With five quarterbacks participating in spring practice for the ASU football team, it's unclear as to who will end up as the team's starter.
But one thing is certain — there will be no lack of competition between these quarterbacks at camp.
"There are great quarterbacks here," sophomore quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole said. "I knew coming in as a freshman that I would have to compete, regardless of who is here or not. That's been my mindset so I just have to keep that steady mindset as I continue on in the competition."
Of the four quarterbacks with the Sun Devils last year, three of them had in-game action. Redshirt junior Manny Wilkins was the team's starter, and Sterling-Cole and redshirt sophomore Brady White filled in when Wilkins was injured. Redshirt sophomore Bryce Perkins was out with a neck injury he suffered in summer practice.
But when redshirt sophomore Blake Barnett transferred from Alabama, the competition spiked in intensity. However, Barnett isn't taking anything for granted.
"There's absolutely competition, it's the name of the game," Barnett said. "We're all out here to compete."
This isn't Barnett's first quarterback competition, either. Last year at this time, he was entrenched in a quarterback battle with the Alabama football team.
.@Blake8Barnett at the podium for .@FootballASU pic.twitter.com/ydQeBpNDfq
— Mark Harris (@Harris_Mark7) March 16, 2017
Now, Barnett finds himself in a similar quarterback battle, and said that all he can do is control how he practices.
"I think the biggest thing I try to push myself on is I try to compete with myself," Barnett said. "I don't really look at it in regards to how the other guys are doing. If they make a bad throw or if they make a good throw, I'm going out there to be the best that I can be."
While there is much competition for the starting job, this has not stopped Wilkins, who won the ASU quarterback competition last season.
"I'm as confident as I've ever been," Wilkins said. "I've worked my butt off this off-season to just get bigger, get stronger, get mentally stronger."
NOTES:
The quarterbacks weren't particularly sharp in throwing drills. Granted, it's still the beginning of spring practice, but some throws were off target and receivers sometimes had to slow down to adjust to throws on the deep routes. Barnett, redshirt junior Manny Wilkins and sophomore Dillon Sterling-Cole got most of the reps.
Redshirt sophomore Bryce Perkins got in some throwing reps on Thursday.
Redshirt senior Corey Smith (listed as an offensive lineman) did some practice drills with the defensive linemen.
Reach the reporter at mpharri7@asu.edu or follow @Harris_Mark7 on Twitter.
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