Troy University Athletics
09 Preview: Brown Returns at QB
7/2/2009 3:00:00 PM | Football
Beginning today and continuing each Tuesday and Thursday until Fall Camp opens August 2, TroyTrojans.com will release in-depth position-by-position scouting reports to help you, the fan, make it through the last month of Summer.
Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Returns at QB
The Trojans entered the 2008 season with a three-man race for the right to replace two-time Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year Omar Haugabook. In a photo finish, Jamie Hampton edged out Levi Brown and Tanner Jones for the job and appeared to have settled in before a knee injury in the fifth game of the year ended his season.
Following Hampton's injury, Brown took over the reigns of the Troy offense and went on to earn Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors. Brown completed 61.7 percent of his attempts and threw for 2,030 yards and 15 touchdowns with just three interceptions last year, despite starting just eight games.
Going into this season, with both Hampton and Jones recovering from knee surgeries, the ball, both literally and figuratively, is in Brown's hands.
| Preview Schedule |
|
| Introduction |
June 30 |
| Quarterbacks |
July 2 |
| Running backs |
July 7 |
| Tight Ends |
July 9 |
| Wide Receivers |
July 14 |
| Offensive Line |
July 16 |
| Defensive Line |
July 21 |
| Linebacker |
July 23 |
| Secondary |
July 28 |
| Special Teams |
July 3 |
“He needs to be the leader, both vocally and on the field,” coordinator Neal Brown said of his senior quarterback. “He is the one who is going to determine how good we are going to be on offense. Any time you are the quarterback you have to be the leader, but it is the starting quarterback who is the leader, not the other guys,”
Last year it was Hampton who led the offense through off-season drills, but that job now belongs to Brown.
“Building that leadership starts in the winter with conditioning, goes over into spring drills and then into summer,” Brown said. “Last year, Levi was in the background that entire time.
“There is no cloud of doubt going into this season, which is always good. It is always good to know who your guy is going to be, and the team has bought into that and they trust Levi.”
With Brown settled in the starting role, the race will be to see who the backup will be.
Hampton would likely not be ready for full speed work until October and the hope is that he can redshirt this fall and still have two years left to play. Jones does not have the luxury of a redshirt available, so he has to get ready to play now. Fortunately for the junior, the knee injury he suffered at North Texas last year, while similar to the one Hampton had, was not a severe.
“Tanner has been here, he knows the offense, but he has to be more consistent with his mechanics and has to be more efficient when he is in the game,” Brown said.
Jones has thrown for just 225 yards in 13 games at Troy, but he has a strong arm and the experience to step in and run the team if Brown were to go down. Behind him is a trio of players with five total games of playing experience and fewer combined career pass attempts than two of the Trojans' receivers.
Sophomore Dantavious Parker was slated to redshirt last year but was forced into backup duty after Hampton and Jones went down with injuries. He showed the ability to run the ball in goal line situations, but did not get a chance to throw much. That is an area Brown hopes to see improvement in.
“The thing about Dan is that he gives us an added dimension with his ability to run,” Brown said. “Obviously, we aren't going to call a bunch of running plays for Levi, but we will still use the gun runs schemes and those types of things.”
Troy also has redshirt freshman Corey Wilkes and true freshman Corey Robinson behind Brown. Robinson, who set a national high school record for touchdown passes as a senior in 2007, enrolled in January and showed solid flashes in the spring. He is a candidate, along with Parker, to redshirt this year if Brown and Jones can make it through the year.
Junior Jonathan Chandler could also be called on in an emergency, as he was last year. Recruited as a quarterback, Chandler moved to receiver in the spring of 2008 but quickly moved back to QB last fall after Hampton and Jones got hurt.
For up-to-the-minute information, check back to TroyTrojans.com. Season tickets are on sale now at the Troy University Athletics Ticket Office. For more information or to order season tickets, call 1-877-878-WINS.
