Sounds like a spring QB dual for the ages right? Wrong. Unfortunately a surefire competition for the starting job never had the chance to develop.

Redshirt senior Lyle Moevao underwent surgery to repair damage to his shoulder in February and has been shut down from practicing until mid to late July. Moevao was the starter for most of last season, but he was noticeably affected after suffering the shoulder injury on November 1st against Arizona State.

With Moevao sidelined for the spring, fellow senior Sean Canfield has claimed control of the No.1 spot at QB.

Sean Canfield winds up to throw

Beaver fans are very familiar with Canfield. In 2007, he was the team’s starter for nine games until suffering a shoulder injury against USC that kept him out of the following fall QB competition with Moevao. The situation was eerily similar to this year’s, only with roles reversed.

That season, Canfield was 165-286 for 1,661 yards with 9 TDs and 15 INTs. He was the winning QB in an Emerald Bowl victory over Maryland.

The 6-4 220 pound left-hander played a backup role in 2008, but when he was called upon, Canfield delivered in a big way. Last November, Canfield helped lead the Beavers to a comeback win at Arizona that kept OSU’s Rose Bowl hopes alive (even if only for one more week). He was 20-34 for 224 yards with one TD.

The performance gave Oregon State coaches and teammates a chance to see Canfield’s leadership qualities on display. For his career, Canfield has thrown for 2,699 yards with 17 TDs and 19 INTs.

So far this off-season, Canfield has been solid. The 5th year senior enjoyed an excellent spring camp despite a shaky performance in the Beavers’ spring game which saw him go 20-32 for 182 yards, one TD and three INTs.

Canfield has a big arm to go along with a big frame, and his deep ball should be utilized a lot this season. In order to succeed, he must cut down on his turnovers in 2009. Heading into fall, Canfield is the clear favorite for the starting job, but a competition may surface when Moevao comes back healthy.

Senior Lyle Moevao has put together a very impressive body of work over his career. He is 11-4 as a starter and his 3,410 career passing yards are sixth in school history. In 2008, Moevao had a breakout year, throwing for 2,534 yards with 19 TDs and 13 INTs.

The 19 TDs trailed only Jonathan Smith and Derek Anderson for most ever in a season by a Beaver QB. Although his shoulder injury slowed him down, Moevao finished the season as the starting quarterback in OSU’s 3-0 Sun Bowl win over Pittsburgh.

The 5-11 225 pound California native is compactly built and does not shy away from physical contact. He has been known to throw huge blocks despite being a QB, and plays with a fiery nature.

The former high-school defensive end lost 20 pounds before the start of 2008 in order to prepare for being a starting QB in the Pac-10. He doesn’t have the arm srength that Canfield does and he isn’t very mobile, but he is a gamer that makes plays in a variety of ways.

Moevao has been praised for his leadership and colorful personality on the field. He will not be ready until mid-July (at the earliest) and will therefore have to make up ground in a hurry.

Oregon State has a few other QB’s that could find playing time in 2009. Canfield’s main backup during the spring was redshirt freshman Ryan Katz. The Santa Monica, CA native has a very live arm and throws a good deep ball. He completed 10-21 passes for 101 yards in the spring game.

The No.3 during spring was sophomore Justin Engstrom. The 6-5 Engstrom has game experience for OSU against Hawaii, UCLA, and Washington State in 2008. He was 8-15 for 48 yards and one INT in the spring game.

The most intriguing QB on the roster is junior Peter Lalich. The 6-4 226 pound Lalich started against USC last season for Virginia, but he is eligible to play this season after transferring from UVA in September of 2008.

The UVA’s athletic department decided to dismiss Lalich from their football program after he had some run-ins with the law, including minor traffic offenses and underage purchase and possession of alchohol. Lalich will try to put the past behind him and get a fresh start in Corvallis.

In his career with the Cavaliers, Lalich was 74-135 for two TDs and four INTs. Coming out of high school he was rated as a 4-star QB prospect by both Scout.com and Rivals.com.

He made a great first impression with Beaver fans at the spring game, going 10-17 for 214 yards with two TDs and zero INTs. Lalich is still early into learning Mike Riley’s system and probably won’t play this season, but he has huge upside and a bright future. He has three years of eligibility to play two at Oregon State.

