Battle For Starting QB Begins
4/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 8, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - There is a lot excitement surrounding the Stephen F. Austin offense heading into 2011, and it is understandable. The 'Jacks are coming off back-to-back conference championships - for the first time in program history, back-to-back top-10 finishes and consecutive FCS playoff appearances. In addition to that, SFA returns 10 offensive starters. In fact, SFA lost only two offensive letterwinners from last year's team.
Ironically, it is that same reason for hope, that is also a main point of concern for SFA heading into 2011. The one starter SFA will be looking to replace is at quarterback. There is no need to mention everything that Jeremy Moses accomplished during his time at SFA. The two-time All-American left SFA becoming the Southland Conference's first Walter Payton Award winner. Although the award goes to the player of the year - key word year - for Moses the award was also in honor of his career accomplishments.
The loss of Moses, would understandably, cause a head coach, and a new offensive coordinator, many sleepless nights preparing for the upcoming season. Whether it be pure bravado, or a lack of understanding of Moses' impact, first-year OC Mike Nesbitt doesn't appear to be worried about the Lumberjacks' future at quarterback. Based on the explosive numbers his offense put up at West Texas A&M, I'm willing to bet that it is pure confidence Nesbitt is displaying in the returning talent of his signal callers.
"I was pleasantly surprised by the talent level here," said Nesbitt. "When I was offered the job I made some calls, and did some research to find out more about the returners. The talent is here. What most people may not know is that we are young. We've already won back-to-back titles, but we did that with freshmen and sophomores. We lost Jeremy and Jesse Funk (offensive line) but our receivers will be back for at least two more years, our line is very young. So Coach Harper has been able to accomplish all this with youth.
"This offensive system has been in place for a few years now. If you look at Texas Tech, or West Texas A&M, there never was a drop off no matter who the quarterback was. Despite the fact that they may not have been the starter, the execution (of the backups) should still be there. We haven't changed anything," added Nesbitt.
Several quarterbacks are in the mix fighting for the starting spot to open the 2011 season. While the need to name the starter won't be necessary for several months, Nesbitt is confident there will not be a significant drop off in execution.
"We have several guys who have been in this system for a couple of years now," said Nesbitt. "They understand the offense, and each of them have the talent to run it. I think the big difference fans will notice, is not the production, but the style of play will be different. Throws that Jeremy liked, these guys may not look for because they are more comfortable with a different route."
Dalton Williams has an edge over the rest of the competition in terms of experience, and is coming off a red shirt season in 2010. Redshirt sophomore Brady Attaway was the No. 2 during SFA's record-breaking run in 2010. Both were highly recruiting gunslingers out of high school who bring varying skill sets to the offense. In addition to those two, SFA returns Tim Curry (6-4, 210) who transferred from UTEP last season and Colt Plaster.
"The battle for the starting spot really started right away," said Nesbitt. "Once these guys got in the weight room you could tell they were fighting for the spot. Dalton (Williams) really took charge in the weight room, but you can tell they have been competing for the starting job since Christmas break."
Along with those four athletes, SFA also signed three talented quarterbacks from the high school ranks. The Lumberjacks added dual-threat Tyler Boyd from Daingerfield, Stevie Douglas from Clinton, La., and Joe Minden from Coppell - the same high school that produced Williams. Douglas will have small jump on the newcomers by enrolling early at SFA.
The Lumberjacks open the 2011 season Thursday, Sept. 1, against McMurry at Homer Bryce Stadium. Although the opener is five months away, the battle for the starting quarterback spot should be a fun process to watch for Lumberjack fans.
-SFA-
