By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com Publisher
I recently interviewed 2012 Iowa State football commitment Grant Rohach and it got me me thinking about Iowa State’s future at the quarterback position.
While Paul Rhoads doesn’t have what I’d call a proven starter on his roster heading into 2011, it does appear that the Cyclone football program will have plenty of options at this position in years to come.
Here’s a quick look at Iowa State’s quarterback situation going forward, featuring some YouTube videos and brief analysis.
2011
With James Capello out of the picture, Paul Rhoads swears that it will be a three man race to start on Sept. 3 against Northern Iowa. Those men are…
STEELE JANTZ, JR
— If you put a gun to my head and told me to name Iowa State’s Sept. 3 starter today, this would be my guy. Jantz, a 6-foot-4, 212 pound JUCO transfer seemed to have had a decent spring, but he also didn’t take Jerome Tiller’s job. Jantz threw for 3,075 yards and 23 touchdowns last season for City College of San Francisco. He ran for 601 yards and 14 touchdowns as well.
JEROME TILLER, JR
— Let’s be fair. Tiller has never been "the guy" in Ames. Tiller’s claim to fame in a Cyclone uniform was quarterbacking the team to one of the more improbable upsets in school history in 2009’s 9-7 upset win at Nebraska. No matter how badly some detractors want to discredit Tiller in that win, he still won the football game, which eventually pushed Iowa State over the edge and into bowl contention. Give credit where it is due. Still, Tiller’s career numbers are anything but eye-popping. In two seasons, Tiller went 80-of-155 for 739 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
JARED BARNETT, RS FR
— By all accounts, Barnett had a fantastic spring for Iowa State. In fact, one source told me that Barnett did exactly what the coaches wanted him to do. That’s push Tiller and Jantz for the starting spot. Barnett stands 6-feet tall and currently weighs 200 pounds. It’s possible that he could leapfrog the two juniors once fall camp rolls around, but not probable.
The future…
SAM RICHARDSON, FR
— This could be Iowa State’s quarterback of the future. But heck, you could also say that about Jared Barnett. But it doesn’t take long while watching Richardson’s highlight video to see that he could be something special. Richardson, a true freshman out of Winter Park, Fla., will likely redshirt in 2011 but who knows. If he blows the roof off of the practice facility this summer, Richardson could sneak into contention.
NOTE: That Ja’Quarius Daniels, a 6-foot-4, 218-pound member of the 2011 recruiting class will also get a look at quarterback this summer. Daniels threw for 809 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, while rushing for 719 yards. Daniels will get a look at quarterback, but all signs currently point to him ending up somewhere else.
GRANT ROHACH, 2012 COMMIT
— Rohach is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound California prospect who committed to Iowa State in March. As a junior, Rohach threw for 1,800 yards and 21 touchdowns. Rohach was born in Iowa. He’s a solid verbal to Iowa State, but expect some big hitters out west to continue to show interest in Rohach as he’s sure to turn heads as a senior.
LUKE KNOTT, 2012 COMMIT
— Believe it or not, Luke Knott, the younger brother to Jake, is one heck of a quarterback. Knott, who stands 6-foot-1, 185-pounds out of Lee’s Summit, Mo., tossed for 1,810 yards and 18 touchdowns for a state championship team as a junior. Knott also ran for 725 yards. Fans automatically assume that Luke will be moved to defense based off of Jake’s success, but don’t be too quick to judge this 2012 commit. Paul Rhoads is adamant about letting recruits try out where they want to play. Luke Knott might surprise a few people at QB.
