Ryan Katz named starting quarterback for SDSU

Head coach Rocky Long of the San Diego State Aztecs announced Monday that he has named Ryan Katz the starting quarterback for next season, according to a tweet from Scott Sommer of Fox Sports.

Katz had been Oregon State’s starting quarterback but he was eventually benched for Sean Mannion and transferred to SDSU after his 2011 season.

According to Tod Leonard of U-T San Diego, Long said the decision was not easy but it needed to be made to have the new starter begin an increase in reps with the first team to prepare for the start of the season.

“I don’t think it’s a clear-cut decision,” Long said Monday. “But as I’ve told you, I believe that you have to name a starter so that he gets a lot of reps with the first team so that he’s sharp when he gets to the first game. I think you do a disservice when you alternate or don’t have a starter.”

Katz may not be the best quarterback on any given day, Long said, but overall he's the most consistent. For his career, Katz has 2,737 passing yards on 407 passes along with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.