My Take

It would have been interesting to see which QB came out of spring with the starting job had Moevao been healthy. I like Canfield’s measurable traits more, but I like Moevao’s intangibles. My gut feeling tells me that we may see both again this year.

With the multi-talented Rodgers brothers (RB Jacquizz and WR James) on offense, either one of these QB’s just has to be consistent and not turn the ball over. Mike Riley does more with less than any other coach in the conference, and he seems to be confident with either quarterback.

The guy that really interests me is Peter Lalich. Remember, both Canfield and Moevao are gone after this year. Despite his problems in the past, I think Lalich could be a good one with Riley as his mentor. Look for the Virginia transfer to make an impact at some point for the Beavers.

For the Cougs to right the ship, a quarterback must emerge in 2009. This proud program has had success in recent years at the position with the likes of Alex Brink and Jason Gesser not too far removed from their productive playing days. There are two main candidates for this year’s job, and both started in games last season.

Redshirt sophomore Marshall Lobbestael started three games in 2008 and played in a total of five before suffering season-ending damage to his ACL and MCL during the Oregon State game. His numbers from last year’s limited action, while not spectacular, were solid. He finished 53-103 for 571 yards, with four touchdowns and four interceptions. His passer rating was a respectable 103.08 and he was sacked 12 times.

Marshall Lobbestael looks to throw on the run

Lobbestael’s injury derailed his promising progress, but he showed flashes of brilliance during the brief season. In his first career start against Portland State, he threw touchdown passes on his first two passing attempts and finished the day 9-12 with 149 yards passing, two TDs, and zero interceptions. The performance earned him Offensive Pac-10 Player of the Week.

2009 did not start well for Lobbestael. In February, he was arrested after police found him passed out in a pickup truck while in possession of alcohol. At only 19 years old, the arrest did not go over well with the coaching staff at WSU, and he was promptly suspended. Although Lobbestael was in rehab for his injured knee and wasn’t expected back for the start of spring anyway, the arrest was a step backwards in his quest to prove he has leadership qualities.

Lobbestael only participated in non-contact drills during the spring, and it’s therefore hard to gauge his progress. Physically, there’s no question he is a prototypical QB for Paul Wulff’s no-huddle offensive scheme. At 6-3 206, Lobbestael has good size and a quick release.

He is expected to be back at 100% for the fall, and his performance then will go a long way in determining the fate of the season for the Cougars. While some prognosticators believe he’s the clear favorite to win the job, he still has a lot to prove both on the field and off.

The starter for most of last season was Kevin Lopina. The redshirt senior enters his final year of eligibility after transferring from Kansas State in 2006 and spending the last two season with WSU. It’s difficult to positively spin the year Lopina had in 2008. He started 8 games and finished the season, 87-153 with 841 yards passing, zero TDs and 11 interceptions. He was sacked 23 times and had an 88.66 passer rating.

Now I’m not saying these stats aren’t dreadful, but it’s important to point out that Lopina’s numbers are indicative of a bad offensive football team  and not just one player. Pinning everything on his performance last season would not only be unfair, it would also be inaccurate.

Lopina did have one bright moment in 2008, and it was a big one for all Cougar fans. The Apple Cup remained in Pullman for another year thanks in large part to a career day from Lopina. He was 17-of-29 (career high for passing attempts) for 167 yards, which included a season-high 48-yard strike to set up the game-tying field goal. His effort helped keep the rival Huskies winless on the season.

The 6-3 231 pound Lopina took the majority of the snaps during spring practice, and is therefore very familiar with this year’s personnel on offense. He may be slightly behind on the depth chart, but it’s a slim margin that can easily be made up if he has a sharp fall camp.

Other QB’s competing for time are sophomores J.T. Levenseller and Daniel Wagner. The 6-1 187 pound Levenseller played sparingly last season and totaled 17-34 for 134 yards and two interceptions. He is expected to be the third-stringer going into the fall. Wagner spent some time punting last season as well as being under-center. He will provide depth in 2009.

My Take

Baby steps. If either Lobbestael or Lopina can stabilize the position I would consider that a major achievement this year. The problems will start occurring if Wazzu’s offense becomes QB by committee again because it means Wulff hasn’t found the answer.

