It takes a vivid imagination to compare Nick Saban and Dana Holgorsen. The two are different: in their careers, successes, family life, and their spot in the game’s history. But in the last ten days, the seven-time national champ and the UH coach have been on the same page when discussing their respective QB competitions.
Saban is replacing Davey O’Brien Award winner Bryce Young, and three Bama QBs are fighting for the starter’s role. Holgorsen is looking for a QB to take over for Clayton Tune, who made forty-straight starts to end his UH career. Donovan Smith and Lucas Coley are in the battle to be his successor.
Coley has a year in the program and ended the 2022 season as Tune’s backup. But since Smith transferred from Texas Tech in late December, he is assumed to be the starter. It’s a good bet, just not a sure one.
Coley and Smith split reps in spring workouts, have done the same in the summer, and will continue into fall camp. If Dana had decided, or if one player had pulled away from the other, the split would not be 50/50. No coach would waste that many reps, especially with as much uncertainty as UH faces heading into the Big 12.
Saban’s dilemma is slightly different this year, deciding between three QBs instead of two. When asked about it at SEC Media Days, he replied, “We usually take two guys, put two other guys together, and rotate them, you know, every two workouts. We’ll probably have to continue to do that for a while until somebody sort of separates themselves. It’s up to the players to do that. We’re coaching them every day, we’re trying to help them in any way we can.”
Dana said the same thing a week earlier at Big 12 Media Days.
“They’ve been 50/50, and we knew they were going to be 50/50, and they’re going to continue to be 50/50 until one just makes it clear,” Holgorsen said.
Players divide practice and game reps at every position on the field except quarterback. There’s a reason: QB is the most critical position in sports. No other team athlete must be the best player while combining consistency, leadership, decision-making, mental toughness, preparation, respect from his locker room, and competitive spirit. Only one can be on the field at a time, and only one can be the face of a team.
That’s why a head coach would not waste months on a phony QB competition. To his credit, Holgorsen is allowing the competition to work itself out.
“I was talking with Case Keenum the other day, and I asked him about competition. Back when we were here in 2008, Blake Joseph and Case Keenum were battling back and forth,” Dana said in Arlington. “I asked him the importance of when you name a starter, and he goes, ‘I wouldn’t. Just let them compete because if they compete, it makes them better, and then it should take care of itself.'”
Saban and Holgorsen imply that there’s no reason to name a starter because, through competition, the starter will reveal himself. If anyone knows that fact, it’s Keenum.
In 2007, Case’s freshman year, Art Briles platooned Keenum and Blake Joseph. Joseph lacked decision-making and finesse, while Keenum struggled with decision-making and consistency. Briles rotated the QBs for eight games before settling on Keenum. But three days after the season ended, Briles left for Baylor.
Kevin Sumlin came in to lead the Coogs and brought Dana Holgorsen with him as OC. They opened up the QB competition again after seeing Blake Joseph’s arm. After spring ball concluded in 2008, Sumlin told donors Joseph would be the guy that fall.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the ‘08 season: Keenum showed up for preseason camp and dazzled everyone. Despite leaning one way, the QB competition had worked itself out the other way. Sumlin announced Case as the starter two weeks before the first game. By allowing the competition to continue into fall camp, the staff gave Keenum time to make it click.
It’s hard to deny that Donovan Smith is the presumptive favorite heading into August. He’s getting more NIL deals, and Dana said last week that he has the upper hand. But Keenum is a reminder that the presumptive favorite doesn’t always start the opener.
Dana doesn’t do anything for appearance’s sake and would not be splitting reps if Lucas Coley were not in the battle. If Smith had proven himself as the starter in the locker room, Dana could not pretend it was still a competition.
Saban told the media it was up to the players to separate themselves from the competition. On this, he and Dana are in lockstep.
“I think that’s going to naturally take care of itself. I’m a big proponent of letting kids compete,” Holgorsen said.
