For the first time in a long time UB goes into a spring practice season without a quarterback who is far and away a front runner. Yesterday I put out a brief summary of the spread offense, for the next several days Bull Run will put up a list of the potential candidates for each of the skill positions in the offense.
Jerry Davis - 6-1, 200 Pounds - Fresno, CA
Alex Dennison - 6-2, 210lbs - Irwin, PA
Cory Jorgensen - 6-2. 205lbs - Williamston, MI
Coach Quinn has three quarterbacks returning this year, but among them there are only about two quarters of meaningful play. Whoever emerges from spring ball with the most reps is probably your starting quarterback come September.
Last season Jerry Davis stepped in for a suspended Zach Maynard and played an exceptional 15 minutes of football against the Ohio Bobcats. Now with an offense which will rely on spread formations to move the ball it will be harder for a quarterback to come in on short notice and attain any real success. One thing about the spread is that quarterbacks with few reps under center tend to struggle more than they would in a pro style system.
It’s a difficult offense to have a lot players at the quarterback position because it’s so [much] decision making, which requires all the repetitions and, yet, you’re exposing them. -- Rick Neuheisel, Head Coach UCLA
While an offense does not need a true dual threat quarterback like Zack Maynard to run the spread they are going to need someone back there who can move themselves out of trouble and keep the linebackers honest in pass protection at the same time. A quarterback who can't move around, or who can't throw on the move can hamper the range of options available to a spread offense.
UB had, in Zach Maynard, someone with all the physical tools to run the spread but his decision to go play ball in Cal (or watch it from the sidelines) levels the playing field for the other three quarterbacks on UB's roster.
Jerry Davis - 6-1, 200 Pounds - Fresno, CAWas a three-year team captain for head coach Tim McDonald at Edison High School in Fresno California. Davis played well enough to be named the CMAC Player of the Year in 2007. During his senior season he threw for 2,100 yards and 29 touchdowns his senior season and was named to the first-team All-Fresno. Despite this he was not highly recruited and Turner Gill's offer was the first, and only that he received.
He used a red shirt in 2008 and played little, but effectively this past season, most notably against Ohio when due to a suspension he got the stating nod. In that game he played an exceptional first quarter (270QB Rating) in throwing 3/5 for 86 yards and one touchdown.
Alex Dennison - 6-2, 210lbs - Irwin, PADennison, who red shirted his freshman year was probably right behind Davis on the depth chart. In Dennison's first season as a starting for Norwin, he passed for 1,310 yards, 17 TDs and led the team to a 7-4 record. In his final game of the season, a 35-28 overtime loss to McKeesport in the playoffs, the 6-foot-3 Dennison completed 13 of 30 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns including a 64-yard strike to Pitt-signee Mike Shanahan. He was Turner Gills
Dennison was Gills annual 'get the QB out of the way' recruit. Gill always went out and looked for a solid, athletic signal caller who could run his offense.
Cory Jorgensen - 6-2. 205lbs - Williamston, MIEarned a scholarship after walking on in 2007. CFB nation says that the left handed quarterback has a decent arm and is fast, but he'll strictly be the No. 3, emergency quarterback and a key practice player for the scout team.
Being a QB on the scout team may be an advantage, several MAC teams already employ an offense similar to the one that Coach Quinn is trying to implement at UB so chances are that Jorgensen has had to, at some point over the past couple of seasons, line up as a pro set quarterback and faced a MAC starting defense.