100% Cotten
9/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
by Stan Cotten
Back a hundred years ago when I played a little football, I always felt that one quarterback - me - was all that was needed. How wrong I was. After tearing my right ACL, I quickly learned that quarterbacks were like golf balls - you can never have too many.
There certainly is no shortage of talented quarterbacks these days at Wake Forest. And heading into the start of the season, sophomore Cory Randolph has solidified himself into the No. 1 role.
"Cory had an OK spring, not a great spring but a good one," admits Coach Jim Grobe, "but I really liked his work ethic and attitude. He's very talented, and I think he'll be a really good quarterback for us. He's had a very solid fall camp. He's our guy."
Randolph takes over for the departed Seattle Bowl MVP James MacPherson (at press time in a battle for a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts), inheriting the reigns of an offense that has raised eyebrows in Grobe's first two seasons in Winston-Salem for its ability to move the football.
"I just try to go to work every day," says Randolph. "I have goals every practice for things I need to work on and improve on."
Much has been expected of Randolph since his prep days at Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida. Heading to college, he was rated the nation's 100th-best quarterback prospect, and prior to last season with the Deacs, he was named by one publication as the ACC's "Best Option Quarterback" even though he had never taken a snap in a college game.
Last season Randolph relieved MacPherson in nine games. That's all about to change. Wake Forest is now his team.
"First games are always exciting," says the Deacs' No. 17. "We've all worked extremely hard. The Boston College game will be a good test of where we are and what we need to work on."
Redshirt freshman and Oklahoman Zac Taylor is Randolph's backup. Taylor reported much stonger and had a solid fall camp throwing the football. He, too, possessed sparkling credentials coming out of high school in Norman, Okla., where father, Sherwood, was an Oklahoma Sooner in the Barry Switzer glory days. Taylor is taller and a bit leaner than Randolph and appears quite capable of running the team if his No. 10 is called.
On the shelf, literally, are true freshmen Ben Mauk and Bruce Hall who, although very impressive, will be redshirted if at all possible. "Those guys are the real deal," says Grobe. "But like all of our freshmen, we want to give them the best chance at the best four years at Wake Forest. And that generally means, for most of them, that the first year is going to be a redshirt."
Mauk came to Wake Forest as the more heralded of the two when compared with Hall, but Hall has been equally impressive and will be a factor in the quarterback race of the future. Mt. Tabor product Anders Larson, a walk-on, is listed at third team for the fall to complete the quarterback corp.
Cory Randolph says that he can't live without a stocked refrigerator. These days, college football teams had better not try to survive on just one or two capable signal callers. With Randolph, Taylor, Larson, Mauk and Hall in the cooler, the Deacs should be able to live well for a long time.
COTTEN-QB BRIEFS...
- Former Deacon quarterback prospect Nate Morton has made a seemingly seamless move to wide receiver making several nice catches in the fall camp scrimmages. Don't be too surprised to see No. 83 (formerly No. 18) making catches in games.
- Former starting quarterback Anthony Young seems poised for a strong senior season at wide receiver. He made two touchdown catches in the Deacs' next to last scrimmage prior to Boston College. In the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Young started nine games at quarterback, completed 51 percent of his passes and threw for five touchdowns while rushing for more than 600 yards and four touchdowns. Last season Young made 10 catches for 116 yards.