20 on '20: The Quarterback Situation
College football has opened up around the country, and as we await the Eagles return to Chestnut Hill it is time to look at some topics surrounding the team.
Do we highlight questions that need to be answered by the new staff? Perhaps we look at the biggest concerns with a team returning many starters and contributors but has specific questions needing to be answered at key positions?
In that light, BC Bulletin presents its "20 on '20" series where we dissect (you guessed it) 20 topics pertaining to the football program.
Previous Topics:
No. 1: Which Position Group is the Deepest?
No. 2: What is the biggest area of concern for the Eagles?
The biggest question and variable this spring/summer has to be the eligibility of transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec. If he is granted a waiver and is eligible to play in 2020, it changes the outlook of the season for the Eagles. But we have been forced to wait....and wait...as the NCAA has yet to make a final ruling on his eligibility. And it is definitely not like BC already knows and is hiding the results from us, Jeff Hafley has said numerous times that he will let the public know as soon as he does, and Assistant AD Jason Baum confirmed last week that there has not been a final ruling on it.
If Jurkovec plays, there is little doubt that he will be the starter come day one of training camp. He looks like the complete package, with a strong arm, very good mobility and a huge upside. Basically he would give BC a top tier quarterback right away. If he is good to go, BC goes from middle to the pack to a potential
But what happens if Jurkovec's waiver is not approved? That leaves offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti with a lot of options, but none of them are proven. Dennis Grosel started part of last season, but he never looked overly accurate, a detriment if BC is going to pass the ball more often. However, as we saw, he is a above average scrambler who uses up every ounce of talent with his determination. Matt Valecce has been the third string quarterback for two years now, but Grosel jumped him on the depth chart.
Watching practices last summer, one name that stood out was Daelen Menard. He has a good arm and looked like he could be an ACC quarterback when ready based off what we saw in summer practices last year. With a step in the right direction, could he be the answer?
Sam Johnson IV was a four star quarterback out of high school, but he has a long way to go before he could jump into the starting lineup. Matt Rueve and Andrew Landry are both true freshman and I'm not sure that BC is going to want to go with someone fresh on campus as their starter.
But again, this position all comes down to Phil Jurkovec. Unfortunately we are all going to have to continue to wait.