College Fantasy Football: Quarterback Position Battles

A look at some key college fantasy football QB battles ongoing at camps across the country, courtesy of CollegeFootballGeek.com.

Cal

The Participants: Kevin Riley, Brock Mansion

The Skinny: In a move that surprised nobody, Riley was named the starter for the opener.

The Leader: Kevin Riley

Louisiana Lafayette

The Participants: Brad McGuire, Chris Masson

The Skinny: Things remain close with the team’s final scrimmage taking place Thursday afternoon. The last scrimmage has given McGuire a slight lead in the race.

Both QBs threw the ball equal times, but McGuire had 3 TDs and 1 INT while Masson had no TDs and 3 INTs. The defense has made things difficult for the offense in scrimmages, so if McGuire can have another solid outing on Thursday he would be able to lock up the #1 spot.

The Leader: Brad McGuire

Michigan State

The Participants: Keith Nichol, Kirk Cousins

The Skinny: The coaches have decided to utilize a two-QB system for this season. Both players will be used, but what we will not know until the season begins to play out is if each QB will have a specific package tailored to their skills. Unless you are in a Big Ten only league, we suggest avoiding Nichol and Cousins.

The Leader: Keith Nichol/Kirk Cousins

Rice

The Participants: Nick Fanuzzi, John Thomas Sheppard, Ryan Lewis

The Skinny: Head coach David Bailiff has narrowed down the QB race to two: Fanuzzi and Sheppard. So far both QBs have been statistically similar, prompting the coaching staff to be willing to play both QBs in the season opener. If one of them can pull away statistically, then you can expect to hear a clear-cut starter named.

The Leader: Nick Fanuzzi/John Thomas Sheppard
*UPDATE: It was announced that both Fanuzzi and Sheppard will share snaps in the opening game.

Texas A&M

The Participants: Jerrod Johnson, Ryan Tannehill

The Skinny: Jerrod Johnson was named the starter in the opener, but Tannehill will remain the backup QB instead of moving back to WR.  This is a puzzling move, as you’d expect the Aggies to want to get their best players on the field.  There must be more to this story.  Keep your eye on this one as the season progresses.

The Leader: Jerrod Johnson

Tulsa

The Participants: G.J. Kinne, Jacob Bower, Shavodrick Beaver

The Skinny: It’s purely speculation at this point, but the buzz is certainly on G.J. Kinne’s side at this point.  Beaver seems to be on the outside looking in, but he will get his turn down the line. 

The Leader: G.J. Kinne

USC

The Participants: Aaron Corp, Matt Barkley

The Skinny: Freshman Matt Barkley has been named No. 4 Southern California’s starting quarterback.  Coach Pete Carroll unexpectedly announced his decision Thursday, several hours before practice and two days before USC’s mock game.

The Leader: Matt Barkley

Wyoming

The Participants: Karsten Sween, Robert Benjamin, Austyn Carta-Samuels

The Skinny: The QBs struggled in the third scrimmage of the fall, but it had more to do with the WRs dropping 12 passes. Benjamin ran with the first team offense for the second straight scrimmage.

It appears Karsten Sween continues to lose ground as Carta-Samuels lead the No. 2 offense. No official starter has been named but its looking like Benjamin is the best bet to start in the season opener.

The Leader: Robert Benjamin

Todd DeVries is the founder of CollegeFootballGeek.com, your premier destination for all things college fantasy football.