QB competition has all positions stepping it up
An intense competition for the starting quarterback position in a college football training camp is like the rising tide that lifts all boats.
Boston College first-year head coach Jeff Hafley has seven quarterbacks on his training camp roster, but the battle for the top spot is between incumbent Dennis Grosel and Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec.
When the competing quarterbacks are turning it up on a daily basis, the receivers run better routes, the running backs hit the hole harder and the offensive line develops a stronger push off the ball.
The defensive front seven responds in kind while the secondary goes into lockdown mode. Everything operates at higher levels of efficiency when there is an inspired competition at quarterback. “I think it is uplifting them for sure,” said Hafley. “I think on any team you want to create competition at every single position and that, in my opinion, is the only way guys get better. “Sometimes things get stale if people don’t think they are competing with anybody. The more competition we can create at all levels at every position every year the better we are going to be. What you look to do is to keep building.” Grosel began the 2019 season as a backup to Anthony Brown, a prototype ACC dual-threat quarterback. Grosel took over the top job when Brown suffered a seasonending knee injury while executing an RPO in the second quarter at Louisville on Oct. 5.
Grosel started the final six regular season games that included stops at No. 4 Clemson and No. 16 Notre Dame. He completed 67 of 138 passes for 896 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions. He also rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns on 48 carries.
Grosel’s role was more of a caretaker in coach Steve Addazio’s “12-personnel” power run offense. BC offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti is installing a multiple pro-style offense and Grosel is adjusting his game to accommodate the new scheme.
“I like it, I really like it,” said Grosel. “Everything makes a lot of sense to us and for me personally being able to carry over things we had beforehand and adding the new stuff and seeing how it all correlates.
“Offenses are all pretty similar but there are different ways of running it whether it be pro-style or spread. It’s all the same idea, getting guys in position and the blocking schemes but a lot of the verbiage is different.”
Jurkovec, a redshirt sophomore, was a blue-chip recruit who enjoyed one of the finest scholastic careers in Pennsylvania history. Jurkovec spent the past two seasons at Notre Dame, where there was no place for him to go on the depth chart. He entered the NCAA transfer portal in January and accepted an offer from Hafley. Jurkovec has all the tools to be a successful FBS quarterback and he is finding his way in the new system.
“What you are seeing with Phil is that each day he is getting better,” said Hafley. “It’s been a long time since he’s gotten a lot of reps like this and each day, he is getting a lot of things thrown at him.
“He needs to see it. He needs to make mistakes and fail and then correct it. He is doing a really good job. We are throwing a lot at him and he’s positive and he’s having fun. I think he’s doing a really good job.”