Jeffrey Davis won Albany State’s quarterback job Saturday.
Now, his first challenge is a big one: beat the quarterback who used to hold it.
Davis, who played at Alabama A&M last season after previously spending time at Western Michigan, will make his Golden Rams debut Saturday night against Florida A&M in Tallahassee.
And if first-year Albany State head coach David Bowser needed an extra storyline for his opening game, he certainly got one.
On the other sideline will be former Golden Rams coach Quinn Gray, who now leads the Rattlers. Starting at quarterback for FAMU will be Isaiah Knowles, the same quarterback who helped Albany State put together a 12-2 season and make a deep NCAA Division II playoff run last fall before following Gray to Tallahassee.
In other words, Albany State’s new era will begin against two familiar faces from its recent past.
Bowser officially settled the quarterback competition after Saturday evening’s second scrimmage. Davis emerged from a crowded preseason battle and earned the nod because of what he showed when the competition intensified.
“He showed the most poise and consistency during the last two scrimmages,” Bowser told the Albany Herald.
That consistency will now be put to the test.
Davis has already taken a winding path through college football, playing at Western Michigan before transferring to Alabama A&M last season. Now he has another opportunity — this time as the quarterback expected to lead Albany State into a new chapter.
The assignment is simple, even if the circumstances are anything but.
Win the opener, and Davis immediately helps establish Bowser’s program.
Do it against Gray and Knowles, and the Golden Rams could make an early statement that this season is about moving forward — not looking back.
Saturday night in Tallahassee should tell us plenty about both.
