RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesMemphis football starts preseason practices on July 30, and that means the Tigers' quarterback competition is about to kick into gear.
The competition between West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes and South Carolina transfer Air Noland is set to dominate preseason storylines, but new coach Charles Huff has a way to get around the conversation when the Tigers kick off their season on Aug. 29 at UNLV.
"Actually I'm really thinking about running them both out there the first play, just so everybody can say both of them started," he joked at a press conference on July 28.
In reality, Huff said, he wants to be able to tell the team about a week before the game. There's both uncertainty and potential upside with each quarterback — Stokes was highly productive at the Division II level but has never played a Division I game, while Noland has barely played in college but has been around elite quarterbacks at Ohio State and South Carolina.
In talking about the need to have two quarterbacks who can play at a high level, Huff referenced last year's Memphis team. Starting quarterback Brendon Lewis got injured in the middle of the season and was never 100% after that as the Tigers lost their last four games and finished 8-5.
"We feel comfortable right now that we have two quarterbacks that can help us win on Saturdays," Huff said. "We feel really good about that. Who runs out there first? Who's able to string six, seven, eight days together?"
At the end of spring practices, Huff said he planned to evaluate how each quarterback grew as a leader during the summer months. He said they've both done well in that regard, even as he sees leadership styles changing for players in this era.
"We talk about leadership being influence," Huff said. "Leadership scares this generation. That word. Because to them, everybody's got to be perfect. But everybody wants to be a YouTube influencer. So we talk about having influence. You don't have to be perfect, you just have to influence the people that you can influence in a positive way."
Stokes and Noland will continue to influence Huff and the coaching staff until a starter is named.
"What I'm probably most proud of since spring ball is the relationship that Marcus Stokes and Air Noland have developed," offensive coordinator Kevin Decker said. "They're boys. They're everywhere together, which I think speaks to their character."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Where Memphis football QB competition stands heading into start of preseason practice
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