I can’t honestly say that I see an All-Pac 10 caliber guy in this group, but I believe in the program’s ability to develop signal-callers. My guess is that when the dust settles, Lobbestael will be the starter on September 5th against Stanford. He has more upside than Lopina, but more importantly, he has three years of eligibility remaining compared to Lopina’s one.

The slight favorite for the job as of spring is true sophomore Matt Scott. A 6-3 190 pound product out of high-school football power Corona Centineal (CA), Scott is a threat to opposing defenses in multiple ways. His current edge on the starting job can likely be attributed to his speed and quickness. Scott is a very elusive runner, and has the awareness to know when it’s the right time to take off.

Matt Scott shows off his quick feet

Scott appeared in limited action for the Wildcats last season but managed to lead the team with 8.2 yards per carry. Considering the Cats had 1,000 yard runner Nic Grigsby and shifty backup RB Keola Antoli, Scott’s rushing average was very impressive and could be featured as an integral part of the offense this season.

In fact, Sonny Dykes routinely called for naked bootlegs and designed rollouts when Scott entered games last season, possibly giving the Pac-10 a preview of the 2009 Arizona offense. He totaled 188 yards and two TDs rushing as a freshman, and added 84 yards and another two TDs through the air.

The key for Scott will be his production as a passer. No one expects Tuitama-like numbers, but he must be able to keep the defense from cheating at the line. With the league’s best tight end by a mile in Rob Grownkowski, Scott has a big target to rely on.

Head coach Mike Stoops has put some great offensive pieces in place with his recruiting, and Scott will have a talented supporting cast around him as he transitions into being the potential starter. If everything comes together, there could be a three-headed rushing monster in the Old Pueblo with Grigsby, Antolin and Scott each capable of taking it to the house.

If the dual-threat offense doesn’t pan out for Scott and Arizona, the Wildcats could rely on a QB built more like Tuitama. Sophomore Nick Foles decided to transfer to Arizona after playing football in the Big Ten for a year with Michigan State.

The 6-5 235 pound Austin, Texas native is a traditional drop-back passer, perfectly equipped to run the same offense Tuitama manned last season. He spent last season with Arizona’s scout team, earning the acclaim of coaching staff and teammates alike for his ability to emulate opposing QB’s throughout the year.

During his time with the Spartans in 2007, he went 5-for-8 passing for 57 yards. Foles enjoyed a productive spring and is trailing Scott by a very slim margin heading into fall camp.

The dark horse for playing time in Tucson is sophomore Bryson Beirne. The 6-3 225 pound Hawaiian is a system-smart quarterback who played sparingly in 2008. Beirne has a strong arm and good footwork, but will be the clear No. 3 heading into the season.

My Take

I’ve followed a number of Pac-10 players on the last few Corona-Centenial teams, and Matt Scott is an athlete. If he wasn’t a QB, he’d still be one of Arizona’s 11 best offensive players and could find a place somewhere else on the field. He is no Willie Tuitama when it comes to arm strength or accuracy, but all he has to do is be a serviceable passer for the Cats to have another explosive offense.

If the offensive line is decent, I think Scott could make the Arizona running attack better than ever. Foles is a solid QB, and has a better arm than Scott, which could keep him in the hunt for the starting job. The bottom line; I believe Sonny Dykes is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football and he will find a way to make either Scott or Foles work in his offense.

Former head coach Tyrone Willingham may have struggled in the win-loss column, but he didn’t exactly leave the cupboards empty. After all, junior QB Jake Locker is back after missing most of 2008 with season ending surgery. When healthy, the best way to describe Locker is Tim Tebow-West. There truly aren’t enough superlatives to describe what he does for an offense.

In a conference full of unknowns at QB, Locker’s place atop the depth chart is as safe as any in the country. A native of Ferndale, Washington, he made recent news in another sport; the Los Angeles Angels selected the two-sport athlete in round 10 of the MLB draft.

Jake Locker tucks it away and uses his legs

At 6-3 222 pounds, Locker is solidly built and possesses a strong arm and tremendous mobility. He was named Pac-10 Freshman of the year in 2007 and Rivals.com featured him on their Freshman All-American team.

Locker ended that season with 3,048 yards of total offense; good enough for second most in school history for a freshman. His 987 rushing yards that year set a Pac-10 record for most ever by a QB. He accounted for 27 total touchdowns in 2007.

