McNeese Football: Gary Goff knows who will start at quarterback, won’t announce starter yet

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - The main question of the offseason for McNeese football has been who is going to start at quarterback? It’s a question Head Coach Gary Goff has been asked countless times, and it’s a question McNeese football fans are eagerly awaiting an answer to, but Pokes fans will have to wait until September 2nd when McNeese welcomes Tarleton State to Cowboy Stadium, as Goff told the media on Thursday that he knows who the starter will be, but he’s keeping his cards close until the season opener.

“I will be close come September 2nd,” said Goff in response to whether or not he’s close to naming a starting quarterback. “I’ve decided I’m not going to name one until kickoff, I don’t have to, but I do know the direction I’ll be going.”

The quarterback battle is between Iowa State transfer Nate Glantz, and Tusculum University transfer Tre Simmons, both are quarterbacks that Goff says are capable of starting for the Pokes.

“I think both guys are very, very capable, both had a great camp, but I’ve talked to both of them already, and we have our game plan, but no point in naming the starter right now, we don’t have to.”

Although it appears as if Goff knows who will take the first snap under center, there’s a chance that whoever does start, might not be the only quarterback to play.

“You could see that, you could,” said Goff on whether or not he plans to play both quarterbacks. “A lot of that will depend on the game week, and how the game plan is kind of absorbed by both of them, I’ve never done it before, but it’s not out of the norm maybe.”

When asked what separates Glantz and Simmons, Goff said “Obviously decision making, protecting the football, but obviously they’re both pretty good at that, going through their progressions, leadership, who the team is going to rally around, which I think the margin between the two is so, so small, it’s been a very difficult decision for us, but we’re comfortable in the decision we’re going.”

Goff also compared where the team is at entering the 2023 season in regards to the quarterback situation, to where they were entering the 2022 season saying “I think we’re head and shoulders above where we were a year ago with our quarterback situation, so it should be a lot of fun.”

McNeese entered the 2022 season with three quarterback options in Knox Kadum, Cam Ransom, and Walker Wood. Leading up to McNeese’s first game of the season last year, Goff named Ransom the starter, but then changed his mind, and it was Knox Kadum who made the start up in Bozeman, against Montana State.

This year, it appears as if Goff won’t be doing that, and will instead keep his decision close to him right up until the Cowboys take the field against Tarleton State on September 2nd.

As for who the starter will be throwing to, Goff feels very confident in the state of his pass catchers, as he talked about his wide receivers on Thursday saying “We’ve got great competition there, and you’re probably going to see every one of those wide receivers to be honest. Jon McCall and Aalah Brown both have had just a great camp, both are making great plays, and are physical, big guys.”

For the full interview with Head Coach Gary Goff from Thursday, August 24th, click here.

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