Troy University Athletics
Troy Football Breakdown – Quarterbacks
8/25/2022 10:21:00 AM | Football
Troy's quarterback room is loaded with guys looking to make an impact this season, featuring a two-year starter, a pair of Power Five transfers, and two talented young players.
They Said It
Offensive Coordinator – Joe Craddock
"Our quarterbacks need to be an extension of the coaching staff on the field. They have to know the right checks, where the ball needs to go and manage the game in terms of taking what the defense gives them. We're going to put them in situations where they don't have to go win us the game, but they can't lose us the game.
"I think that is important for all those guys to understand; we're going to be very methodical in what we're doing. We understand that we have a good defense, so we need to take care of the football, extend drives on third down and stay on the field to let our defense rest."
Players to Watch
Gunnar Watson, Jarret Doege and Peter Costelli have been locked in a quarterback battle throughout fall camp after Doege's late arrival to campus on Aug. 18. Watson is the only one player in the QB room with game experience at Troy after Doege transferred in from West Virginia via Western Kentucky and Costelli joined the program this summer from Utah.
Watson, a junior, enters the season with 16 career starts under his belt, and he already ranks eighth all-time at Troy in completions, 10th in passing yards, 13th in passing touchdowns and third in completion percentage.
"Gunnar has had a really good camp, and his completion percentage is in the high 70s," Craddock said. "He has done a good job taking what the defense has given him. Additionally, he has done well knowing where the ball is going pre-snap and making the right adjustments post-snap."
Doege is the FBS active leader in career passing yards (10,494) and passing touchdowns (79). He has played in 46 career games at the FBS level, completing 952-of-1,488 passes and averaging 228.13 yards per game. Costelli has not taken a competitive snap since his junior year of high school due to COVID-19 shutting down California high school football in the fall of his senior year and his early enrollment at Utah. A four-star recruit, Costelli was rated as the No. 27 overall quarterback and No. 10 dual-threat quarterback in the 2021 class by 247 Sports.
"Jarret has learned a lot in a short amount of time," Craddock said. "He has done a good job of staying up here late and coming in early in the morning to learn our system and offense."
Position Notes
• Troy has started just five different quarterbacks in a season opener since 2010 – Corey Robinson, Brandon Silvers, Kaleb Barker, Gunnar Watson and Taylor Powell.
• Last season for the Mountaineers, Jarret Doege completed 65 percent of his passes with 19 touchdown strikes and 234.5 yards per game.
• Gunnar Watson averaged 220.6 yards per game through the air in his seven starts last season, which would have been good for fourth in the Sun Belt.
• Gunnar Watson ranked seventh nationally in 2020, completing 70.1 percent of his passes.
Parting Shot
"The adjustment to the new offense has gone well," Craddock said. "All of them have been in a pretty pass-heavy offense before this year. When you're throwing the ball every play, the defense knows that, and they can create a lot of tight windows for the passing game. So, for us, being able to establish the run early on in games will be beneficial for our passing game late in games."
They Said It
Offensive Coordinator – Joe Craddock
"Our quarterbacks need to be an extension of the coaching staff on the field. They have to know the right checks, where the ball needs to go and manage the game in terms of taking what the defense gives them. We're going to put them in situations where they don't have to go win us the game, but they can't lose us the game.
"I think that is important for all those guys to understand; we're going to be very methodical in what we're doing. We understand that we have a good defense, so we need to take care of the football, extend drives on third down and stay on the field to let our defense rest."
Players to Watch
Gunnar Watson, Jarret Doege and Peter Costelli have been locked in a quarterback battle throughout fall camp after Doege's late arrival to campus on Aug. 18. Watson is the only one player in the QB room with game experience at Troy after Doege transferred in from West Virginia via Western Kentucky and Costelli joined the program this summer from Utah.
Watson, a junior, enters the season with 16 career starts under his belt, and he already ranks eighth all-time at Troy in completions, 10th in passing yards, 13th in passing touchdowns and third in completion percentage.
"Gunnar has had a really good camp, and his completion percentage is in the high 70s," Craddock said. "He has done a good job taking what the defense has given him. Additionally, he has done well knowing where the ball is going pre-snap and making the right adjustments post-snap."
Doege is the FBS active leader in career passing yards (10,494) and passing touchdowns (79). He has played in 46 career games at the FBS level, completing 952-of-1,488 passes and averaging 228.13 yards per game. Costelli has not taken a competitive snap since his junior year of high school due to COVID-19 shutting down California high school football in the fall of his senior year and his early enrollment at Utah. A four-star recruit, Costelli was rated as the No. 27 overall quarterback and No. 10 dual-threat quarterback in the 2021 class by 247 Sports.
"Jarret has learned a lot in a short amount of time," Craddock said. "He has done a good job of staying up here late and coming in early in the morning to learn our system and offense."
Position Notes
• Troy has started just five different quarterbacks in a season opener since 2010 – Corey Robinson, Brandon Silvers, Kaleb Barker, Gunnar Watson and Taylor Powell.
• Last season for the Mountaineers, Jarret Doege completed 65 percent of his passes with 19 touchdown strikes and 234.5 yards per game.
• Gunnar Watson averaged 220.6 yards per game through the air in his seven starts last season, which would have been good for fourth in the Sun Belt.
• Gunnar Watson ranked seventh nationally in 2020, completing 70.1 percent of his passes.
Parting Shot
"The adjustment to the new offense has gone well," Craddock said. "All of them have been in a pretty pass-heavy offense before this year. When you're throwing the ball every play, the defense knows that, and they can create a lot of tight windows for the passing game. So, for us, being able to establish the run early on in games will be beneficial for our passing game late in games."
Players Mentioned
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