Colonels expected to feature two quarterbacks in new season

Nicholls State freshman quarterback Landry Klann took a quick, three-step drop before firing a bullet pass into the arms of an open receiver.

“Good ball, Landry, keep it up,” shouted Nicholls State head coach Charlie Stubbs, clapping in approval of his freshman.

Approximately 20 seconds later, the script was the same, but this time, Klann incorrectly read the defense and threw the pass too late.

The route was jumped, an interception was thrown and Stubbs buried his hands into his face in disapproval.

That’s the world of growing pains Stubbs and the Colonels’ signal callers are living in as they race against the clock to prepare their inexperienced quarterbacks for the 2010 season – their first season in the coach’s brand-new passing offense.

“Inconsistency,” Stubbs said. “Very, very inconsistent. You have to understand that every time I’m teaching them something, it’s totally brand new to them. That’s where the inconsistency comes. I’m trying to get them to gain some valuable experience and knowledge from me in a quick amount of time.”

In total, Nicholls has five quarterbacks on their roster.

Of the five, two are returnees recruited to be a part of an option-style offense, sophomore LaQuintin Caston and senior Nolan Dumas.

To try to get more traditional passing-style quarterbacks into the program, Stubbs also signed three true freshmen in the 2010 recruiting class – Klann, Beaux Hebert and Justin Rosborough.

So while teaching the new system to the returnees and tweaking and breaking the bad habits of the true freshmen, Nicholls’ practices

have almost modeled a classroom with Stubbs conducting a daily lesson to his pupils.

And while sometimes the quarterbacks make the Colonels faithful understand why Stubbs has a shortage of hair on his dome, the coach said overall it has been fulfilling to see the progress they’ve made since spring practices.

“There is no question about it,” Stubbs said. “Sometimes it takes a while, but when they do get it, they do it well. That’s what I tell them all of the time, ‘Look at that, you saw it right, you made an accurate throw, and it was a good play.’ But then when they hesitate or are inaccurate, then of course, that’s when that inconsistency comes back into play … So my job is to just look at everyone and see who’s got the best grasp of it altogether.”

With the season drawing closer to its inception, Stubbs said no one player has the “best grasp,” and he believes more than one quarterback will see the field in 2010.

The two guys seeing the most repetitions in practice leading up to the season are Caston and Klann.

“Those are the two we’re working the most right now,” Stubbs said. “We like everyone we have, but we’re giving those guys the majority of the reps right now.”

In his first season on the field, Caston started seven games, passing for 779 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.

He said those passing numbers a year ago should prove to naysayers that he can lose the label of the “triple option quarterback.”

“Just because we played in that offense last year, that didn’t mean that we couldn’t throw,” Caston said. “But it’s more like the coaches called the plays to where we wouldn’t throw. Throwing the football, our guys have been doing that ever since we’ve been younger. That just comes natural to you after a while.”

Whereas Caston has a year under his belt, Klann is going to be making his collegiate debut.

But the San Antonio native has probably done more pocket passing in his career than Caston, tossing for 21 touchdowns in his senior season and 52 touchdowns total in his career at McCollum High School.

He also has a more traditional passing frame, standing 6-feet-2-inches and weighing 200 pounds. Caston is just 5-foot-11-inches.

“Throwing the ball, that’s just what I’ve always done,” Klann said. “This is the kind of offense I’m used to. It’s pretty much the only kind of offense I’ve ever played in.”

Senior defensive end Marquis Russell offered his scouting report of each player and said if the Colonels use the duo properly, they’ll have plenty diversity in their offense.

“Believe it or not, they’re actually really similar,” Russell said. “I think LaQuintin is a little quicker probably and has experience. Landry might be a little bit more of your traditional passer back there. But both of them are very good quarterbacks and we won’t go wrong with either one out there.”

With the season coming to a close and a clear-cut starter not yet decided, one might think there would be a division or one-upmanship between the two quarterbacks.

But both Klann and Caston say the exact opposite has occurred, which they feel will power them through the season, no matter who is on the field.

“It never will matter who’s in the game, it’s our job to lead those guys on the field,” Caston said. “When he’s in, I know he’ll do a good job of leading our guys. When I’m in, I know I’ll do a good job, too. We support one another 100 percent. There’s competition in practice and everything, but all-in-all, it’s still a team game, and Landry’s my guy. I support him 100 percent.”

“When he’s playing, I’m rooting for him all of the way, and when I’m playing, he’s rooting for me,” Klann said. “We’ve got each other’s back all the way.”