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Fearsome 5
Transfer Najee Taylor seems to be the favorite at quarterback for Youngstown State, but four others will make sure he’s not handed the job.
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FEARSOME FIVE: Youngstown State University quarterbacks, from left, Marc Kanetsky, Kurt Hess, Najee Tyler, Patrick Angle and Ganon Hulea take the field at Stambaugh Stadium on Thursday during YSU Media Day. The five battling for the starter position as the Penguins prepare for their first season under new coach Eric Wolford.
SEE ALSO: Wolford pleased with first day of workouts.
By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
Here’s a quick rundown of YSU junior Marc Kanetsky’s appearance on Thursday:
Buzz cut? Check.
Clean shave? Check.
Under Armour shirt? Check.
Chip on his shoulder? Check.
The most experienced quarterback on the Penguins’ roster entered Thursday’s opening practice seemingly ranked third in a five-man competition.
He has no intention of staying there.
“I’m approaching it almost with a me versus the world attitude,” said Kanetsky, a record-setting quarterback at Hubbard High. “I’ve just got a chip on my shoulder and I’m just going out to show the staff what I can do.
“Hopefully it’s enough.”
Kanetsky, the only quarterback on the roster with collegiate experience, will battle three redshirt freshmen and a true freshman as the Penguins prepare for their first season under new coach Eric Wolford.
Although he’s only been with the team for two months, Najee Tyler, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound redshirt freshman who transferred from Purdue, seems like the man to beat.
Just don’t tell him that.
“I don’t go about it as that,” said Tyler. “We’ve got [four] other great quarterbacks and we’ve just got to compete.
“I think everybody is on an even scale and we’ve just got to go out there and do our best.”
Redshirt freshman Kurt Hess left spring camp with a slight edge over Kanetsky for the starting job, with redshirt freshman Gannon Hulea holding down the No. 3 spot. Incoming freshman Patrick Angle is also in the mix.
Hess said he knew the coaches would try to bring in a Division I transfer this summer, which made Tyler’s arrival easier to stomach.
“That kind of fueled me in the summer and I’m sure it fueled the other guys as well,” he said. “You push hard during weightlifting and conditioning knowing that there’s someone who wants to come in and take the job.
“You’ve just got to go in with the right attitude. I think if you have a positive attitude, it says a lot about you.”
Wolford has said he’d like to name a starter following the team’s final scrimmage on Aug. 21, which gives the quintet about two weeks to open the coaches’ eyes. But that date isn’t set in stone and the Penguins figure to use at least two quarterbacks in the opener on Sept. 4 at Penn State.
“I think it’s going to be hard for any quarterback to solidify it because we have a lot of competition there,” said sophomore running back Jamaine Cook.
Added senior Dominique Barnes, a preseason all-conference pick, “Competition is always good. Hess, Najee and Kanetsky, I have confidence in all three of them. Whoever wins the job can win some games for us.”
Hess, Kanetsky and Hulea have an early advantage, having spent the spring learning offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery’s spread offense.
But Hess said it’s important to put the team first and help the new players learn the system.
“Just being willing to help and willing to ask questions, it really jells us at the quarterback position,” he said.
Ultimately, the position won’t merely be won on the field, but also in the film room and the locker room.
“Every day we’re putting in new stuff and whoever comes out on the field and shows they can give our team the best chance to win, they’re going to the ones to open up on Sept. 4,” said Kanetsky, who made his first start in last year’s season finale against North Dakota State. “You’ve just got to make plays and be a leader out there and do the things you’re supposed to do.
“If you do those things, you’re going to be rewarded.”