Some observers sort of expected the 2017 job to be Ryan's to win before Sawyer's transfer. While he did take the JUCO route to SFA, Cottingame redshirted in his only season at Trinity Valley Community College and arrived in Nacogdoches with four years of eligibility intact.
In two seasons, Cottingame has had very limited opportunities to show much of anything playing behind Conque and Hunter Taylor. He attempted just four passes in 2016 (for 25 yards) but did have a very strong camp a year ago. His large 6-foot-3 frame and powerful arm make him an interesting prospect, but his performance in the spring game a few months back was shaky at best.
Sources inside the program told us before the Sawyer transfer that there were plans to conduct an open spring competition and likely add a veteran transfer during the summer. That coaches weren't confident enough to rest the future of the program in Cottingame, even if he were to win an open contest with the others on the roster, could be telling. On the other hand, this is a guy who threw for over 5,000 yards at Sunnyvale High School on his way to multiple program records. He can definitely play football - the question is, will he, for SFA.
Here are some highlights from Sunnyvale:
One of two quarterbacks from Pearland on this roster, Blumrick is probably a better overall athlete than Cottingame - minus the arm strength. He's another who has shown flashes, certainly, but didn't turn out a particularly encouraging performance in the spring game.
Still, the upside is impressive. Jake threw for 2200 yards as a senior in high school with 26 total touchdowns and a single interception. He is very much a dual threat player with breakaway running speed and a particularly impressive pocket presence. He drew interest from a number of FBS programs during the recruiting process but ultimately committed to SFA where he sat as the fourth-string signal caller as a true freshman a year ago.
The coaches, for obvious reasons, are intrigued by his potential. Behind what could be a questionable offensive line, his speed and agility could be a major asset while awaiting Sawyer's return. That said, Blumrick is clearly still a young player. He'll get an opportunity, at some point, to contribute in meaningful action. This year may or may not be the time.
Playoff highlights. Blumrick is white team #7:
A walk-on a year ago, Truelove is a capable passer with upside. He played for Shepherd, where they like to air it out, and had plenty of opportunity to showcase his touch on deep throws. As a senior, Truelove topped 1500 yards passing and another 300 on the ground while scoring 24 total touchdowns. He was the District 8 (4A) offensive MVP and is a tall, fast athlete.
I half expected a transition to wide receiver for Truelove when he arrived at SFA. He's 6-3 and can cover ground quickly as a runner, but even with the depth on the roster, he remains at quarterback. It's probably unlikely that we'll see him in game action this fall, but he's a legitimate DI football player and I wouldn't find it shocking at all to see him get an opportunity somewhere before his college career is all said and done.
Another resident of Pearland, a veteran of Dawson High School, might just be the best quarterback on this roster. Head coach Clint Conque didn't shy away from laying expectations on Zach Smith, announcing that he had "Jeremy Moses potential" during the signing day press conference earlier this spring - high praise for a player not yet formally enrolled.
Smith can run just about as well as he can throw - and, to be clear, that's very well. He threw for 4400 yards and ran for another 935 while scoring 72 total touchdowns in his high school career. He owns many a record at Dawson where he started for three years at quarterback and stood out as a baseball infielder, too. Zach was largely overlooked by big college programs, but the SFA staff believes that contributed to a big-time recruiting steal for the Lumberjacks.
He might be the most mysterious player on this roster too, only in that he didn't have the opportunity to showcase his skills during the spring football season. It's not hard to see that Smith is viewed as the quarterback of the future for this football team - at least, that's the hope.
And it might be a reason why this staff would want to use a redshirt, as opposed to burning a year of eligibility if he were to fill in for Sawyer. It also can't be overlooked that, yes, Smith is a true freshman, and even if his potential eclipses the others on this roster, he might not be the best option to win games now.
He is, however, an exciting player and a likely future face of the university:
So, what's the verdict? If we had to put money on it today, Cottingame and Blumrick probably both get some looks. The truth is, though, we don't know. No question, there will be opportunity for someone to brighten their star at SFA, however unfortunate the circumstances.
For the team and for fans, it's important to remember that all is not lost. Even sans their on-the-field leader, SFA looks to be improved and more healthy than they've been for a couple years.
At the very least, it adds a bit of drama to the fold.
