Marshall football: Inside The New Name Enters Herd QB Radar, Huge Question Remains Unanswered For The Marshall

HUNTINGTON — A key question still looms for the Marshall University football team after three weeks of fall camp: Who will be the starting quarterback?

Coaches and players have remained tight-lipped about the ongoing competition this summer, which includes transfers Braylon Braxton and Stone Earle, along with Cole Pennington, who has seen action in six games over the past two seasons at Marshall.

“Clearly, we haven’t decided on our starter yet,” said senior offensive lineman Logan Osburn. “However, each of them shows up daily with the right mindset and performs well, regardless of who they’re paired with.”

Earle, who joined the Thundering Herd prior to fall camp after transferring from North Texas in June, has been a contender for the starting role, bringing valuable experience as he enters his fifth college football season, having previously played at Abilene Christian and North Texas.

Earle is the son of John Earle, who was an 11th-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1992 and played two seasons in the CFL. His uncle, Guy Earle, also played in the CFL from 1994 to 1996.

“We’re challenging each other every day; we have four players capable of making big plays,” Braxton said, referring to himself, Earle, Pennington, and true freshman JacQai Long. “Every practice, we focus on self-improvement, so sometimes the competition fades into the background.”

Head coach Huff expressed that the competition has been impressive so far, noting that naming a starter will likely be one of the toughest decisions he has faced.

“Since I’ve been here, we’ve had a real quarterback competition; in the past, it became clear who the starter would be early on,” Huff said. “I feel confident in the current competition, especially since we’ve had issues with quarterbacks making it through the full season.”

In his first year as head coach, Grant Wells nearly accomplished it but missed the regular season finale due to injury; he returned for the bowl game. Henry Colombi started the first six games of 2022 before Cam Fancher took over, only to be sidelined by injuries, which allowed Cole Pennington to step in for three games.

With Fancher transferring to Florida Atlantic, questions surrounding the leader of the offense for 2024 have persisted throughout the offseason.

Three weeks of fall practice have shown that the eventual starter will lead an offense tailored to their strengths.

“We’re assessing not who can run the offense best, but who can execute their version of it effectively,” Huff explained. “This approach helps us determine the offense’s direction and allows them to work on what they excel at, leading to improved consistency.”

Defensive back Josh Moten noted that each quarterback brings unique skills, which has helped the defense improve during fall practice.

“It’s been beneficial because each player has their distinct strengths and weaknesses,” Moten said. “Going up against Braxton, Cole, and Stone has been useful, as they all bring something different to the table and have been performing well.”