Alabama A&M head football coach Connell Maynor recently shed light on his quarterback strategy for the upcoming season at the 2024 SWAC Media Day. Maynor is emphasizing a strong preference for a single starting quarterback over a two-quarterback system. His comments come on the heels of a season where he split time between Xavier Lankford and Quincy Casey. Lankford will be returning this season but Casey has since transferred to West Georgia, Maynor is clear about his ideal approach.
“Of course I can play one quarterback. I would love to play one quarterback,” he said with a grin. He elaborated on the conditions that would dictate this ideal scenario.
“Well, you know, if you go out and execute, you’re throwing touchdowns, you get the first downs. You’re moving the chains. You’re making the right reads. There’s no reason we need to replace you, you know, unless it’s a blowout situation and we get the other guy in the game.”
Maynor’s preference is driven by his belief that a two-quarterback system can create division within the team.
“I don’t like to do two quarterbacks because that means you’re not satisfied or happy with one. In my opinion, it’s like, I think I said this last year, if you are a one and you are a one. Some receivers, he is going to like you more. Some of the offensive line is going to like [this guy], other members of the offensive line will like the other guy, some of the defensive players are going to like you, some defensive players will like the other guy. So if you play two quarterbacks, in my opinion, you’re splitting your team up.”
He underscored the potential for discord, stating, “Anytime this guy mess up, this guy over here [will say], I told you ‘whatcha-call’ should be in there. I don’t like him. And then when this guy mess up, it’s the same thing. So you kind of, in my opinion, I think you split the team when you do that because everybody will have their favorite who they want in there. Therefore you kind of split your team. So I would love to just play one quarterback. I want to just play one quarterback.”
Reflecting on the previous season, Lankford and Casey both had moments of brilliance but also struggled with consistency. According to Alabama A&M’s 2023 offensive stats, Lankford completed 90 of 166 passes (54.2%) for 1,031 yards, with 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Casey, on the other hand, completed 115 of 195 passes (58.97%) for 1490 yards, with 11 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
Maynor concluded, “The only reason I play two quarterbacks is because I have to when one is not playing well enough.”
This season, with Xavier Lankford as the likely frontrunner for Alabama A&M, Connell Maynor hopes to establish a single leader under center, fostering unity and consistency within the team.