EWU spring football: Quarterback competition heats up
This is the first in an eight-part series on spring football at Eastern Washington. Today: quarterbacks.
This year, there really is a quarterback controversy at Eastern Washington.
He didn’t use that word – controversy – but coach Beau Baldwin said as much last week as returnees Jordan West, Reilly Hennessey and Gage Gubrud took the field for the first day of spring practice.
“There’s a great level of competition – the top three guys we’re talking about have all done a very good job in the winter,” Baldwin said, seemingly leaving the question of pecking order up to the players’ performances this spring and fall.
“We’ll be able to get a lot answered in the spring, but you won’t get all your answers,” Baldwin said as camp opened with the addition of new QBs coach Troy Taylor.
The last wide-open battle in Cheney came in the spring of 2010, but SMU transfer Bo Levi Mitchell made quick work of the competition. Two years later, redshirt freshmen Vernon Adams Jr. and Anthony Vitto appeared to be vying for second place while Eastern awaited the transfer of Kyle Padron.
That season saw Adams and Padron in an even-handed competition at the top of the depth chart before Adams took over the next two seasons.
Adams’ departure for Oregon left the keys to Eastern’s high-powered offense in the hands of West, who started strongly and at one point last fall had the second-highest passer rating in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Meanwhile, Hennessey showed promise before a suffering an ankle injury in the second game of the season at Northern Iowa.
Hennessey didn’t get back on the field until late in the year. By that time, opposing defenses seemed to confuse West in his postsnap reads – he was 39 for 84 in his last three games and didn’t play in the season-ending loss to Portland State.
Inefficient quarterback play was just one reason for the Eagles’ late-season swoon, but certainly the most visible. The low point came at Montana, when all three quarterbacks saw action, but none was effective in a 57-16 defeat.
Five months later, West, Hennessey and Gubrud all see the opportunity. In West’s case, it’s his last.
“It’s my last everything, until this fall,” said West, a 6-foot-5 senior-to-be who threw for 3,002 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season.
“I’m looking to attack this spring,” said West, who called the winter 7-on-7 drills “some of the best we’ve had.”
In retrospect, Hennessey’s injury was one of the worst things that could have happened to the Eagles, as it cost him a chance to follow up on promising performances at Oregon and Northern Iowa.
“I’m just trying to bring a lot of energy,” said Hennessey, a 6-3 redshirt sophomore from Camas, Washington, who was 59 for 91 last year, for 775 yards.
Speaking for the entire offense, Hennessey said, “We’re very focused – we did some evaluating (during the winter), and decided where we wanted to be this year.”
Gubrud, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore from McMinnville, Oregon, saw limited action last year but impressed the coaches with his mobility.
“Everyone’s getting better – I’m just happy to get ready for spring,” Gubrud said.
Also in camp are Andew Zimmerman and Joey Zamora, the younger brother of EWU linebacker Miquiya Zamora.
Coming Tuesday: running backs