Tommy Tuberville and Eddie Gran have an excellent problem on their hands. Their starting quarterback returns for their inaugural season at Cincinnati. They have the comfort of knowing that, while Brendan Kay will need to learn new schemes, his leadership and experience will be invaluable in 2013. His 1,250 yards in just 5 starts last year is very, very impressive and the 332 yard, 4 touchdown performance in the Belk Bowl has to get Tuberville and Gran excited. But while the starting job is locked up, Kay’s backup has yet to be determined.
Really they should be so lucky to have this issue. Trying to figure out the #2 quarterback is normally a problem most coaches would die to have. But for Tuberville and Gran, in their first year at Cincinnati, making the right choice now will set the tone for their program in the coming seasons.
Coming into Spring practice senior Munchie Legaux had the inside track to backup Kay in 2013. Behind him was a dogfight between redshirt freshmen Bennie Coney and Trenton Norvell for third on the depth chart. But as the Bearcats have transitioned through practice, Coney has made tremendous strides in his second season at Cincinnati and emerged ahead of Norvell. But during this time it appears he’s also improved so much as to truly challenge Legaux to backup Brendon Kay this season.
Through three scrimmages Bennie Coney is 26 of 42 (62%) for 394 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Munchie Legaux, on the other hand, hasn’t adapted to the new system yet. He’s completed just 19 of 42 passes (45%) for 310 yards, 3 interceptions, and just 1 touchdown to speak of. Essentially he’s continuing the same pattern that lost him his starting job two-thirds of the way through last season as it appears he’s plateaued.
So as of now it’s safe to say that there’s a very real position battle occurring at the #2 quarterback spot between Coney and Legaux. But what should the coaches do?
If I were in Tommy Tuberville and Eddie Gran’s shoes, I’d move forward with Bennie Coney. He was always been extremely talented but also extremely raw, needing time to adjust to the intricacies of the college game. It seems like he’s finally made that jump. The college game is starting to slow down for him. There is certainly a huge risk putting such a young player in that important role. What happens if Kay goes down? What if Coney doesn’t display the same poise and confidence when the lights are on and the bodies start flying? Those are just some of the questions that have to be going through the coaches’ minds right now as they begin to put the finishing touches on their depth chart.
But despite the risk, going with Coney has its rewards. His upside is intriguing and his raw abilities allows him to potentially be one of the most gifted players to ever quarterback the Bearcats. Also, as Spring practice closes, Coney seems to better handle what Eddie Gran intends to do on offense than Munchie Legaux. Overall, despite having learn a new system, UC has all the pieces in place to be just as explosive as they have been the last two years. As such, they’re going to blow out some teams this Fall. I’m looking at you Northwestern State, Miami, and Memphis. So if Cincinnati is up by multiple touchdowns deep into the 4th quarter and Tuberville elects to pull his starters, it makes more sense to give the young Coney snaps over the senior Legaux.
Getting him these valuable reps will only make Coney a wiser quarterback if he earns the starting job in 2014. Getting him game-tested when there’s little risk of the Bearcats blowing a lead will better help Cincinnati transition from Brendon Kay guiding the offense to Bennie Coney. That’s why, if Tuberville and Gran intend to turn over the reigns to #10 in 2014, giving snaps to Munchie Legaux would be a waste right now.
So it’s critical that Cincinnati’s coaches make the correct decision with QB-2 spot. Going with either Coney or Legaux to backup Brendon Kay will be critical in determining the stability and future success of UC football. Hopefully Tuberville and co. are cognizant of that fact when finalizing the two-deep over the coming months.