QB competition the story of spring for CCU … sort of

While meeting with reporters prior to Coastal Carolina’s first spring football practice Tuesday, coach Joe Moglia shared some interesting comments in regard to his perspective on the last couple of seasons.

For all the Chanticleers’ success – including No. 1 national rankings in the FCS polls each of the last two seasons, impressive win totals and a consistent postseason presence – Moglia said he actually felt “disappointed” in wondering if he had done enough or missed something that would have made the difference in the few narrow losses that got away.

He brought that up to say that while some may see 2016 as a different kind of season for the Chants, as they won’t be eligible for the postseason while playing as an FCS independent and beginning their transition to the Sun Belt Conference and FBS level, Moglia says he’s actually even more motivated heading into a new season while trying to get the team to further maximize its potential.

“I think for me, I’m disappointed in terms of what’s happened over the span of the last couple years. I think had I done a better job as a head coach, I think our staff would have been a little more focused [on those little things] and I think our team would have been a little bit more focused,” Moglia said. “So going into this season it’s the beginning of this huge transition we’re going to make with regards to our program. Everybody that’s going to graduate this coming season, it’s part of their legacy in terms of what we end up [doing] moving forward. It’s not changing our mission – we want to put a team on the field that Coastal is going to be proud of – and the BAM concept is not changing at all. …

“So if all those things are the case, then there should be nobody on the team and nobody in the coaching room that would look at this season any differently [than], ‘We’ve got to go out there, we’ve got to be focused, we’ve got to do the best possible job we can.’ And if all things come together and we have that type of commitment and [win], they will go down as the finest team Coastal Carolina’s ever had. We’re a long ways from that yet, but there’s no ifs, ands or buts about the seriousness we’re taking [toward] this season.”

Before the Chants can worry about addressing all the little things, though, they have one very big question to answer: who is going to be the quarterback?

With three-year starter and program record-holder Alex Ross moving on and hoping to earn an opportunity at the professional level, Coastal Carolina is starting over at the most important position on the field.

And unfortunately, their two leading contenders for the job both enter the spring with some health limitations.

Redshirt-freshman Chance Thrasher was sidelined last season while undergoing surgery to clean up some bone chips that were lingering from a broken shoulder he suffered during high school. He said it’s “all good now,” but the coaching and training staffs don’t want him taking part in any live team drills just yet. Meanwhile, sophomore Josh Stilley cracked a bone in his foot prior to winter workouts and had surgery to put a screw in to help it heal. He’s still in a walking boot he hopes to have removed soon, but it’s unlikely he does any full team activities this spring.

For what it’s worth, offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said Stilley will nonetheless open the spring atop the depth chart due to his edge in experience – mostly practice experience, that is.

“He’s the oldest guy on the board so he’ll be on the top of the depth chart. He’s coming back from a foot injury so he’ll be limited probably through half the reps in the spring – hopefully we’ll have him back by the middle of the spring – but he’s a very smart guy and he’s been around for a while. He’s on top of his stuff,” Patenaude said. “And Chance is coming off of his shoulder surgery, but he’s really responded well. He’s thrown the ball well over the last few weeks, so he’ll get a bunch of reps. He won’t get a lot of team reps early on in spring until he gets up to speed and being in the pocket, but he’ll be able to do all the [non-contact] stuff and the one-on-ones.”

In the interim, junior quarterback Tyler Keane, the Myrtle Beach High School product, and redshirt-fresman Austin Bradley, a fellow walk-on, will get expanded opportunities to lead the offense.

“We’re not going to slow anything down. We’re just going to plug the next guys in and give them an opportunity to compete and see what they can do, and hopefully we’ll get a good look at the older guys as we get further into the spring,” Patenaude said.

Thrasher came to Coastal Carolina out of Suwanee, Ga., with a good deal of fanfare as a three-star recruit by ESPN/Scout.com and 247Sports.com. He has exuded confidence from the day he signed with the program and is eager to make an impression on the coaches this spring – to whatever extent he’s permitted.

“I’m ready. I’ve been ready. Even though I couldn’t do it physically, mentally I’ve been ready,” he said Tuesday. “… I’ve just been waiting for it. Since day one, I haven’t been really able to show them what I’ve got, and now that I’m able to and I’m healthy, I’m ready to do it.”

Patenaude said Thrasher has been throwing for about a month and the quarterback said he feels up to speed with the offense and that he didn’t incur any significant setbacks while being sidelined in the fall.

“It didn’t really set me back; I just had to sit there and do everything mentally, which a quarterback should do no matter what if he’s not the starter or backup,” Thrasher said.

Stilley, meanwhile, admitted there was some frustration with having to sit out the first part of spring practice.

“I love spring ball so it hurts a little bit [not being active]. It’s the time of the year to compete for your spot and everything, so that part of it sucks, but other than that everything happens for a reason,” Stilley said. “So I’m just going to worry about myself right now and try to get better. I think I’ll probably work my way [back] by the end of it for some 7-on-7 stuff and throwing.

“It’s a wide-open spot right now. We’ve got a lot of good quarterbacks out there. I’m just going to worry about myself and not worry about what the other guys are doing and just be the best I can be at what I’m doing.”

There will be another name added to that mix this summer, too. Highly-touted incoming freshman quarterback Avery McCall, out of Dillon, was a big-time recruit for the Chants and Patenaude said it is not a certainty that the rookie will redshirt this year.

Also rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com, McCall led Dillon High School to four state championships as the starting quarterback and won 37 games in a row while throwing for 7,000 yards, 85 touchdowns and just six interceptions in his time there.

“He’ll come in compete,” Patenaude said. “Realistically can a freshman come in and play as a freshman? No, but he’s really talented, so he’ll get an opportunity. He’ll be here the first summer session, he’ll be here as much as he can be and we’ll see what he can do.”

Offense has carried the Chants the last several seasons in large part to the superlative play of Ross, who owns just about every relevant program record of significance.

Much of the supporting cast on offense returns this season – led by star senior running back De’Angelo Henderson and senior wide receiver Bruce Mapp. Overall, the Chants return seven offensive starters, six defensive starters and all of their key specialists.

But whatever mark they hope to leave in this unusual transition season with no postseason eligibility will depend largely on the development at quarterback and the foundation built there before debuting in the Sun Belt in 2017.

That’s a challenge Patenaude says he’s actually going to enjoy.

“It’s actually a little more exciting for me, I think, because for the first time in a few years Alex isn’t here and I have to get off my butt a little more, work a little bit more and get these guys going,” he said. “But it’s fun to see some of the younger guys out there learning and competing and having to reteach the game and teach the offense and really go back to ground zero with a lot of the stuff we’re working on. That will be fun. It might be a little frustrating at times, but I think I’ve matured so much in my four years that I’ll be able to handle that. ... We’ll see the first time there’s an incompletion.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 8:37 PM with the headline "QB competition the story of spring for CCU … sort of."