruit of a few seasons ago, but not many people expected Mitch Mustain to transfer all the way out to the country’s left coast, being from Arkansas. I think Mustain surprised a lot of us when he decided to don the Cardinal and Gold instead of transferring to Gus Malzahn’s offense in Tulsa, but hey, what do I know, anyway? Sanchez is the frontrunner, no question, but this QB battle will become more interesting down the road. USC’s schedule is not loaded with cupcakes by any means; look at the thing! The year opens up with Virginia and Ohio State and if you know anything about these two teams, they’re best known for their defense. If Sanchez doesn’t deliver early on, there will be a sect of USC fans calling for Mustain to start. We’ll see how Pete Carroll handles the situation, but it’s nothing if it’s not intriguing.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Mark Sanchez
6. Tulsa-If there’s one thing that will keep the Golden Hurricane from being as productive as they were last year, it will be the absence of Paul Smith. But, Todd Graham might have a diamond in the rough yet to be found. Smith was always a serviceable passer until Malzahn morphed his “decentness” into a passer going nuclear and hope is that he will do the same for David Johnson who has patiently awaited his turn to become the starter. He’s a senior, but Clark Harrell has more upside, especially for the future of the program, and Jacob Bower comes in from junior college. Bower was busy backing up John Beck at BYU before transferring and now he’s coming in to Tulsa to win the job. Word is, Bower might be ahead of the curve in his development as the top passer the program has to offer.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Jacob Bower
5. Cincinnati-Again, the QB position will determine whether or not the Bearcats will be competing with West Virginia for the Big East crown or lost in the pack with the Pittsburghs and Louisvilles of the conference (ironically, both beat Cincy last year). Ben Mauk was denied a sixth year of eligibility that could have put the Bearcats in that echelon with the Mountaineers, but Brian Kelly will have to move on and find a suitable replacement between veteran Dustin Grutza, Notre Dame transfer of Demetrius Jones, red shirt freshman and athletic Chazz Anderson, and perhaps Tony Pike. Grutza is probably the starter heading into day one, but don’t count out the possibility of Jones wresting the job away from him. Demetrius Jones is maybe a better fit for the spread offense. Even though Kelly can plug just about any QB in his system, he is looking for somebody like a Dan LeFevour to run it. Jones is the closest thing with the best combination of passing and running, but Chazz Anderson’s name has been thrown around. Anderson might be the starter later in his career, but he probably won’t see any starting time. There might be a few special packages for him right now, but it’s mainly a fight between Jones and Grutza.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Dustin Grutza
4. Georgia Tech-Who will run Paul Johnson’s triple option offense? Calvin Booker might. He’s got the most experience and he’s sorta fast. The Auburn transfer is the oldest player and while that’s something a lot of coaches are looking for, it might not be ideal for Johnson to develop this offense for the future with a senior at QB. So, it comes down to sophomore Josh Nesbitt or red shirt freshman Bryce Dykes. Dykes impressed the coaching staff with the handling of the offense this spring and it might just pay dividends. He was a walk-on making this story even more special. But, Nesbitt has the best mixture of youth, arm strength, and speed making him the frontrunner. He’s the kind of athlete that Paul Johnson could build this archaic offense around. And, I just want to get this in, but the offense will work at Georgia Tech. Johnson has the freedom to recruit the kind of players that fit his scheme too, a luxury he didn’t have a lot of at Navy.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Josh Nesbitt
3. Cal-Who will start for the Golden Bears this year? It’s a good question and while most of these previously mentioned QB battles have three guys vying for the spot, Cal only has two. But if nobody steps up, it could be the difference between the Holiday Bowl and another 6-6 collapse back to the Armed Forces Bowl. The Golden Bears might not be good enough to reach the BCS, but if Nathan Longshore or Kevin Riley can step up and be the main man, it will elevate them to a level of play that they’re at least used to. Longshore has been a major disappointment, ever since the 2006 regular season. And sort of in 2005 when he couldn’t beat out Joe Ayoob. But regardless, he’s now a senior and that should help his case, but he hasn’t been ultra-productive like he’s been expected to. Outside of a brain cramp against Oregon State, Kevin Riley has pretty much done what he’s supposed to. He’s a sophomore now and he has Longshore beat in the scrambling department. Even though he’s the future, look for Longshore to start the majority of the games. Even though whatever momentum he had to become the starter is waning, I think he’ll save his spot with a big regular season.
Shot in the Dark Starter-Nathan Longshore
2. Michigan-All of the fuss created by the hiring of Rich Rodriguez has led many to say his offense is “ill-suited” to his players and that he’s trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, yada, yada, yada. That discussion is the most overrated thing I’ve ever seen. It’s not like Michigan is at a loss for talent and if you saw the Capital One Bowl, those players who were immersed in Lloyd Carr’s pre-1980’s offense, seemed to do just fine out of the shotgun. Seesh (I should probably note to you that I’m a Michigan fan). But regardless, there is a legitimate concern at QB. Ryan Mallett transferring, despite Rodriguez’s attempts to convince him to stay, opened the door for Tyrelle Pryor--wait, no. He decided not to come to Michigan anyway. So, the count is 0-2 for Rodriguez with QBs and he’s hoping not to strike out. It’s a four-man race with Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan being the main players. Threet is coming in from Georgia Tech and he seems to have the best handle on the offense. Sheridan has been making strides, but he probably doesn’t have the skill necessary to start at this level. David Cone hasn’t been mentioned much at all which surprised me, but I think he is as good as any QB on the Michigan roster. Justin Feagin might see some special packages thrown his way, but there’s no chance he’ll be the main starting QB. It won’t matter anyway because these guys will be keeping the seat warm for Shavodrick Beaver.
Shot in the Dark Guess-Steven Threet
1. North Texas-I’ll try not to hype this team as much as possible because they will be an average Sun Belt team this year when it’s all said and done, but you’d be lying if you said this offense isn’t one of the must fun to watch. Okay, I guess you wouldn’t have to be since it’s really hard to find them on TV at all (I saw the team play once against UL Monroe on ESPN+), but that’s beside the point. Todd Dodge came in and revamped this offense from day one, but he was plugging in Daniel Meager and Giovanni Vizza sporadically to see which one stood out the most. In steps his son, Riley Dodge, who might or might not be the opening game starter. Dodge comes in from Southlake Carroll where his dad used to coach, so let’s just say he’s “born into the system.” He’ll have the experience playing in the offense necessary to take the job, but Meager and Vizza won’t just roll over. These guys have experience at the college level and might learn from their repeated mistakes. The reason this is the number one most interesting QB battle is the father-son thing. I believe if Dodge wins the starting QB job, it won’t be because of nepotism; the guy is the real deal and one of the biggest recruits that North Texas has ever landed. Just a forewarning to Sun Belt teams everywhere--Watch out for the Mean Green in two years or so.
Shot in the Dark Guess-Riley Dodge
Be sure to check out my blog, Saturday Sound Offs-The Blog for the College Football Junkie.
