One has been compared to Cam Newton, one made national headlines before he hit high school and the other had FCS schools hovering before a strong summer camp showing earned his first FBS offer.
William Crest, David Sills and Chris Chugunov are the relative unknowns in the competition to be the starting quarterback at West Virginia this spring. That trio of freshmen join Skyler Howard in the horse race which has started with Howard a couple of lengths ahead of the competition.
"He's played the most and he knows the most right now," head coach Dana Holgorsen said of Howard, who quarterbacked the offense in WVU's final three games. "He played a big role in three of the games last year. He's still pretty raw so he will continue to get better."
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen has a talented but inexperienced group competing for the starting quarterback.
Howard has the experience advantage but it won't keep Holgorsen from naming one of the three freshman as the starter if they supplant the junior quarterback. Holgorsen is taking over the duties as quarterback coach and is looking forward to exploring the positives he sees in each of his three freshmen.
Crest, who was compared to Cam Newton by his high school head coach Lawrence Smith, is the big name among the freshman trio. The four-star prospect earned the backup quarterback spot as a true freshman before a shoulder injury forced a medical redshirt season in 2014. Crest played in WVU's 54-0 win over Towson State, completing 3 of 4 passes for 7 yards and rushing five times for 27 yards and a touchdown before the injury. At 6-foot-2, 214 pounds, Crest brings a physical presence to the offensive backfield that no other competitor offers.
"William (Crest) has the next amount of experience. What I've seen of him is very limited," Holgorsen said. "Crest looks great physically. I told him he better quit lifting or he will be a linebacker. He looks great."
You might remember Sills as the 13-year-old who committed to USC and Lane Kiffin before he entered high school. He remained on USC's commit list until 2014 and he eventually picked the Mountaineers before enrolling early to compete for a starting spot this spring. His unusual recruiting journey -- Michigan and Clemson were among the other schools that pursued him -- overshadowed his ability. Even with the early attention his talent attracted, Sills still has room to grow and develop as a quarterback, particularly after a broken ankle robbed him of the bulk of his senior season after three games.
"David Sills may be the most athletic one we have," Holgorsen said. "You can see that with the different drills he's running."
The least known of the trio is Chugunov, who was being chased by FCS schools before former WVU offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson saw him throw in person and convinced him to visit campus and throw at a WVU camp. Chugunov impressed, WVU offered and he committed. He's not as big of a dual threat as the other three, but his ability to throw the ball and operate the offense could help him stand out.
"Chris Chugunov is a little less athletic but has absorbed the offense quicker," Holgorsen said. "You can tell from asking him questions that that dude is pretty bright."
All four quarterbacks have physical gifts that could separate them from the pack, yet those aren't the attributes that are going to win the job. The quarterback who can operate the offense the way Holgorsen requires -- makes good decisions and can think quickly on their feet -- will likely win the job.
"As far as how they process things, how the ball comes out of their hand, I don't know," Holgorsen said. "Because we haven't been able to do that yet."
That's why this spring could be a spring board for one of the four quarterbacks. Howard, Crest, Sills and Chugunov will get opportunities to impress as Holgorsen. But Holgorsen isn't in a hurry to name a starter.
"That's up to them," he said. "I name them when I feel good about naming them. Two years ago we did it and no one took ahold of it. Last summer, Clint [Trickett] came back and took ahold of things. That's up to them. There will be a lot of snaps in the spring that will give them opportunities to prove themselves."
This post was edited on 3/17 12:58 PM by Rhouchins
William Crest, David Sills and Chris Chugunov are the relative unknowns in the competition to be the starting quarterback at West Virginia this spring. That trio of freshmen join Skyler Howard in the horse race which has started with Howard a couple of lengths ahead of the competition.
"He's played the most and he knows the most right now," head coach Dana Holgorsen said of Howard, who quarterbacked the offense in WVU's final three games. "He played a big role in three of the games last year. He's still pretty raw so he will continue to get better."
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen has a talented but inexperienced group competing for the starting quarterback.
Howard has the experience advantage but it won't keep Holgorsen from naming one of the three freshman as the starter if they supplant the junior quarterback. Holgorsen is taking over the duties as quarterback coach and is looking forward to exploring the positives he sees in each of his three freshmen.
Crest, who was compared to Cam Newton by his high school head coach Lawrence Smith, is the big name among the freshman trio. The four-star prospect earned the backup quarterback spot as a true freshman before a shoulder injury forced a medical redshirt season in 2014. Crest played in WVU's 54-0 win over Towson State, completing 3 of 4 passes for 7 yards and rushing five times for 27 yards and a touchdown before the injury. At 6-foot-2, 214 pounds, Crest brings a physical presence to the offensive backfield that no other competitor offers.
"William (Crest) has the next amount of experience. What I've seen of him is very limited," Holgorsen said. "Crest looks great physically. I told him he better quit lifting or he will be a linebacker. He looks great."
You might remember Sills as the 13-year-old who committed to USC and Lane Kiffin before he entered high school. He remained on USC's commit list until 2014 and he eventually picked the Mountaineers before enrolling early to compete for a starting spot this spring. His unusual recruiting journey -- Michigan and Clemson were among the other schools that pursued him -- overshadowed his ability. Even with the early attention his talent attracted, Sills still has room to grow and develop as a quarterback, particularly after a broken ankle robbed him of the bulk of his senior season after three games.
"David Sills may be the most athletic one we have," Holgorsen said. "You can see that with the different drills he's running."
The least known of the trio is Chugunov, who was being chased by FCS schools before former WVU offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson saw him throw in person and convinced him to visit campus and throw at a WVU camp. Chugunov impressed, WVU offered and he committed. He's not as big of a dual threat as the other three, but his ability to throw the ball and operate the offense could help him stand out.
"Chris Chugunov is a little less athletic but has absorbed the offense quicker," Holgorsen said. "You can tell from asking him questions that that dude is pretty bright."
All four quarterbacks have physical gifts that could separate them from the pack, yet those aren't the attributes that are going to win the job. The quarterback who can operate the offense the way Holgorsen requires -- makes good decisions and can think quickly on their feet -- will likely win the job.
"As far as how they process things, how the ball comes out of their hand, I don't know," Holgorsen said. "Because we haven't been able to do that yet."
That's why this spring could be a spring board for one of the four quarterbacks. Howard, Crest, Sills and Chugunov will get opportunities to impress as Holgorsen. But Holgorsen isn't in a hurry to name a starter.
"That's up to them," he said. "I name them when I feel good about naming them. Two years ago we did it and no one took ahold of it. Last summer, Clint [Trickett] came back and took ahold of things. That's up to them. There will be a lot of snaps in the spring that will give them opportunities to prove themselves."
This post was edited on 3/17 12:58 PM by Rhouchins
