QB Depth Is A Good Thing For UConn

Too much depth is a problem that plagues great programs. And for the Huskies, an outfit that has stumbled to 5-7 in Paul Pasqualoni's first two years on the job -- and where the quarterback position has always been a concern -- having five QBs heading into spring practice is a good development.

The five quarterbacks not battling for limited snaps might feel differently, but this is the reality of big-time college football, especially for a team that's struggling to keep its head above water amid a constantly shifting conference landscape. So when the Huskies landed two quarterbacks on National Signing Day last week -- 6-4 Xavier-Middletown product Tim Boyle, and 6-5 Kivon Taylor from Atlanta, GA, it signaled that no job is safe on this roster, even after Chandler Whitmer's solid sophomore season in Storrs.

In addition to those three, there's also last year's big recruit, Casey Cochran, 2013 commitment Richard Lagow, and junior Scott McCummings all vying for playing time. Almost certainly one (or more) of the freshmen will be redshirted (as Cochran was done in 2012), but the takeaway is the same: competition is a good thing, especially at the most important position on the field. Pasqualoni talked about this last week.

“At the position, we’ve got Chandler, who is an older guy, so he’s obviously developing and already next year going to be in his junior year and well along academically and we had a chance in Timmy and we had a chance," the coach said via the Hartford Courant. … "(W)ith the players we were recruiting to get a bigger, taller, version, if you noticed, the guys we took are not the same from a profile standpoint. …

“We felt that we needed … if you’re gonna be in a pro style system and throw drop-back pass … now the six-foot (tall) guys can do it. I mean Chandler has done a fine job, Drew Brees does a fine job but I think the fact remains that if you’re (tall) you can see better down the field. Timmy just can make all the throws. He’s got an excellent arm. He can get it into tight space, he doesn’t panic. He can slide around in there, so, I mean, to me, I think regardless you take Timmy Boyle. “Kivon is, a little bit more from a developmental standpoint, but he’s a tall man and he has a strong arm and really, probably, in Kivon, saw himself a little bit more like Jordan Fuchs [recently signed tight end out of New York] as a basketball guy early on and then later on in his high school career said, ‘Well, this sport I might be better and go further in this sport.’ I think that when you have that type of athlete, who can do so many things, down the road would be able to do some many things, I think you take that kind of athlete.”

In case you're wondering, McCummings is listed at 6-2, Whitmer at 6-1 and Cochran at 6-0. While Pasqualoni didn't come out and say that a tall quarterback will definitely be under center next season, he sure sounds like a coach leaning in that direction. Of course, it's February. Whitmer didn't win the job until spring practice, and we guess those few weeks will go a long way in determining who's under center in 2013, too.

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