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For the third-straight year of his three-year tenure at Arizona, Rich Rodriguez will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, and for the second-straight spring practice, he will be having a very open quarterback completion. 2014's competition might be even more wide open than the furious 2013 competition as at least five quarterbacks have a decent shot at winning the starting job.
Like it did in 2013, there is a good chance that Rodriguez won't have a starter chosen by the end of spring and it could bleed into fall camp and here are the guys that will be the favorites of the impending competition.
Many expected senior and former USC-player Jesse Scroggins win the job over B.J. Denker last season due to his size, arm strength and athleticism, but Denker won the job and Scroggins battled injuries and didn't see the field. Scroggins has the physical tools, but didn't perform well in camp last year and you have to wonder if Rodriguez is wary of starting a senior that he will have to replace after the season at quarterback for the third year in-a-row.
Redshirt freshman Anu Solomon was so well-regarded coming out of powerhouse Bishop Gorman in high school, that some thought he might be able to win the job as a true freshman, but he was unable to and redshirted. With a year of experience under his belt, Solomon might now truly be the favorite to grab the job as his poise and dual-threat abilities make him perfect for Rodriguez' offense.
Like Scroggins, redshirt freshman Connor Brewer left a powerhouse program (Texas), and like Solomon was an incredibly decorated high school quarterback. Brewer is a bit more of a traditional quarterback than the other guys in the competition, so I can't help but think that might make it hard for him to rise to the top in Rodriguez' high-speed offense that has excelled so much with dual-threat quarterbacks in his first two seasons, but if he can use his accuracy to his advantage he has a shot.
Yet another transfer, this one a former LSU signee, Jerrard Randall might be the most athletic of all of them and if he can put it all together, might have the most potential of any QB on the Wildcats' roster. Randall isn't very big at 6'1 190, but also the fastest, whose running ability could also help ease the loss of Ka'Deem Carey.
The least talked about of those in the competition is sophomore Nick Isham, a small (6'0 188) QB, but is the only quarterback who has major college football experience, having started some games as a true freshman for Louisiana Tech under Cal coach Sonny Dykes. He doesn't have a ton of buzz around him, but he proved that he can really throw the ball around and put up stats at Louisiana Tech.