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Aug. 5—VERMILLION — The USD Coyotes are seven practices into camp, and redshirt freshman Austyn Modrzewski is the frontrunner for the starting quarterback job.
First-year head coach Matt Vitzthum said at the outset of camp that Modrzewski (pronounced muh-JESS-kee) and seniors Nevan Cremascoli and Jackson Proctor would get equal reps through the first four or five practices, at which point the coaches would choose one of the three to begin taking the majority of the snaps with the first team offense, essentially giving that quarterback the first crack at securing the starting spot for the season opener against Central Connecticut State.
Right now, that quarterback is Modrzewski.
A 6-5, 215-pound righthander from Littleton, Colo., Modrzewski redshirted last season but brings a promising resume to Vermillion. A two-time Gatorade state player of the year at Mountain Vista High, Modrzewski threw for almost 12,000 yards in his prep career with 147 touchdown passes. As a senior he completed 73 percent of his passes for 3,400 yards and 57 touchdown passes.
With the graduation of Aidan Bouman after last year, Modrzewski got his first first team snaps in spring practice, after Vitzthum took over for previous coach Travis Johansen. It was clear then that Modrzewski had high upside, and he's only made that more clear through the first week of training camp. Modrzewski has a big arm and can move, and he's showing more and more comfort leading the huddle with each day.
The Coyotes will have their first full scrimmage on Thursday, and Modrzewski could strengthen his odds of winning the starting job with a strong performance.
"We're trying to throw Austyn in the fire and see how he handles it," Vitzthum said. "Scrimmage tomorrow morning, we'll reevaluate what we want to do at that position. But I can tell you this, man, all three guys have had great days, and all three guys have had a day where it's like, man, that's not good enough. And they would tell you that. So we're in a tight competition. Like I said, all three guys are battling. I love where they're at. And the defense is putting a ton of heat on them, which is good. And that's what we need."
USD's quarterback will have the benefit of perhaps the strongest running back group in the country, and Cremascoli and Proctor both have college playing experience. Modrzewski doesn't, and that's why the staff is trying to put him in difficult situations at practice to simulate a game as well as they can.
"What Austyn needs," Vitzthum said, "and what we're trying to provide, like, today was third and long in an end of the game scenario, right? Can he transfer all of the skills that he's really kind of honed and mastered on first and second down? Now, when there's a down and distance, when there's something on the clock, there's a score, that's where we need Austyn to take the next step."
Vitzthum said a decision will likely come after the 16th practice. They'll be halfway there after Thursday's scrimmage.
With Proctor and Cremascoli both being seniors, there will be pressure to perform if Modrzewski does open the year as the starter, as there would be capable backups awaiting their shot. And while it's tempting to think about the future with a freshman quarterback, naming Modrzewski the starter would in no way be a signal that the Yotes are in any sort of rebuild. If the freshman wins the job, it's because the Yotes believe he can win them games.
"Damn right," Vitzthum said. "We're going to put the guy out there that can help us win a championship. That's the aspirations that we have here is go win the Missouri Valley. And we're not going to put a guy out there to think two, three years down the road. This program's in a win now. We're going to try to win now. If we feel like that guy puts us in the best position to win the football game, we're going to put him out there. I don't care where he came from, his age, transfer, high school, which state, we're going to put the best guy out there to help this team win."
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First-year head coach Matt Vitzthum said at the outset of camp that Modrzewski (pronounced muh-JESS-kee) and seniors Nevan Cremascoli and Jackson Proctor would get equal reps through the first four or five practices, at which point the coaches would choose one of the three to begin taking the majority of the snaps with the first team offense, essentially giving that quarterback the first crack at securing the starting spot for the season opener against Central Connecticut State.
Right now, that quarterback is Modrzewski.
A 6-5, 215-pound righthander from Littleton, Colo., Modrzewski redshirted last season but brings a promising resume to Vermillion. A two-time Gatorade state player of the year at Mountain Vista High, Modrzewski threw for almost 12,000 yards in his prep career with 147 touchdown passes. As a senior he completed 73 percent of his passes for 3,400 yards and 57 touchdown passes.
With the graduation of Aidan Bouman after last year, Modrzewski got his first first team snaps in spring practice, after Vitzthum took over for previous coach Travis Johansen. It was clear then that Modrzewski had high upside, and he's only made that more clear through the first week of training camp. Modrzewski has a big arm and can move, and he's showing more and more comfort leading the huddle with each day.
The Coyotes will have their first full scrimmage on Thursday, and Modrzewski could strengthen his odds of winning the starting job with a strong performance.
"We're trying to throw Austyn in the fire and see how he handles it," Vitzthum said. "Scrimmage tomorrow morning, we'll reevaluate what we want to do at that position. But I can tell you this, man, all three guys have had great days, and all three guys have had a day where it's like, man, that's not good enough. And they would tell you that. So we're in a tight competition. Like I said, all three guys are battling. I love where they're at. And the defense is putting a ton of heat on them, which is good. And that's what we need."
USD's quarterback will have the benefit of perhaps the strongest running back group in the country, and Cremascoli and Proctor both have college playing experience. Modrzewski doesn't, and that's why the staff is trying to put him in difficult situations at practice to simulate a game as well as they can.
"What Austyn needs," Vitzthum said, "and what we're trying to provide, like, today was third and long in an end of the game scenario, right? Can he transfer all of the skills that he's really kind of honed and mastered on first and second down? Now, when there's a down and distance, when there's something on the clock, there's a score, that's where we need Austyn to take the next step."
Vitzthum said a decision will likely come after the 16th practice. They'll be halfway there after Thursday's scrimmage.
With Proctor and Cremascoli both being seniors, there will be pressure to perform if Modrzewski does open the year as the starter, as there would be capable backups awaiting their shot. And while it's tempting to think about the future with a freshman quarterback, naming Modrzewski the starter would in no way be a signal that the Yotes are in any sort of rebuild. If the freshman wins the job, it's because the Yotes believe he can win them games.
"Damn right," Vitzthum said. "We're going to put the guy out there that can help us win a championship. That's the aspirations that we have here is go win the Missouri Valley. And we're not going to put a guy out there to think two, three years down the road. This program's in a win now. We're going to try to win now. If we feel like that guy puts us in the best position to win the football game, we're going to put him out there. I don't care where he came from, his age, transfer, high school, which state, we're going to put the best guy out there to help this team win."
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