Rumors have circled in the last few days that backup QB Damian Williams might sit this season out and redshirt. Yesterday at MSU media day Dan Mullen placed those odds around 50/50.
And it would make sense. Williams clearly wouldn't stand a chance to play significant snaps until next season and given how impressive Nick Fitzgerald was in the spring Williams might be the 3rd string QB at best. So why not redshirt and have an extra year of eligibility should he decide to transfer.
Fitzgerald is likely the future at quarterback but many still viewed Damian as the first guy off the bench this season because of Mullen's reputation for favoring experience over talent.
This week's news pretty much dispels that idea. Fitzgerald will be under center (ok behind the center) as soon as State bolts out to a 35-0 lead against Southern Miss. He will find himself running QB1 should Dak go down with an injury at any point this season. Knock on wood.
And then you have Elijah Staley, who Mullen has compared to Cam Newton. Staley has a cannon for an arm, and he'll be anxious to get his feet wet and show the fans what he can do after redshirting last season and missing the spring due to injury.
Damian did a lot for this team two years ago. If it weren't for his overtime heroics against Arkansas and his poise in the first three quarters of the Egg Bowl, MSU never would have sniffed a bowl game.
But all good things must come to an end. There is just too much talent for him to compete with and not enough snaps to go around. Transferring to a smaller school to finish out his career as a starter wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
Either way, the QB battle behind #15 will be heck of a lot of fun to watch.
