WSU’s 4-Way QB Battle Continues

WSU’s 4-Way QB Battle Continues 


As fall football camp wrapped up WSU football head coach Jimmy Rogers declined to publicly name a starting quarterback. When asked how close he was to determining a starting quarterback Rogers said “It's getting closer and closer but you guys won’t know, I'll never tell you, you're going to see it on gameday.” If Rogers has his way, nobody outside of the WSU team will know who the starter is until they run out to take the first offensive snap of the season. So who are the four QBs competing for the job? Let's take a closer look at the 4 QBs battling for the starting job.


Zevi Eckhaus 


Eckhaus transferred to WSU from Bryant last season and after a competitive battle he lost out on the starting QB1 spot to John Mateer. Eckhaus was widely believed to be a shoe-in for the starting job before the staff brought in Power 5 transfers Julian Dugger and Ajani Sheppard. Eckhaus is still probably the favorite to be the starter against Idaho given his experience and the fact that he has had more than eight months to master the offense. Eckhaus also had a good showing in the bowl game last year. 


Jaxon Potter 


Potter is also seen as a strong contender to win the starting QB job. Potter had a good showing during the spring and has continued the momentum in fall camp. He has been able to show off his arm strength and command of the offense, especially the last few days of fall camp. The 6-5 redshirt sophomores strong end to fall camp only makes the decision tougher for Jimmy Rogers and WSU OC Danny Freund. 


Julian Dugger


Dugger transferred into WSU from PITT during the spring transfer portal window and is seen as an extremely exciting and high upside addition. He had one of the most exciting plays of fall camp, when QBs were allowed to be hit and he broke off a very impressive run. Dugger is a true dual threat QB and could be a perfect fit for a new look WSU offense. The new staff is looking for a mobile QB and Dugger perfectly fits the mold. 


Ajani Sheppard 


Sheppard is another QB who transferred to WSU during the spring transfer portal window. Sheppard spent the last two years at Rutgers but did not see the field very much. Sheppard is also a true dual threat QB with high upside that the Cougs are looking to unlock. Even if Sheppard does not win the starting job I think it is very likely that he will see the field in special packages similar to what we saw with John Mateer and Cam Ward in 2023. 


Conclusion 


While not announcing the starting QB will be different from what we have seen in years past I don't hate the move. This year's QB battle does seem to be very competitive and I am sure that the staff likes that the open competition doesn't let anyone get too comfortable. It also has the added bonus of making it slightly more difficult for Idaho to gameplan.


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