Locker’s kryptonite during his freshman campaign was accuracy. He failed to connect on 50% of his passes and threw 15 interceptions on the year. During the offseason before his sophomore year, Locker worked hard on improving as a pure passer and was primed for a breakout year last season. Unfortunately, 2008 changed dramatically for Washington after his injury.

Now, it’s time for the proven QB mentor Steve Sarkisian to earn his paycheck by aiding one of America’s most talented signal callers. Under Sark’s watchful eye, Locker will look to progress into an elite passer. If spring is any indication, improvement is already noticeable.

Locker completed over 60% of his passes in April. His transition to the pro-style offense has been smooth sailing so far, allowing Locker to stay in the pocket more often thereby preserving his health. If Locker completes 60% of his passes this fall, it’s safe to say the Huskies won’t be winless in 2009.

The starting QB for Washington during the majority of 2008 was 6-1 203-pound sophomore, Ronnie Fouch. Fouch provides the Huskies with experience as he assumes the backup role this year. Last season he played under difficult circumstances and struggled throughout the season.

After replacing Locker, Fouch finished 113-250, with four touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He was sacked 20 times and completed just over 45% of his passes. Nonetheless, under the tutelage of Sarkisisan and assistant Doug Nussmeier, Fouch could develop into a solid Pac-10 QB.

Redshirt sophomore Taylor Bean will provide depth at QB in 2009.

My Take

Locker is one of my favorite players in the conference, but time is running out for him to develop into an accurate passer. I think Sarkisian wants Locker to be a pass-first, run second QB. I agree with that approach, and it may help keep Locker healthy for the full season, but the pressure is on for him to make the transition.

I’m not expecting Locker to become Matt Leinart-stationary, but if he can learn to accurately throw from the pocket, he can become the well-oiled machine that Seattle has been itching for. I know everyone is excited about Nick Montana, but I think Locker will make a little noise in the conference before his time is up.

At the center of the excitement stands redshirt freshman Andrew Luck.  Luck was the prize recruit of the 2008 recruiting class, and thus far, he has lived up to the billing.

The 6-4 225 pound Luck enjoyed a superb spring and left camp as the favorite to win the starting job for Stanford over incumbent, Tavita Pritchard. He closed out spring practice with one the best performances of any QB in the conference this off-season, going 18-of-25 for 352 yards and five touchdowns in the Cardinal and White game.

Those kind of numbers, even in a spring game, are very impressive considering the fact that Stanford had the 103rd ranked passing attack in America one season ago.

Luck’s size and arm strength have coaches drooling over the possibilities for the passing game in 2009. If you factor in power running back Toby Gerhart’s ability to keep the defense honest, it could be a potent offense for Stanford this fall.

Andrew Luck takes the snap

Luck spent all of last season running the scout team for the Cardinal, and he familiarized himself with Harbaugh’s system in the process. His first year in Palo Alto was also productive in terms of physical maturation. He grew one full inch and put on 20 pounds of muscle from the time he left high school to spring of 2009.

Luck went to Stratford High School in the football-rich state of Texas. Rivals.com rated him as the country’s most accurate passer in the class of 2008. Scout.com tabbed him as the No. 4 QB in the nation. Although it is hard to characterize Luck as a true dual-threat, he did manage to rush for 2,085 yards in his high school career.

Besides his impressive football resume, Luck was valedictorian of his class at Stratford High, therefore encompassing everything Stanford wants out of a student-athlete. While Luck has not won the job officially, he has the mental and physical tools that Harbaugh looks for in a starter.

Amidst all of the enthusiasm surrounding Luck, senior Tavita Pritchard looks to regain control of the starting QB job that he has had for the past two seasons. While he lost an edge in April, Pritchard is not out of the running yet.

He has had mixed results in his time at Stanford so far, but can be a solid game-manager and has a knack for alluding pressure with his mobility. Plus, can you really count out a QB that beat USC at the Coliseum in his first career start? At 6-4 215 pounds, Pritchard has good size and provides Stanford with an insurance plan in case Luck does not pan out.

Junior Alex Loukas is Stanford’s other QB that could see time. Unfortunately, Loukas tore his ACL just as spring was beginning and will not be back until after the first few games of the season.

When he does come back, the 6-4 223 pound Illinois native will provide the Cardinal with another experienced QB. He played in eight games last season, including engineering a game-winning scoring drive against Arizona. Loukas is a great athlete and makes plays with his feet often.

