It's going to be a long offseason for Cal football fans dying to know who will be stepping up at the quarterback position next fall. Because if spring practice is any indication, no one has any idea who will win the job. In the latest practice report from the Bears in San Jose by Jonathan Okanes of the Contra Costa Times, Jeff Tedford was exasperated by his offense's inability to do anything right, as they were unable to take care of the ball or even track the snap count.
So let's break down the prospects of each quarterback.
- Zach Maynard has the most athleticism. He is by far the most mobile of the quarterback and most likely to improvise with the ball on the run? But can he avoid throwing interceptions? Maynard struggled with turnovers with the Buffalo Bulls before transferring to Cal, and he threw another two in practice last week.
- Allan Bridgford probably is the most accurate of the quarterbacks, a tenet that Tedford seems to value. In terms of getting the ball to receivers, he probably has the best flow of any of the three starters. However, he probably doesn't have as much of a chance to make a play when faced with a pass rush overwhelming his offensive line. Sounds a lot more like Nate Longshore 2.0 when you think about it, which would be a huge upgrade from where Cal's passing game has been the past few years.
- Brock Mansion is the incumbent, but he didn't really show much last season to indicate he will be the starter this year. He does have a lot of extra practice time and is probably more familiar with what to do and what Tedford wants from him, but he has a lot to work on if he plans on earning the job.
In any case, these are your three candidates barring injury. May the best man win.
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