T.C. Taylor is looking forward to a lot as he embarks on his first season as coach at Jackson State.
Among them is observing how what will be a competitive quarterback battle plays out during the spring and early fall leading up to the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta against South Carolina State.
Right now, the two-time defending SWAC champions are without 2022 Black College Football Player of the Year Shedeur Sanders. He threw for 3,732 yards and 40 touchdowns last season before transferring to Colorado to play for his father, Deion Sanders.
Among the possible predecessors for the starting job are University of Lousiana transfer Zy McDonald, Holmes Community College signal-caller Philip Short and former South Carolina and Virginia Tech quarterback Jason Brown.
Taylor on Tuesday was asked during a Twitter Spaces about the quarterback competition and who has stood out so far among the contenders.
Coach TC Taylor, breaking down the JSU off-season 🏈 https://t.co/QlCg3joePX
— Flicks📶 (@Kellyflickss) March 8, 2023
“I think all of them bring something different to the game but Jason right now, because of his age, you know him having played in the SEC and being a little older,” said Taylor. “Those other guys got three years of eligibility left. But Jason right now is probably the more seasoned guy. I’ll say it like that.
The redshirt senior signal-caller appeared in three games last season for the Hokies, completing 7 of his 13 pass attempts for 65 yards.
Prior to his time in Blacksburg, Brown spent a year in South Carolina in 2021. There, he appeared in seven games, which included four starts. In those games, South Carolina went 2-2, including wins against Florida and Auburn. He led the Gamecocks in passing touchdowns with 8, and also threw for 721 yards, completing 55.6% of his passes.
Before moving to the FBS, Brown was a 2019 FCS All-America selection at St. Francis (PA) after pacing the Northeast Conference with 3,084 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 62.3% of his passes.
Taylor went on to say that Brown has already endeared himself as a leader by doing such things as organizing player-run practices. That display of maturity along with being an experienced player has Brown likely atop the very early depth chart.
“He’s (Brown) looking pretty impressive out there,” said Taylor. “I just think the age on Jason and some of the speed of the game and where he came from, it’s kind of helping him out right now. But it’s going to be a great competition come this spring.”
