Houston quarterbacks Blake Joseph, Case Keenum and Al PeÒa have no idea which of them will be named the starter, but they are certain of one thing: Whoever wins the job will have plenty of talent to work with.
The Cougars return 22 lettermen, including eight starters, to an offense that led Conference USA in scoring last season (33 points per game).
Among those returning are dynamic running back Anthony Alridge and explosive wide receivers Jeron Harvey and Donnie Avery, playmakers who will force defenses to think twice this season.
"With the athletes that we have, especially with Anthony in the backfield and Donnie and Jeron at wideout, it opens up everything for the quarterback. You can’t really ask for anything else," PeÒa said.
Houston head coach Art Briles is also aware of these prospects. That is why he’s in no rush to name a replacement for former starter Kevin Kolb, who concluded a brilliant four-year career by leading the Cougars to last season’s C-USA championship.
"We have people that can play on the offensive side of the ball," Briles said. "It’s not a deal where the quarterback is going to determine whether we score 35 points or 42."
Joseph, a redshirt sophomore, had a chance to put his stamp on the starting job during spring practice, but struggled to distance himself from Keenum, a redshirt freshman. Keenum even outplayed Joseph on a few occasions.
PeÒa, a senior transfer from Oklahoma State, entered the mix after the NCAA granted him a waiver in June that gave him immediate eligibility to play for the Cougars this season.
Since then, PeÒa, who has a strong arm and runs well, has worked hard to learn the Cougars’ playbook and earn the confidence of his coaches and teammates.
"The playbook is a little different (than the one at Oklahoma State)," PeÒa said. "It was a little tough at first, but now I’m starting to pick it up. Everything has a meaning, and it’s not too hard to pick up.
The starting quarterback should greatly benefit from having three starters back on the offensive line in seniors Jeff Akeroyd and Dustin Dickinson and junior Michael Bloesch. He’ll also benefit from having Alridge in the backfield.
The speedy 5-9, 175-pound running back rushed for a team-leading 959 yards and eight touchdowns a season ago while splitting the carries with the bruising back Jackie Battle. With Battle having moved on to the greener pastures of the NFL, Alridge appears capable of taking on the role of the featured back.
But that does not mean Alridge wishes to brand himself as the Cougars’ best offensive player. He prefers to hand those honors off to Harvey and Avery, both seniors.
The lightning-quick Avery finished second on the team in receptions (57) and receiving yards (852), to go along with five scores. The 6-5, 215-pound Harvey (41 catches, 671 yards last season) presents a tough matchup for cornerbacks because of his size and leaping ability.
Given their credentials, the two should play huge factors in the Cougars’ offense.
"D.A. and Jeron might be one of the most explosive receiving (duos) I’ve ever seen in my life," Alridge said. "You’ve got a dude who’s 6-5 with a 40-inch vertical (leap), and you have another guy who’s six feet and runs a 4.2 (seconds) 40-yard dash. It’s going to be real fun to watch them play."
Joseph, Keenum and PeÒa each hope they’ll be watching Harvey and Avery from the pocket, not from the bench this season. Therefore, the battle for the starting quarterback job could rage on well into fall camp.
But Briles believes the best candidate will soon separate himself from the rest of the pack.
"The job is still wide open and it’s a great concern for a lot of people, but to me, it’s a comfort because I know we have some guys that can play, so that’s not the issue," Briles said. "It’s just making sure that we get the right guy at the right time who manages the game in the right way."
