Although Head Coach Neal Brown has stated that the quarterback position is very much up for grabs, the likelihood is that Jarret Doege will be the starter come September 5th. When he will be named starter remains to be seen, but it could be the timing of it that could affect where Austin Kendall will be next fall. The Oklahoma transfer has expressed that he came to the Mountaineers to be the starting quarterback. After being benched in late 2019, and likely being the backup in 2020, could we have seen the last of Kendall in a Mountaineer uniform?
With the quarterback position being listed as an open competition for the spring, could this be an attempt by Head Coach Neal Brown to get Kendall to stick around? Having a backup with the experience that Austin Kendall has could be extremely beneficial to the team if an injury were to happen to Doege. Besides Jarret Doege, Kendall is the only other quarterback on the roster with experience. With Trey Lowe and Jack Allison departing for greener pastures, this leaves only Trent Jackson and Garrett Greene on the roster, neither of which have any experience on the college field. Keeping Kendall in Morgantown could be vital to the success of the team in 2020 barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Had Brown announced after the conclusion of the 2019 season that Doege was the quarterback moving forward, Kendall would have likely moved on from the Mountaineers. The same could potentially be said if no starter is named by the conclusion of spring. This could be a “competition” that is drawn out all the way into Fall camp. Not because Kendall is challenging, but because his presence is important. Yes, Kendall can call it quits even if Doege is not named until the middle of fall camp. However, after going through all of the workouts and preparation, would he be willing to give up that close to the season?
It will be an interesting 6 months with Austin Kendall. His status for the 2020 season could depend on Neal Brown, and when he decides to name a starter. Until then, it will only be pure speculation on the Austin Kendall dilemma.