My Take

I think Jim Harbaugh has a QB that he can build around with Luck. Pritchard may play at some point this season, but it won’t take long for Luck to be the guy. If the coaching staff manages his growth properly, I think Luck could develop into a big time passer.

The last time the Cardinal had a really talented QB was with Trent Edwards, but Edwards didn’t have the kind of team around him that Luck will. Harbaugh can recruit, and when he brings in these next few recruiting classes, look out for the ‘Furd.

Head coach Dennis Erickson now faces the task of trying to resuscitate an offense that was largely responsible for ASU’s disappointing five win season in 2008. Erickson visited with his good friend Mack Brown (Texas head coach) earlier this year about offensive philosophies and the new Sun Devil QB will likely be running a different offense than Carpenter did last year.

The off-season has been a busy one for Arizona State quarterbacks. The Sun Devils headed into April with five scholarship QB’s, but by the second month of spring, they only had three left.

First, redshirt freshman Jack Elway, son of hall-of-famer John Elway, decided to leave the football team and stay at ASU for his academics instead. Not long after Elway’s decision was made, sophomore Chasen Stangel decided to transfer. Neither player figured to be in the running for playing time, but now the Sun Devils face depth concerns at a position where there isn’t much experience to begin with.

Danny Sullivan drops back

The leader for the starting job so far is senior Danny Sullivan. The long time backup of Carpenter, Sullivan is a 6-4 242 pound gunslinger who has very limited experience despite being in Tempe for four years. He has played in a total of 24 games going 40-87 for 409 yards, with three TDs and three INTs. Sullivan has one of the strongest arms in the conference and had a relativley solid spring.

His biggest weakness is his inability to avoid pressure, especially when opposing defenses blitz. That could be a recipe for disaster if the Sun Devil offensive line plays like it has the last two seasons.

For Sullivan to have success, he must demonstrate that he can make the right decisions quickly and consistently in order to overcome his mobility issues. Sullivan really can sling it, so if ASU’s line finds a way to give him time, his deep ball would add an element to the offense that it hasn’t had since the Andrew Walter days.

Sullivan’s main competition is intriguing sophomore, Samson Szakacsy. The 6-4 210 pound Szakacsy has never taken a meaningful snap but possesses true 4.4 speed and has a unique skill set that is unlike recent Sun Devil quarterbacks. In fact, some folks around Tempe believe he most accurately resembles a rawer version of Jake Plummer.

With the read-option now in the playbook, Szakacsy is a multi-threat talent that would allow for an infusion of creativity into an offense that was brutally vanilla last season. If Sullivan is to be beat out of the job this fall, Szakacsy is likely to be the reason.

Tempe can’t stop talking about freshman QB Brock Osweiler. At 6-8 237 pounds, he was recruited by Gonzaga to play basketball before deciding he wanted to stick with football only. Dennis Erickson went all the way to Montana to get him, and since arriving on campus he has made a huge impact. Osweiler graduated high school early in order to compete for the starting quarterback position this past spring.

Many believe he is the next face of Arizona State football and the experienced Erickson cannot stop raving about his rare intangibles at such a young age. The remarkable thing about Osweiler is that at 6-8 237 he is a smooth runner that rushed for over 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in his high school career on top of throwing for 8,655 and 80 TDs.

My Take

I am skeptical of Sullivan. He is in the mold of an Andrew Walter and can therefore be very successful at the collegiate level, but I don’t think he is the right fit under center behind an offensive line as porous as ASU’s.

I am very high on both Szakacsy and Osweiler because of the unique upside that each has, but they are both still too green to be counted on. With former Michigan QB Steven Threet transferring in next year, and the continued development of the young Sun Devil quarterbacks, I think Erickson will have some great offenses in the next few years; just not this year.

Head coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow have made it quite clear so far that the latter is a better option. Prince ended spring practice atop the depth chart. Clearly, incumbency has not helped the senior starter from last season. In fact, Craft may not even win the backup role.

In April, Richard Brehaut, a 6-2 205 pound true freshman outperformed Craft decisively. Neuheisel recruited both Prince and Brehaut for Norm Chow’s system. It is becoming evident that Neuheisel and Chow were embarrassed by last year’s anemic offense and are ready to start a new era at quarterback for the Bruins.

