Breaking Down the Arizona Quarterback Race

Arizona Wildcats quarterback B.J. Denker is one of eight quarterbacks on the Arizona Wildcats’ roster and is one of the top competitors for the starting quarterback job. Denker played in six games and started one game last year, throwing for 259 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. (Photo Credit: Rick Scuteri/USA TODAY Sports)

Less than a year removed from a monster season from former quarterback Matt Scott, the Arizona Wildcats are looking for his successor. After the first few days of fall camp, head coach Rich Rodriguez is no closer to naming a starting quarterback for the season opener against Northern Arizona on Aug. 30.

Here are the players fighting for the starting quarterback position:

B.J. Denker, Sr.
Of the eight quarterbacks on the roster, Denker is the only player to have thrown a pass for the Wildcats. As Matt Scott’s backup last season, Denker completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. In his only start, Denker led the Wildcats to a 56-31 over Colorado, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. While he has a leg up on the competition because of his experience in the system, head coach Rich Rodriguez has publicly stated that he needs to see more consistency from Denker if he wants to be named starter.

Jesse Scroggins, Jr.
A former four-star recruit, Scroggins joins the Arizona Wildcats after stints at USC and El Camino College. After two seasons with the Trojans, Scroggins played last season at the community college after his academic struggles made him a casualty of the USC’s limited scholarships. Scroggins played in eight games at El Camino College last season, throwing for 1,148 yards and eight touchdowns with two rushing touchdowns. Scroggins might have the biggest upside out of any of the Wildcats quarterbacks, but injuries and lack of experience have prevented him from locking down the starting quarterback job.

Nick Isham, So.
Don’t sleep on the 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore transfer from Louisiana Tech. As a true freshman in 2011, Isham started the first seven games for the Bulldogs before being moved to wide receiver later in the year. Isham completed 60.3 percent of his passes, while throwing for 1,457 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also carried the ball 49 times for two touchdowns. His 257 pass attempts at the FBS-level are the most out of any of the UA quarterbacks.

Javelle Allen, RFr.
A three-star recruit for the Class of 2012, Allen redshirted last year in his first season at Arizona. Allen is a typical dual-threat quarterback, throwing for 2,321 yards and rushing for another 1,497 with a combined 52 touchdowns as a senior at Prosper High School in Prosper, Texas. However, concerns over his weight and throwing ability have raised questions over whether or not he can stay at the quarterback position. Allen showed up to fall camp having lost weight and could be the dark horse candidate of the quarterback competition.

Connor Brewer, RFr.
Another former four-star recruit, Brewer announced that he was going to transfer to Arizona from Texas on July 30. Brewer won’t be able to play this year due to NCAA transfer rules, but will be in the mix for the Wildcats’ starting quarterback next season. Brewer played at Chaparral High School in Phoenix under Wildcats coach Charlie Ragle and was teammates with another UA transfer, wide receiver Davonte Neal.

Anu Solomon, Fr.
After four seasons as the starter at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Solomon was named as the 99th-best player in the 2013 class and was anointed by many as the future of the Wildcats at quarterback. In high school, Solomon threw for 10,428 yards, with an astonishing 141-to-18 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Even more impressive was his 57-3 record with four state championships. While Solomon would be the most exciting choice, it would probably be in the Wildcats’ best interest to let him redshirt, similar to the routes UCLA and Oregon took with Brett Hundley and Marcus Mariota.

Khari McGee, Fr.
McGee didn’t get as much publicity as Solomon, but was a three-star quarterback who picked Arizona over San Jose State and Oregon State on National Signing Day. McGee has gotten off to just as good a start as Solomon, but quarterbacks coach Rod Smith said that they are both still “green.” McGee will likely redshirt, but will be in the mix for playing time at quarterback next season.

Note: Walk-on freshman Adam Friederichsen is the only other quarterback on the Wildcats’ roster, but is not expected to compete for the starting job.

My Prediction: While Solomon looks to be the future at the UA quarterback position, early performance suggests he’s not quite ready to compete at the collegiate level. I think that Rich Rodriguez uses both Scroggins and Denker in specific packages, while Solomon and McGee redshirt. If the duo struggles, Rodriguez may turn to Allen or Isham as opposed to burning Solomon or McGee’s redshirt year. However, it would be fun to watch Rodriguez employ a three-headed quarterback attack of Denker, Scroggins and Solomon.