Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Herd QB battle has West Virginia flavor
8/6/2020 12:04:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
Wells, Zban compete to be Marshall's next starting quarterback
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Grant Wells and Luke Zban share commonalities.
They're both Marshall quarterbacks, as one might already know. Neither has attempted a collegiate pass. And, although there hasn't been a starting QB from West Virginia here in quite some time, Wells and Zban are, indeed, Mountain State natives. The QB depth chart, no matter the order, will be have a Wild and Wonderful flair when the Thundering Herd next plays a game.
Wells is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound redshirt freshman from Charleston. Zban is a 6-2, 202-pound redshirt sophomore from Huntington. Zban calls Wells his best friend on the team, and the two work together – not against one another – to improve.
"It's not me versus him," Zban said. "It's me versus me and him versus him. We're just trying to get better."
Wells expressed a similar sentiment. It is a refreshing perspective from two people who weren't even born when Y2K dominated news cycles.
The young quarterbacks had their first full-padded practice Wednesday afternoon after four days of the acclimatization period. Both players did not have the benefit of spring football drills, which were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, so 2020 preseason camp has been crucial to their development.
"Every single rep, every single meeting, every single lunch this fall camp is going to be a learning experience for these guys," said Tim Cramsey, Marshall's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "What I like about that room is they are dialed in; they are focused and they are taking advantage of it. There are things in day one that weren't right that were right in day two. There were things day two that weren't right that need to be right come (day three). They're a confident group. They're alpha males. You can't coach experience and every single rep needs to be an experience situation this fall camp, and the development needs to be accelerated."
The quarterbacks have the good fortune of working with an offense that is rich in talent and experience.
Marshall is tied for fourth nationally in number of starts returning along the offensive line (126), trailing only Wyoming, Arkansas State and Minnesota. In the backfield is, of course, reigning Conference USA Most Valuable Player Brenden Knox. Tight end Xavier Gaines made the Paul Hornung Watch List, an award that goes to the nation's most versatile player. The receivers room is stacked, and Knox will get breathers this year with plenty of able ball carriers behind him.
"What I like the most is I have all those guys around me," Wells said. "If I make a mistake, the ball is in the MVP's hands. I have the best offensive line in Conference USA in front of me. That takes a lot of worry about of me."
Knox has already surged into the top 20 all-time rushers at Marshall and he has two seasons of eligibility to spare. The offensive line has five players with starting experience: Tarik Adams (37 games), Will Ulmer (35 games), Alex Mollette (23 games), Cain Madden (22 games) and Josh Ball (10 career starts between Florida State and Marshall).
There is comfort for any Marshall quarterback to simply focus on learning and growing in the offense.
"That competition has to go on every single second of every single day," Cramsey said of his quarterbacks. "Right now they're good friends off the field. They help each other, they communicate with each other, they listen to each other in the meeting room, you see them talking to each other on the sideline. But don't get me wrong: those guys are as competitive as anyone we have on this team and both of them want to be the guy taking the snaps come Aug. 29."
No matter when the season officially begins, it seems likely a West Virginian will be behind center. That will carry an extra special meaning to the person handing off to the MVP and firing spirals behind the league's most experience line.
"You grow up, you come to the games and you watch Marshall football and that's what you want to do – play for Marshall," Zban said. "You finally get here and you're working for it and it's coming true and we're going to have a shot."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and an eight-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
