Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
A look at the quarterback position
3/23/2007 5:57:00 PM | Football
The most often asked question in Murfreesboro has been "who will be the starter at quarterback on September 1?". After three years as the starter and 34 straight starts, Clint Marks has left the position wide-open for 2007. Marks, an all-conference pick as a senior, ended his career ranked second all-time in passing yards, completions, and attempts at Middle Tennessee.
Fighting for the position will be Joe Craddock, Patrick Jackson, Salin Simpson, and Gene Delle Donne. Brandon Gantt, who played on defense as a freshman last year, is also competing for the vacant spot.
"Early on we will try to get all of the quarterbacks as many reps as we can," added head coach Rick Stockstill. "Obviously after that we have to make decisions on which guys are ready for the position and which ones are not because you only have 15 practices in the spring and three of those are in shorts. There are just not a lot of days to get work in and these guys need all the snaps they can get right now. So we will make decisions on guys pretty early. We hope to come out of spring with our top three but there just aren't enough practices for us to clearly make a decision on a starter."
Craddock, a junior, is the favorite to win the job when the Blue Raiders line up against Florida Atlantic for the season opener in Boca Raton. The Birmingham, Ala., native possesses a strong right arm and is capable of making plays with his feet. He has the most game experience of any quarterback on the roster after seeing action in nine games as a backup to Marks last year. Craddock completed 9 of 24 passes for 75 yards in limited snaps and was 2 for 4 against Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl.
"I understand the reason I am the starter right now is because I have the most experience," said Craddock, who missed the entire 2005 season due to a knee injury. "I don't feel a lot of pressure because I know there will be good days and bad days. I just need to concentrate on having more good days than bad."
Jackson, a fifth-year senior, played in his first two career games in 2006 after turning in a 200-yard passing game in the spring. Jackson hopes to make a push for more playing time in his final year.
"It's a wide-open race and we are all working extremely hard right now," said Jackson. "The key is being consistent and taking care of the football but at the same time I am trying not to put too much pressure on myself. This is what competition is all about."
The future may include a lot of Simpson, a redshirt freshman from Lexington, Ky. The talented Simpson, who was rated one of the top 50 players in Kentucky coming out of high school, was the first quarterback recruited by Stockstill. Simpson, who possesses good athleticism and a good arm, spent his first year on the scout team which went a long way in helping him get comfortable with the system.
Also, heavily in the mix will be Delle Donne, a transfer from Duke who sat out last season. The former Prep Star All-American is a presence in the pocket at 6-5 and brings with him a lot of credentials. During his stellar prep career, Delle Donne threw for 5,011 yards and 38 touchdowns.
"To me, the starting quarterback is a guy who can lead the offense and get first downs, and then first downs lead to touchdowns. It'll be the guy who protects the ball the best and doesn't make the big mistake that gets you beat. It may not be the flashiest guy, but he'll probably be the most consistent guy," said Stockstill.
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