Jim McElwain calls quarterback situation 'open position'
When the Central Michigan football team gets practice going this spring, you can expect an "open quarterback situation."
New coach Jim McElwain said all of the quarterbacks from last season and those recently added will be competing for the starting job under center.
"We've brought some new blood into (the quarterback) room," McElwain said on the CMU Sideliners Coaches Show. "I'm excited about the competition and how they land to build consistency.
"They aren't all log jammed, there's a good spread."
The returning CMU quarterbacks include redshirt freshman George Pearson, senior Tommy Lazzaro and redshirt sophomore Austin Hergott.
However, the new faces entering the room that McElwain mentioned should push for the No. 1 job are junior David Moore (Garden City Community College), senior Quinten Dormady (Houston) and freshman Daniel Richardson.
Lazzaro returns with the most game experience in a CMU uniform, starting six of the seven games he played in a season ago. He threw for 711 yards, five touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Pearson played in the final regular season game against Toledo, going 12-of-24 for 74 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Dormady has played in 14 college football games between his time with Tennessee and Houston. He completed 102-of-181 passes for 1,290 yards, seven scores and six picks. He started five games for the Volunteers before opting to transfer to Houston in 2018.
Early enrollee Richardson comes from Miami Carroll City High School, where he set the Miami-Dade County career passing (9,791 yards) and touchdowns (116) record.
"He's a competitor, a proven winner, incredible leader — all the things you want at that position," McElwain said of Richardson. "He can throw the ball like nobody's business."
Moore comes in after throwing for 837 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions at the JUCO level. For his 2016-17 years of college football, Moore was with the University of Memphis.
Between all of the signal callers, McElwain just desires to see who stands out as a true leader. His first taste will come once spring practice starts on March 19.
"Who moves the football team down the field, who doesn't make mistakes?" McElwain said. "It's not just about a guy with a rocket of an arm."
McEwlain also commented on the newly added offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charlie Frye, who most recently was with Ashland University as the wide receivers coach.
"He comes with a great knowledge and background of the position and will be a great coach," McElwain said. "I brought him with me to Florida as a life skills coach and he did a phenomenal job bringing energy to that. His NFL experience is a plus but his Elite 11 circuit experience with quarterbacks around the nation is a huge advantage for us."
Frye spent time in the NFL as a player with the Cleveland Browns (2005-07), Seattle Seahawks (2007-08) and Oakland Radiers (2009) before injuries cut it short.
Regardless of who the starting quarterback is for the Chippewas to start the 2019 campaign, McElwain made clear the expectations set for Frye.
"Well, touchdowns and no interceptions. It's pretty simple."
