Jameis Winston, Blake Bell Among Those To Shine In Spring Quarterback Competitions

April 13, 2013; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) runs the ball during the second half of the Florida State spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Some high profile quarterback competitions are no closer to resolved with spring football practices winding down, but took interesting turns over the weekend.

Florida State Seminoles five-star prospect Jameis Winston received rave reviews for his performance in the Garnet and Gold game. FSU is replacing two-year starter and four-year contributor E.J. Manuel. Winston figured to play prominently into the competition from the outset of spring ball, but veteran Clint Trickett was impressive in early phases.

Winston, however, raised eyebrows and dropped jaws with a stellar scrimmage, according to The Palm Beach Post.

“He took advantage of opportunities,” head coach Jimbo Fisher told Seminoles.com’s Brandon Mellor. “You put opportunities out there for guys and that’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to go make plays and he’s done a nice job of making plays.

Jimbo Fisher isn’t ready to name a starter, though.

Winston is an intriguing prospect. He’s already drawing comparisons to Charlie Ward — high praise that borders on the hyperbolic, given Ward was among the best college quarterbacks ever. But the similarities are there. Winston is a dual threat play maker, more so than any Seminole snap-taker since Ward departed. Winston is also a two-sport star; his play on the baseball diamond rivals his skills on the football field. Likewise, Ward went from winning the Heisman Trophy to captaining the New York Knicks at point guard.

Still, Ward is a ridiculously high benchmark to set for a youngster but Winston was recruited to take the Seminole offense to another level. Winston was the top recruit out of Alabama in 2012, Rivals.com’s No. 1 dual threat quarterback, and the No. 10 player overall. His breakout spring game performance is a first glimpse at just how good Winston can be.

USC’s two Maxes — Wittek and Browne — were at the forefront of discussion to replace Matt Barkley when the Trojans opened spring practice. But Cody Kessler is no longer an afterthought after having what the Associated Press called “the sharpest” performance of any USC quarterback in Saturday’s spring game.

Kessler has seen very limited action in his tenure at USC, and last season was behind Wittek on the depth chart. Wittek’s play relieving an injured Barkley hardly locked up the starting job for 2013, but celebrated recruit Browne’s early arrival on campus complicated the competition.

Any of the three can still seize the job in the summer. Remember, Barkley was not named starter over Aaron Corp until a few weeks prior to opening the 2009 season. Kessler certainly improved his standing, but Browne remains an intriguing possibility.

Reporting early can go a long way for a true freshman, to which Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Wes Lunt can attest. He won the starting nod a year ago in a spirited competition that also included J.W. Walsh and Clint Chelf.

Lunt is also a testament to the often empty rhetoric coaches extol about a quarterback competition being season-long. Injuries slowed Lunt in 2012, and Chelf was able to grab the reins by season’s end. Head coach Mike Gundy has proven his willingness to leave opportunities for his reserves, but he has also preferred foregoing the questions and speculation by naming a starting early.
Apr 13, 2013; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Blake Bell looks to pass during the annual Red White spring game at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla. White beat Red 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
OSU’s bedlam rival Oklahoma Sooners have taken the opposite approach. Though the Sooners return a frequent contributor at quarterback in Blake Bell, Bob Stoops is playing his hand close to the chest.

“It’s been fun,” Bell told reporters after the spring game. “All three of us are around each other for, it seems like, 24 hours a day. But we have fun with it. We know we’re competing but you’re going to be competing at any school in the country. We have three good guys just competing and having fun with it and we’re all just going to work hard each and every day and that’s all we can do.”

Bell stood out with 213 yards passing and two touchdowns, but both Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson exhibited flashes. Knight likely has an advantage over Thompson, and Bell would seemingly be the front runner over each. Of note is all three are mobile, a part of their arsenal that the spring game style didn’t not allow them to exhibit.

“I think it does help that all three are somewhat similar, but it doesn’t kill you if they are not,” offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said.

This spring is the first Oklahoma has faced replacing a starter since 2007. Sam Bradford’s injury in 2009 expedited the process to in-season, which gave Landry Jones the keys to start for four years.

Given the stability Oklahoma has had at quarterback, it’s somewhat ironic Stoops is mum on the position now. Bell’s scored 24 rushing touchdowns in his two years with OU, but been used almost exclusively in designed run packages. Showing off his arm is critical to taking the lead in the Sooners’ quarterback competition moving into summer.