Alabama A&M, Alabama State Quarterback Position Remains Unsettled

The Hornets and Bulldogs are still uncertain about their offensive leaders, just days before their season openers.

Week 1 of college football is only days away, and both SWAC schools in Alabama are still figuring out who will be the starting quarterback for 2023.  Alabama State is further along in its quarterback battle between returning starter Dematrius Davis and UAB transfer Damon Isaiah Stewart. The latter looked much better during the Hornets' intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 19, but head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. said that Davis is still in line to top the depth chart.

"I think it's still Dee Davis in the lead of that race," Robinson said about the quarterback battle. "He's really coming into his own, having that second year in the spring and now this fall. So I feel like he'll be that guy that can kind of take us there."  The second-year head coach also said that Stewart has "played extremely well," including a strong performance during ASU's second scrimmage. 

Davis had a rough first year of college football, from the high expectations of being an Auburn transfer to battling through injuries. A second offseason at total health could be what he needed.  But remember: Robinson stuck with Davis over Myles Crawley last season, and now Crawley is in line to start at Grambling State. Even if Davis starts against Southern, it'll be hard to imagine Robinson going the same route if he doesn't see significant improvement.

For Alabama A&M, it's looking like a repeat of 2022: two quarterbacks splitting game reps. Head coach Connell Maynor confirmed that on Monday, saying the plan is to play returner Xavier Lankford and UT-Martin transfer Cornelius "Quad" Brown in the season opener against Vanderbilt.  "We're probably going to play two quarterbacks Saturday," Maynor said. "It's probably going to be Lankford and Brown, and we'll go from there."

When asked how he would divide the workload, Maynor said they'll likely "play it by ear." He mentioned it could be by quarters or possessions, and they may opt to go with the guy playing the best at the time. "If whoever we go with first plays well, we might just keep them in there. The battle is still open right now," he Maynor said.

For the record, Lankford's counterpart from last year, Quincy Casey, is still on the roster, which creates more questions about the quarterback room. The plan is for the Bulldogs to be a run-heavy team with Donovan Eaglin, but the offense will be severely handicapped again this season without an answer.