(Photo by Patrick Lantrip – Daily Memphian)
WVU’s 24-21 Liberty Bowl win over Army was exhilarating, but it left the Mountaineers with some questions going into 2021. After being the guy for the entire season, quarterback Jarret Doege was benched in the second half after poor play through the first two quarters. Gone will be Austin Kendall, who led the team to an eleven point comeback yesterday, but the Mountaineers will now have one more talented quarterback on the roster to go along with Garrett Greene – Will “Goose” Crowder.
This begs the question now that we honestly hoped wouldn’t come up again so soon – will WVU have yet another quarterback battle in 2021?
The simple answer here is that you have to. Yes, Doege brings a plethora of experience to the table, but yesterday’s performance shows that he isn’t quite ready to conquer the big stage in College Football. Garrett Greene and Goose Crowder may not have the experience, but the upside they bring with them is tremendous. Neal Brown and the coaching staff have to give the two youngsters an opportunity to prove that their talent can translate well to the field, despite inexperience.
It would be a massive disservice to the program as well as the fanbase if there is not quarterback competition this year. You have to go with your best man, and there is a legitimate possibility that Jarret Doege may not be that guy in 2021.
I expect Neal Brown to handle this like he did last season, and refrain from naming a starter going into camp. It’ll likely be August before we know who will lineup under center, but it will certainly be an interesting storyline along the way.
