Nebraska Football’s Quarterback Conundrum
It’s three days into fall practice and the Nebraska football team doesn’t have a true leader in the quarterback race. Maybe Huskers head coach Bo Pelini’s comments at Big Ten media days were more truthful than we thought.
Then again, maybe through only three days of practice, the quarterbacks (particularly Tommy Armstrong, Jr.) are still getting into a groove.
"“Whoever can move the ball the best is the one who’s going to play. I think with Tommy’s experience, he’s a little bit favored, but I just have more to prove.”- Ryker Fyfe to Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald."
Having something to prove is the key phrase there. Armstrong needs to prove without a shadow of a doubt that he is “the guy”. He has to make the large step forward and get the separation that I’m sure coaches and fans want to see.
This is the University of Nebraska. It’d be the ultimate Big Red tale: A walk-on kid from Grand Island, NE could perform well enough to take over the starting quarterback position.
In my opinion, the Huskers will not win any championships in that scenario.
However, if that happens and Ryker Fyfe is trotted out with the first-team offensive unit on August 30, that’s a major red flag with two highly-touted two scholarship players behind him.
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I do not want to turn this into a debate on the value of walk-ons. There isn’t one. They have their roles in which they can excel, let’s be clear on that.
They have their place, but it’s not as the starting guy under center for teams that compete for championships.
Any major reactions from the first three days of fall camp would be overreactions, but it is clear that the players actually catching the ball from all three have their own opinions:
Following practice on August 6, Brandon Reilly spoke to Brian Christopherson and Brian Rosenthal of the Lincoln Journal Star about Fyfe and said he’s “really putting a name out there for himself and that he deserves to get a shot for the starting job, I think.”
"I think it’s just how calm he is in the pocket. To see him throw the ball, he can throw it a mile and as accurate as anyone, I think. I think he’s probably got the best arm out there.”"
Beck laid out his plan going forward to Sam McKewon of the World Herald:
"“It’s just going to be a process we’re going to have to go through here in the next couple weeks,” Beck said. “Hopefully, the best player’s going to rise to the top. They’re all working hard, all the guys.”"
My personal thoughts mirror that of Mike Welch of 93.7 The Ticket:
He’s absolutely right. However, for the betterment of Nebraska football, we have to hope Armstrong takes control of the competition sooner rather than later.
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