Southern head coach Terrence Graves isn’t tipping his hand when it comes to his quarterback choice against Jackson State.
Asked Monday about naming a starter, Graves brushed aside the idea of giving an early reveal.
“Who will be QB one this coming Saturday? Well, you’ll find out Saturday night, when we kick off,” said Graves on Monday. “We’ve got guys; the quarterbacks are working. Got some good reports on Jalen Woods.
So we’ll work this week and see how it goes. And then on Saturday, whoever goes out there first, that’s how we’ll start this thing off.”
The decision is pivotal for Southern (0-3), which has struggled to find rhythm offensively in nonconference play. Turnovers and quarterback inconsistency plagued the Jaguars through September.
Graves mentioned Woods, the junior transfer, as a player who could be an option after missing the Jaguars’ last game against Fresno State while in concussion protocol.
Even so, Graves left the door open for other quarterbacks who have taken snaps earlier in the season. That rotation has been both a challenge and a point of evaluation for the staff, as they look for the right balance of decision-making and explosive playmaking.
If Woods can’t start, Southern has options in Ashton Strother, a junior college transfer, who completed 9 of 14 passes for 127 yards against Fresno State.
Cam’Ron McCoy, a Jackson State transfer, is another choice. McCoy, who started the season opener against North Carolina Central, has thrown for 316 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in three games.
A win would mark Southern’s first victory of the Graves era in three tries and the first for the Jaguars in six meetings. It would signal the Jaguars’ ability to compete for a SWAC championship despite a rocky start.
