Frost monitoring Husker QB competition
The hiring of Scott Frost and the implementation of his spread-option offense didn’t scare off any of the pro-style quarterbacks held over from Mike Riley’s time at Nebraska.
Whether everybody is still on board after spring practice is another question.
Frost returned to his alma mater as the hottest coach in college football, having led Central Florida to a 13-0 record that included a Peach Bowl win over Auburn. He’s the maestro of a creative offense that put up the biggest numbers in the nation.
“I think everybody in the country wants to play for coach Frost,” quarterback Andrew Bunch said. “So if he’s coming here, then I’m not leaving.”
Tristan Gebbia said he senses a change coming in a program that hasn’t won a conference championship since 1999.
“That would be tough to be like, ‘No, I’m not staying for this,”’ Gebbia said. “This is a special moment in time.”
Frost, offensive coordinator Troy Walters and quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco have had eight practices to work with the quarterbacks, and a pecking order will soon be established.
“The one thing we’re going to have to do, and we kind of started it today, is making sure we’re getting the guys who are separating themselves more reps so we can get our team ready to play,” Frost said Tuesday. “But we have until September to figure out who’s going to be the first guy on the field.”
Frost said he’ll meet with the quarterbacks as well as every other player, to give them a post-spring evaluation.
“Hopefully nobody leaves the program,” he said, “but there are only so many guys who can play, so sometimes those things work themselves out.”
Rising sophomore Patrick O’Brien backed up Tanner Lee last season and is the only quarterback who has taken a snap for the Cornhuskers. He did not participate in interviews Tuesday.