Coming into the season, Jimbo described the quarterback situation as wide open though most people believed it was a three-way race between redshirt freshman Connor Blumrick, sophomore Kellen Mond and redshirt sophomore Nick Starkel. After the Spring Game, Jimbo’s mindset on the position remains the same. 
“We’re not ready to name a starter at all. I thought Kellen’s done a great job but I think Nick has too. I think we’ve got two quarterbacks there,” Fisher said after the Maroon and White game. “I also think Blumrick came in and made a nice throw and made a couple nice runs.”
Nick Starkel started the game for the Maroon Team and put together a solid first quarter despite some early pressure from White Team senior defensive tackle Daylon Mack.
Pinned back in the end zone on a 3rd-and-8 with 13:24 in the second quarter, Starkel tried to throw the ball into a tight window, but was unsuccessful and the White Team intercepted the pass. Starkel finished the first half 19-of-33 for 247 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
After a lackluster second quarter, Starkel got back on track in the second half, throwing for 126 yards and completing 7-of-9. Blumrick took the reins from Starkel with just over 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
“He [Starkel] played well early and hit little lull when he was backed up [in the end zone]. But, I thought he rebounded from that, he came out in the second half and played well,” Fisher said.
Starkel targeted Jace Sternberger, who was named Spring MVP at halftime, early and often and the Starkel-Stenberger connection went for seven receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Sternberger shined in the Spring and has built some rapport with Starkel.
“He’s a playmaker, he’s been making those plays every day since he got here and Coach Brewster’s on him really hard because he sees the potential in him,” Starkel said of Sternberger..“I tell him everyday, ‘you’re a great tight end, let’s go be great out there.’”
In contrast to Starkel, Kellen Mond took some time to get acclimated throughout the first quarter and finished the quarter 3-of-5 for 16 yards.
“I started off a little bit sloppy I would say. We weren’t throwing the ball down the field very consistently. It had to do with me taking the wrong drop but from the second quarter on I felt like we were competing back and forth,” Mond said.
Mond found his groove in the second half completing 6-of-7 for 114 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore also marched the White Team down the field and connected with sophomore receiver Kendrick Rogers for a four-yard game-winning touchdown.
Mond stated that the biggest improvement he’s seen in himself under the new regime is his ability to be patient in the pocket and make accurate throws as opposed to being frantic and using his legs.
“I think being able to step up in the pocket instead of taking off when I see a lane, still being able to deliver from the pocket has been my biggest thing,” Mond said. “Coach Fisher has helped me in being able to see different coverages and being able to deliver with confidence.
Though Fisher remains persistent that the starting quarterback job is open, it is worth noting that Blumrick saw little action in the Spring Game. Mond and Starkel had 26 and 42 pass attempts, respectively, while Blumrick had just four.
The snap count distribution hevaily favored Starkel and Mond albeit narrowing the competition to a two-horse race. Fisher will continue to evaluate the quarterback position and will likely make a decision after fall camp.