Kevin Prince aims to fire

Kevin Prince spent most of 2008 with the practice squad, but he also dressed for every game including all five road trips. This gave him a front row seat to watch one of the worst offenses in college football last year. As Kevin Craft struggled on the field, Kevin Prince meticulously studied Norm Chow’s pro-style offense and impressed the coaching staff in the process.

His redshirt year in 2008 allows him four full years of eligibility and he will have a chance to go the distance as a starter if he continues to play as well as he did during the spring. At 6-2 225 pounds, Prince is solidly built for a freshman and he might need all of that bulk since the offensive line did not help Craft stay on his feet for most of last season.

Prince showed great maturity taking snaps with the first team offense, and more importantly, he is a tireless worker. The word out of Westwood is that Prince stays after practice routinely in order to throw, pick Chow’s brain with questions, and then throw some more. Prince also has a very live arm, probably the best of all the Bruin quarterbacks; combine all of these factors and it’s pretty clear to see why he was named the starter in April.

Prince’s biggest obstacle will be overcoming his inexperience. He played his high school ball at Crespi in Encino, CA where the offense was predominantly shotgun-based. While he has progressed wonderfully under center since joining the Bruins, playing against his first few Pac-10 defenses will be a test. The learning curve will be steep, but the strong-armed Prince appears game.

As for the backups, Richard Brehaut is the highest rated quarterback out of high school that the Bruins have had on the roster in a while. He fielded offers from numerous high-profile programs around the country but opted to try and help return the Neuheisel-led Bruins back to national prominence.

Brehaut is a former Elite 11 high school quarterback, and was California’s second highest rated QB in the class of 2009 behind only USC’s Matt Barkley. The 6-2 205 pound product out of Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, CA possesses a quick release and has nice zip on his throws. He has already demonstrated great leadership and competitiveness since arriving on campus at UCLA.

Kevin Craft is of course the other option at QB for the Bruins. His statistics from last season cannot be described as anything other than poor. He threw for 2,341 yards with seven TDs and a school-record 20 INTs. He was sacked 32 times as well.

It wasn’t all Craft’s fault, but his inability to improve throughout the season makes it difficult to believe that he can become an efficient starter in the Pac-10. He may be the primary backup to start the season because of his experience, but Brehaut will push him throughout 2009 and could eventually supplant him as the No.2.

My Take:

The amount of skill-position talent that Rick Neuheisel has already brought to UCLA is going to pay off for these QB’s in the future; I just don’t think the future is now. Everything I have heard about Prince is positive and his demeanor makes me think he won’t freak out if things go south out of the gate for UCLA.

The most important thing to watch this year for the QB’s in Westwood is how they finish. As long as Prince ends the year well, that will be the best thing any Bruin fan could ask for. I personally think Brehaut is the future. He is a legitimate pro-style prospect that Norm Chow could really mold into a star. Neuheisel may redshirt him, but I don’t think he trusts Craft enough as the only backup.

By the numbers, Riley actually played much of last season, starting nine of 11 games, but throughout the season it didn’t ever feel like head coach Jeff Tedford was ready to commit to one guy. Riley finished last year with 1,360 yards passing, throwing 14 TDs and six INTs but had a less than impressive 50.7% completion rate.

Although Riley has faced his fair share of criticism, his talent is undeniable. Most importantly, he has true Pac-10 experience; and looking around the conference, that is a rarity at QB. So far in 2009, all signs point towards Riley being more poised, relaxed and efficient. He has also become a positive presence in the locker room, knowing he no longer has to share the huddle with another experienced QB.

Kevin Riley looks down field

Riley, a former high school Elite 11 QB from Portland, Oregon, finished the spring without wowing too many folks in Berkeley, but he was solid. He finished 7-12 for 74 yards in the team’s final scrimmage before breaking camp for the summer.

Jeff Tedford does not traditionally name a starter until closer to the season starting, so there is no way to tell if Riley will be the guy, but it is fair to say that he is the favorite. With a potential top 10 team around him, and the best running back in the Pac-10 (Jahvid Best) getting most of the attention from opposing defenses, all Riley has to do is be serviceable. If he is, the Bears can compete for the conference title.

