Opinion: Why quarterback competitions aren’t competitive in the transfer portal era

Wisconsin officially named veteran Tyler Van Dyke its starting quarterback on Wednesday. Ohio State then followed suit with Kansas State transfer Will Howard on Thursday.

Under similar circumstances, both players won their team’s respective ‘quarterback competitions,’ edging out others in the room who lacked college experience. Van Dyke was given the job over redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke, while Howard won his over redshirt sophomore Devin Brown and others.

There is an overwhelming feeling that neither competition was really that competitive. That, given the context of experienced, accomplished veteran quarterbacks transferring to a program needing stability at the position, the jobs were theirs the moment they committed out of the portal last winter. In that case, the ‘competitions’ were more performative measures to keep the rest of the quarterback room engaged.

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Perhaps this opinion is due to getting caught in the moment of seeing headlines left and right saying that Van Dyke and Howard ‘won quarterback battles.’ Or the news cycle stopping for two whole days to evaluate the impact of the two officially being named each team’s starter.

I’m drawn to an overwhelming thought that can translate to nearly every instance of an accomplished veteran quarterback transferring to a program in need of a starter: Van Dyke and Howard became the starters the moment each committed. If there were others in the room who were starting caliber, the teams would not have prioritized a transfer at the position.

That is even leaving the NIL part out of the equation, because nobody other than those involved know the figures at play.

I’m looking at the situation from the head coach’s perspective. Luke Fickell went into the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/opinion-why-quarterback-competitions-aren-174755682.html

Author : Badgers Wire

Publish date : 2024-08-15 17:47:55

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