BLOG 9: McCarthy likes what he sees in QBs as spring comes to a close

By Sandy Gholston

Big Rapids - - Ferris State offensive coordinator Matt McCarthy likes a lot of what he has seen in his trio of quarterbacks, this spring, now entering the final week of practice as April nears an end.

Ferris State quarterback Kyle Foster works his way through a drill in practice late last week. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

Eric Grozenski, who will be a junior in the fall; Kyle Foster, who will be a sophomore; and Tom Schneider, who also will be a sophomore, all bring unique strengths to the table. As a result of their performances this spring, McCarthy has had plenty to evaluate with regard to his three signal callers as he begins to look ahead to the fall. Grozenski, with the most actual playing experience of the three current quarterbacks (highly-touted junior-college quarterback Kyle Parrish, with his big arm and overall athleticism, joins the team in the fall), has the slight early lead, but nothing is solidified.

“I think, overall, our offense is doing well and I’ve been really happy with the way our quarterbacks have been developing at a very good rate,” said McCarthy, who was an All-American quarterback in his own right for the Bulldogs during his playing career in the late 1990s for some of the most prolific offenses in Ferris history. “When we get to the fall it’s going to be a tough choice because they’ve all made a lot of progress and they all bring different strengths to the table for us to look at and consider as we’re making that decision.”

At this point – again with nothing set in stone – McCarthy is eyeing a depth chart that currently has Grozenski as No. 1 with Foster No. 2 and Schneider No. 3. But, as the skill and potential of the quarterbacks are so close, McCarthy envisions the possibility of using multiple quarterbacks in certain situations throughout the season. Grozenski has the strong knowledge of the system and the reputation as the passer, Foster is the steady guy who makes things happen and Schneider possesses the raw big-play potential.

With one week of practice to go, plus fall training camp, the race is sure to become increasingly competitive.

Ferris plans to wrap up practice at the end of the week with its annual Crimson and Gold Spring Game Friday evening beginning at 6 p.m. at Top Taggart Field.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com