TAMPA, Fla. -- When choosing between quarterbacks Robert Marve and Jacory Harris, Miami coach Randy Shannon found there was only one solution that made sense.
He'll play both.
Shannon still hasn't selected a starter, but announced Thursday that both highly touted freshmen will see playing time this season for the Hurricanes, who don't have a single quarterback on the roster with any collegiate snaps on their resume. Marve is a redshirt freshman, Harris a true freshman, and both were Florida high school record-setters before enrolling at Miami.
``Whichever quarterback that we name, we're going to play the other one,'' Shannon said at the Florida Sports Writers Association College Football Media Days. ``We need depth at every position on the field and that's the one position that we don't have depth at because they're young. They're good quarterbacks, but they're young.''
Shannon said it won't be a platoon situation. The way he envisions it, one will emerge as the clear starter, and the other will play at certain times to get a feel for game action in case that person gets called upon for a bigger role, for injury or any other reason.
Either way, it's a new era for ``Quarterback U.'' The school that produced Vinny Testaverde, Bernie Kosar, Gino Torretta, Jim Kelly, Steve Walsh and Craig Erickson is starting over, at least at the game's marquee position.
``We can't go into the season not getting this other guy any experience and then have something unforeseen happen, like it always does in football,'' Shannon said. ``So we're going to make sure both get reps.''
Shannon said he does not expect to name a starter until just before the Aug. 28 opener against Charleston Southern.
Marve led Tampa Plant High to a state championship and 15-0 record in 2006 after throwing for 48 touchdowns and 4,380 yards. Harris also went 15-0 as a senior, throwing for 49 touchdowns and 3,445 yards. Both were named Florida's ``Mr. Football'' after their respective senior seasons.
The Hurricanes went 5-7 last season, a year where Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman took the snaps under center. Wright graduated and exhausted his eligibility; Freeman got his degree and chose to transfer to Baylor for his final season. The offense which has undergone several changes in recent years simply didn't ever click with either quarterback and Miami struggled offensively throughout 2007.
``We're going to improve,'' Shannon said.
-- NOTES: Shannon confirmed that defensive lineman Courtney Harris (Achilles' injury) will miss the entire 2008 season. ... Freshman DE Allen Bailey, who moved from linebacker to defensive end and now weighs in at close to 290 pounds, is still slowed by a pectoral injury but will likely be ready to start the season, Shannon said. ... Miami opens camp Aug. 2.
Thursday
April 25th, 2024
2:41AM
