As football season nears, a large question still remains: who will be this year’s starting quarterback? On Wednesday, coach Jeff Scott shared that fall camp will be a deciding ground.
The battle of the quarterbacks is one of the most discussed topics in the program, and remains a trend in the Scott era. Last season, Cade Fortin was named the starter, but was soon replaced by sophomore Timmy McClain in Game 3.
Now, McClain is facing junior Gerry Bohanon, who Scott added to the mix for the 2022 season.
“We are going to use the first half of fall camp and let those guys go out and compete,” Scott said.
Bohanon is coming from playing four seasons at Baylor and leading the team to a Sugar Bowl win last year. He started 12 games, rushed for 323 yards and had 27 touchdowns.
McClain started nine games as a true freshman, passing for 1,888 yards on 145 of 262 attempts, completing 55.3% and had four touchdowns.
He said he has gained confidence since last year and will maintain that going into the season and serving as a leader for the team.
The competition to be starter is strong, but Bohanon said his relationship with McClain is brotherly.
“We honestly look at each other like brothers,” he said. “We want to see each other succeed at whatever it may be.”
One of the major differences between this year’s decision in comparison to last year is when the team will figure out who their main guy will be. Last season, Fortin was announced the week of the first game, but this year Scott will announce the starter much earlier.
“Timmy will go out and practice with the ones today and Gerry with the twos,” he said. “In practice, we will alternate for the first 10 to 11 practices, and then when we have our first scrimmage on Aug. 13. And we are going to be watching them.”
Who will be the starter Sept. 3 against BYU will be announced after the scrimmage, according to Scott.
“I want whoever wins the starting job to have three full weeks to be seen as the starter by the offense and to work with that first group of offensive players alone and running backs in the mesh,” he said.
Scott’s approach this year shows a mentality of wanting more structure coming into 2022 instead of trying to piece the team game by game. Though structure is what will assist the team in having a better season, patience is also key.
“We’ve got to have that quarterback stand and be able to lead our offense, and that takes time,” Scott said.
South Florida will open its season against BYU at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and 95.3 WDAE/620 AM and iHeartRadio Bulls Unlimited.
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