While Riley is likely to start the season as Cal’s QB, don’t tell that to sophomore Brock Mansion. Besides possessing one of the coolest names in the Pac-10, the imposing 6-5 237 pound Texan is a bona fide QB in his own right.

Mansion did not look like he would factor into to the starting battle after the first three weeks of spring practice. He struggled with consistency, and sometimes looked lost trying to manage Tedford’s famously intimidating playbook. But as each scrimmage passed, Mansion improved dramatically. He credits his improvement to staying after practice and throwing extra balls.

Mansion ended the spring on fire, matching Riley stride for stride. In his last scrimmage, Mansion went 9-11 for 94 yards and a TD with one pick. He led the Bears offense on an efficient 70-yard scoring drive that day, going 5-5 in the process. It was a fitting way to end the spring given his constant improvement. At the very least, Tedford now knows he has a capable backup.

Mansion was a super recruit in 2006, and has the strongest arm of any QB on the roster. What’s more impressive is how well he can run for a guy his size. Back in high school he had a season where he ran for 989 yards and nine scores. After redshirting last season, Mansion has a full career ahead of him at Cal.

The other QB that could factor in for the Bears is redshirt freshman Beau Sweeney. The 6-2 Sweeney from Fresno, CA is not nearly as far along as Riley or Mansion, but he has a good feel for the offense and is the most mobile of all the QB’s. Rounding out the QB’s is highly touted true freshman Allen Bridgford. Bridgford is far too green to mention in this year’s QB battle, but the 6-3 standout from Mission Viejo High in California has prototypical size and is an excellent prospect for the future.

My Take

Kevin Riley does not have to be former Bears QB’s Aaron Rodgers or Kyle Boller. He doesn’t even have to be the Kevin Riley from 2007, when he was torching Oregon State and Air Force in his first two career games. All he has to do is be more efficient than he was last year.

I believe this Cal team can compete for a Rose Bowl, but they aren’t going to come close if Riley completes less than half of his passes. If he can be around 60% and not turn the ball over, the RB duo of Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen will do the rest. If Riley is miserable, Mansion seems to have the confidence and ability to take over, but I think Tedford would rather avoid that messy situation this year.

However, two major components remain off of the 10-3 2008 Oregon team. Former offensive coordinator and now head coach Chip Kelly is one. The other is dual-threat quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Between Kelly and Masoli, the identity of Oregon’s highly entertaining, fast-paced spread offense is still intact. Last year, Oregon produced more touchdowns of 50 yards or greater than any other Pac-10 team.

Unlike offensive line and especially wide receiver, the quarterback position will not be an open competition at Oregon. If anyone was going to challenge Masoli for significant time this season, it would have been Justin Roper, who transferred out less than a month ago.

Jeremiah Masoli having fun

Masoli will be a junior entering 2009, coming off of a very successful campaign in 2008 where he threw for 1,744 yards and 13 touchdowns, as well as running for 718 yards and 10 scores. Masoli helped lead the Ducks to two electrifying wins at the end of 2008.

First, in the Civil War against Oregon State, Masoli threw for 274 yards and a career-high three TDs as well as running for another. More importantly, he led his offense to a record 65-38 smashing of a Beaver team playing at home for a Rose Bowl birth and Pac-10 crown.

In his next game, Masoli absolutely demolished No. 13 Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl with 258 yards and one score through the air, while adding 106 yards and three scores on the ground on his way to Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP.

The nationally televised game allowed college football fans a chance to see the multi-talented Masoli throw with great accuracy and then plow his way through defenders, looking more like a Mack Truck than a signal-caller.

This is what Oregon fans expect to see this season, and they will as long as he can stay healthy. But all of his physically destructive running may have to be used in moderation because that style is not conducive to a full season’s work.

Assuming Masoli plays at the level he did last season, and can establish chemistry with the youthful receivers, Oregon should be potent on offense again this season. Having RB LeGarrette Blount back certainly doesn’t hurt either, and he will take some of the load off of Masoli. Behind Masoli is fellow junior Nate Costa.

Only a year ago at this time it was Costa who was named starting quarterback. Costa suffered a season-ending knee ligament tear just two weeks before the season started. When healthy, Costa is a versatile playmaking quarterback that is perfect for Kelly’s spread offense. Unfortunately, Costa has had three knee surgeries altogether and will be a question mark until he can stay on the field.

