With the 2017 college football season right around the corner, the action is heating up on the gridiron with some key position battles that will play out over the final month of the summer. No position is more important than the quarterback, which is why the battle for starting jobs across the country will be in the spotlight leading all the way up to kickoff. Here is a look at the biggest quarterback battles in college football right now.
Clemson: Kelly Bryant vs. Hunter Johnson vs. Zerrick Cooper
Could the defending national champion Tigers actually start a freshman at the quarterback position? Deshaun Watson has graduated to the NFL and left Dabo Swinney in a tough spot as he will need to determine which quarterback gives his program the best chance to win now. Bryant was Watson’s backup and remains the favorite to land the job. However, Johnson is the better long-term prospect and if the true freshman shows enough to convince Swinney he is ready for the job then he could start in his first year. Johnson completed just 5-of-13 passes for 48 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the spring game. However, he has impressed in practices and could earn the job with a strong month of August. Bryant is still the likely Week 1 starter but Johnson is a legitimate option as well with Cooper still in the mix as well in the most interesting quarterback battle in college football right now.
Texas A&M: Jake Hubenak vs. Nick Starkel vs. Kellen Mond
While the Aggies aren’t the defending national champions, they do have an interesting quarterback battle of their own going on right now. The senior Hubenak is the only passer with any game experience so some experts have bet on him to start for Texas A&M this season. However, the redshirt freshman Starkel and the early enrollee and true freshman Mond are in the mix as well. While Hubenak has the experience, Mond might make the most sense based on his mobility. Kevin Sumlin has a tough road ahead of him this season and his most difficult decision might be who to start at quarterback.
Florida: Malik Zaire vs. Feleipe Franks vs. Luke Del Rio
Zaire arrived in Florida following a stint at Notre Dame and is still the favorite to start for the Gators this season. However, Luke Del Rio showed flashes as a starter last season before he was injured and according to reports he is still very much in contention for the starting job. Meanwhile, Franks hasn’t been ruled out either despite his status as a redshirt freshman. The most likely scenario has Zaire starting and Del Rio remaining in the mix as a capable backup. However, a lot can change between now and the start of the season and head coach Jim McElwain will have some tough decisions to make at the quarterback position.
Michigan: Wilton Speight vs. Brandon Peters vs. John O’Korn
Jim Harbaugh has done an excellent job recruiting over the past couple of years. Now it’s on him to put it all together and field a team that can contend for a Big Ten championship this season. First, Harbaugh has to decide on his quarterback with Speight the favorite to win the job while Peters and O’Korn likely battle for the backup job. However, the consensus is that Peters and O’Korn could move past Speight on the depth chart if they can impress enough before Week 1. Harbaugh will likely make the safe move and stick with the experienced starter in Speight. However, Speight will have a short leash and we won’t be surprised if he eventually decides to shake things up and go with either Peters or O’Korn as his starting quarterback.
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