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| (WSSU photo) |
1A. Rudy Johnson, Winston-Salem State
This time last year, Johnson was on the outside-looking-in at WSSU’s starting job. Incumbent Anthony Carrothers started the team’s season opener against UNC-Pembroke in what would become the Rams first regular season loss in two years. A week later, Johnson took over as starter and the team’s offense took off. Johnson was a threat on the ground, as well as the air, running for nearly 500 yards while completing 63 percent of his passes for 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He was 10-1 for WSSU as a starter in 2013, so you would think he would be the clear choice to be the man in 2014. But…
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| (Winston-Salem Journal photo) |
1B. Phil Sims, Winston-Salem State
By now, you probably know Sims’ story–highly recruited out of VA, signed with Alabama before transferring to UVa for a year with mixed results. He agreed to play at WSSU prior to last season, but had to sit out due to academic ineligibility. Sims doesn’t have any 2013 stats, but his kind of talent doesn’t come along at the FCS Division every day, let alone at a D2 school. The competition between he and Johnson will be fierce, as both of them looked pretty good during the team’s spring game in April. Whichever quarterback wins will definitely have to earn it.
Frank Rivers, Albany State– A late edition to the 2013 roster, Rivers didn’t make our 2013 list. But the Grambling State transfer won the starting job and led ASU to the championship game in his first season. Rivers completed more than 56 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns against six interceptions in nine games last season.
Josh Straughn, Stillman College– Straughn got off to a fast start in his sophomore season, completing over 60 percent of his passes and throwing for 10 touchdowns and just three interceptions before getting injured in the fifth game of the season against Lane.
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| (Charlotte Post photo) |
Keahn Wallace, Johnson C. Smith
Wallace entered last season as our top quarterback in the CIAA. He started off with a bang, throwing for seven touchdowns in his first two games, but threw only eight more scores the rest of the season while throwing six interceptions during that span as JCSU finished in the middle of the CIAA pack. Look for him to try to finish his career with a bang and help JCSU turn some heads.
*Honorable Mention: Derek Bryant, Fayetteville State;