Masoli’s primary backup in 2009 could be true sophomore Darron Thomas. Last year Thomas may have redshirted but he was forced into action against Boise State because of injury problems.

When he did enter the game in the second half, the 6-4 dual-threat athlete almost helped Oregon overcome a 24-point deficit against Boise State. He ended his day 13-25 for 210 yards and three TDs. Rivals.com rated him as a 4-star prospect when he came out of Aldine High School in Texas.

My Take

You could make a very strong argument that Masoli is the best returning quarterback in the Pac-10 this year. I have never seen a power runner at quarterback quite like Masoli. He is an underrated passer as well and my only hope is that he can stay healthy by running out of bounds on a few of those runs instead of lowering his shoulder.

If he is the quarterback for all of 2009, Oregon could have a big year on offense, but the line must re-tool and the receivers have to step up.

Darron Thomas has upside but he needs to prove that he can make the crucial quick decisions that Chip Kelly’s spread offense demands. If he becomes a polished passer, he could be the future at QB for the Ducks.

As for Costa, Mike Bellotti seemed very high on him going into last season, and that is enough to make me think he must have great ability. Maybe three knee surgeries later Costa is ready, but in an offense like Oregon’s where the Quarterback is asked to run a ton, I am skeptical.

Although his decision to go pro initially irritated head coach Pete Carroll, it now seems all parties may come out just fine heading into the fall. After a stellar spring, Aaron Corp, a 6-4 redshirt sophomore from Orange Lutheran, has established himself as the starter.

Corp went an astounding 13 spring practices without throwing an interception capped off by a solid spring game. Before the spring, most pundits agreed that it was Corp’s mobility that made him such a tremendous talent. Some close to the program believe that Corp will be able to use his mobility out of the bootleg and play action even better than Sanchez did in last year’s offense.

The only question mark with Corp was how consistent he could be throwing the football. So far, Corp has silenced any critics he might have. His performance was especially impressive considering the stiff competition he faced throughout all of USC’s practices and scrimmages to date. In fact, the competition was so stiff that the battle for starting signal-caller could re-open in the fall thanks in large part to a rising star named Matt Barkley.

Aaron Corp puts together a nice spring

Eighteen-year-old Matt Barkley planned to become a serious contender for the starting job at USC from day one. He graduated from high school in 3 ½ years so that he could make it to USC in time for spring ball. His belief in himself to win the job this early should come as no surprise.

Barkley attended the prestigious football powerhouse Mater Dei High School, becoming the second freshman in the history of the program to start at quarterback. He didn’t waste any time in making an impression on the coaches at USC. Barkley made several big plays throughout the spring, but his untimely interceptions kept him from ascending to number one.

Still, it was considered a major upset that he dethroned the more experienced Mitch Mustain for the second spot on the depth chart. If Barkley progresses in the fall as much as he did during spring, not only will there be no redshirt, he may threaten for the starting job.

As for Mustain, the spring was not as productive. The former Arkansas Razorback was extremely inconsistent. His perfect 8-0 record from his time in the mighty SEC is now just a distant memory.

The frustrating thing about Mustain is all the potential that is so evident. In watching him, one can see why he is a former Gatorade High School Player Of The Year. However, he has not picked up the offense nearly as well as the aforementioned Corp and Barkley. Playing time is not out of the question, but he must pick up the pace because he is a clear third right now.

Finally, dual-threat quarterback Garrett Green figures to provide depth in case injuries mount this season.

My Take

I believe Aaron Corp will be a very solid quarterback for USC this season. He does not ever seem to make the wrong decision and pressure doesn’t bother him at all. With the talent that SC has around him, (especially an experienced and supremely talented offensive line) his great mobility and cool demeanor will be a perfect fit for the offense.

But lets get real here – Matt Barkley is going to be special. It won’t happen this year, but he is the future face of USC. I just don’t think Corp, only a sophomore, will be able to last two or three years as a starter with that kind of talent behind him. I honestly believe that Barkley, on paper, is the best prospect at quarterback that SC has had since Carroll took the job.

I am very disappointed in Mustain. I followed Arkansas closely during the Darren McFadden and Felix Jones years and I knew SC was getting a great receiver in Damian Williams (a stud). I also thought Mustain would be an impact player but he hasn’t gotten there. Hopefully he turns it around.