Washington spring football: Huskies kick start complicated quarterback competition

What was already going to be a very interesting quarterback competition that was going to hold most of the attention for Washington's 2014 spring practices got even more interesting when frontrunner and 2013 back-up, sophomore Cyler Miles got into some trouble after the Super Bowl. Now, with Miles suspended indefinitely and his near and long-term future completely unknown, Washington's starting quarterback spot is even more cloudy.

The rangy and athletic Miles had established himself as Keith Price's heir apparent by winning the back-up job in camp in 2013 and by filling in for him quite well when he started in a blowout win over Oregon State where he played well. Miles doesn't have the biggest arm, but has great, rangy size, great feet and the ability to run. Many pegged him as the quarterback of the future for Washington due to the fact that he has a much higher ceiling and athletic ability than the now-graduated Price.

However, Miles ran into some confounding trouble in the post Super Bowl celebrations in Seattle and has been suspended indefinitely by new coach Chris Peterson. With spring football rapidly approaching, it is beginning to look like Miles for sure won't be participating in the crucial session, and even if he is reinstated and stays at Washington, it will be damaging in his pursuit of the starting job. In my opinion, if Miles does stick around, and even if he misses spring, I still think he is the front runner to win the job.

Miles' stumbling have opened the door wide open for the only two other scholarship quarterbacks on Washington's roster, sophomore Jeff Lindquist and redshirt freshman Troy Williams. Lindquist came to Washington in the same class as Miles and was as equally highly-decorated and athletic, but had appeared to have fallen behind Miles in the quarterback hierarchy.

Lindquist is a bit more of a runner than Miles, but was also a proven passer coming out of high school as he was highly-regarded at the Elite 11. He gained a tiny bit of experience in mop-up time in 2013, and if he can develop as a passer, he has just as high of a ceiling as any passer in the fold at Washington. Just how much progress he has made with that part of his game will likely determine how well he does in the fight for the starting spot.

The third guy in the group, Williams, is the most unknown as he redshirted in his first year in Seattle, but from what people have seen, he might have the best physical tools of any guy in the trio, particularly the best arm. He's a strong player with a major competitive streak and has gotten rave reviews from the bits and pieces of his performances in practice that media members have glimpsed, with many speculating that he might be able to win the starting job this spring even if Miles had not gotten himself suspended.

Still, little has been seen of any of these quarterbacks and this spring in Seattle will finally be the time when the highly-touted prospects finally truly meet in an all-out competition that will decide who is the quarterback of the future for the Huskies.