Spring Football Roundup: Tennessee Football Still Without A Clear QB Leader

Nov 5, 2011; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Justin Worley (14) talks with team mates during the game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won by a score of 24 to 0. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Volunteers

The initial phase of Butch Jones’ first season leading Tennessee football wraps on Saturday with the Vols’ spring game. Lingering over Jones until Tennessee kicks off Aug. 31 against Austin Peay is a pea-soup-clear quarterback quandary.

Our Ryan Wooden wrote on March 5 the quarterback competition was the spring’s highlight. Jones introduces a new offensive philosophy onto Rocky Top, and obviously, the right quarterback is essential to its implementation.

Patrick Brown of The Chattanooga Times Free Press writes redshirt freshman Nathan Peterman is “holding his own” heading into the Orange and White Game.

However, Brown adds Justin Worley is taking the majority of first team snaps. Worley has the most experience, starting in relief of an injured Tyler Bray in 2011.

The winner of Tennessee’s quarterback competition will spend 2013 behind one of the better offensive lines in college football. A unit that allowed just eight sacks last season returns anchor Antonio Richardson.

Utah State Aggies
Dec 15, 2012; Boise, ID, USA; Utah State Aggies quarterback Chuckie Keeton (16) during the first half of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against the Toledo Rockets at Bronco Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
Utah State won the final Western Athletic Conference championship, rolled to a final 11-2 record and reached No. 16 in the polls. On Tuesday, Aggie quarterback Chuckie Keeton was named 2012 College Male Athlete of the Year at the state of Utah’s annual governor’s awards, the Associated Press reports.

Keeton passed for 27 touchdowns and 3373 yards in 2012, and rushed for another 619 yards and eight scores.

Only a sophomore, Keeton is preparing for his third season starting behind center for the Aggies. Look for him to be among the contenders for SaturdayBlitz.com’s third annual Detmer Award, honoring the nation’s best non-BCS conference player. Keeton should vie for the crown Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch returns to defend.

Utah State concludes its spring practice season on Saturday. Keeton leads the program into its first season of Mountain West Conference membership this fall, kicking off Thursday, Aug. 29 in one of the best opening weekend games when USU faces the in-state rival Utah Utes.

Oregon Ducks

Despite the developing distraction of Oregon’s NCAA trouble, the Duck football program must focus on 2013 with a new head coach. Autzen Zoo examines Mark Helfrich’s symmetry with Oregon midway through spring practice.

Among Helfrich’s quotes:

"Practice has been great. Resilience of younger guys to have some adversity and bounce back from it. Even in a practice format that will carry over. Ifo, Tony Washington has done a really nice job. Avery Patterson has stepped up and done a god job."