Training camp is winding down and the Arizona St. Sun Devils are still in the process of determining who will be their starting quarterback. The competition is down to two players: sophomore Taylor Kelly and redshirt freshman Michael Eubank.
According to a report, head coach Todd Graham is expected to announce his starting QB on Monday. He has a couple of options, which present both positives and negatives for the Sun Devils.
Here is the latest from Doug Haller at camp:
First-year coach Todd Graham said he expects to announce Monday a starter at quarterback. He seems to be down to two choices: Starting sophomore Taylor Kelly and using redshirt-freshman Michael Eubank in certain situations, or starting Eubank and letting him handle the load. My guess is Kelly starts Aug. 30 against Northern Arizona and each week, as he gets comfortable, you'll see more and more of Eubank. Graham again said that he just can't see the 6-5, 242-pound Eubank not playing at all.
The obvious benefit to playing both players would be to let the coaching staff see both players in a game setting. A coach, no matter how good he or she is at evaluating talent, can never quite know just how well a player will perform under the bright lights on Saturdays. Playing Kelly and Eubank in different situations could bring an interesting dynamic to the offense each week.
The most glaring downside to employing two quarterbacks is that, historically, very few teams have found success alternating two players. The season opener against NAU should not be too challenging for the Sun Devils, but that game is immediately followed by showdowns with Illinois and Missouri.
Heading into these games with big question marks at quarterback is a scary proposition for ASU, especially on the road in Columbia. Naming just one QB and sticking with him for better or for worse might just be the safest bet here.
The season opener for Arizona State is scheduled for Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. PT.
For more on the Devils, head over to House of Sparky.