Quarterbacks: What might have been…

Let me get it out of the way right now – I think Josh Freeman is the best of the bunch to run the offense Ron Prince desired.

But with the news that Allan Evridge will be starting at Wisconsin, it got me wondering what everyone else who was either here and left, or committed and left, was up to.

It’s not a very lengthy list. There are the transfers, Evridge and Washington State’s Kevin Lopina, who is pushing fifth-year senior Gary Rogers for the starting spot. And then there is Oregon’s Chris Harper, which is the most interesting situation of all, especially given K-State’s situation at running back.

As you all recall, Harper committed to the Wildcats in December, but when offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach James Franklin left for Maryland, Harper didn’t want to attend K-State anymore. The subtext being he wasn’t certain he’d be kept at quarterback, especially with Freeman having two years of eligibility left.

So fast forward to the present. He’s engaged in a three-way battle for the starting spot in Eugene, and it looks like he’ll be a change-of-pace option. But it also sounds as if he’ll be on the field at other spots, including wide receiver and running back.

Clearly, he wasn’t open to doing that in Manhattan. Thoughts?

7 Comments

  1. eman4c
    Posted August 21, 2008 at 12:38 pm | Permalink

    I don’t care about Harper because he did not want to be a Cat. Good luck but good bye

  2. gooch
    Posted August 21, 2008 at 12:41 pm | Permalink

    Brian Butler, the gift that keeps on giving!

  3. BeerBrewer
    Posted August 21, 2008 at 1:58 pm | Permalink

    Yeah, good luck Harper…but I don’t miss ya.

  4. bartont_32
    Posted August 21, 2008 at 4:39 pm | Permalink

    Evridge would’ve been nice to keep around though, he was one of the toughest sob’s i’ve seen at qb, unlike either of the meier’s. lopina i don’t remember seeing much, but harper would’ve nice to have too. i saw him play at hutchinson his junior year, not knowing who he was and i came away thinking he was the best athlete i’ve seen in high school. oh well…freemans goin to prove that he’s one of the elite qbs this year…go cats.

  5. pghzac
    Posted August 21, 2008 at 4:44 pm | Permalink

    Harper is probably realizing that if he really wants to play and have a future in football, it may be at another position. I am sure it would have happened at K-State too, he just didn’t want to see the writing on the wall.
    Not saying he couldn’t be a decent QB some day, but if he wants to ever play in the NFL, it won’t be at QB.

  6. BigErn
    Posted August 21, 2008 at 5:52 pm | Permalink

    Evridge got the shaft.

    Harper didn’t want to play in Manhattan anyway and I also say good riddance.

  7. Posted August 22, 2008 at 7:23 am | Permalink

    FP, TC, Etc. the whole lot of’em (’specially Evridge)