FSU Football: Willie Taggart hints at long QB battle through training camp

FSU football has a major question about who will lead this team at QB in 2018.

Which player will lead FSU football in 2018 from the quarterback position? It’s the biggest question mark for Willie Taggart and staff heading into spring practice.

Coach Taggart spoke with Ralph Russo on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast Wednesday.

It’s an interview that covers about a variety of things, much of what you’ve heard already if you’re a diehard Noles fan.

However, he does go into what he’s looking for from whoever the starting quarterback will be. He also gives us a hint about how the competition is going to play out.

Taggart said:

"We’re gonna let this guys compete…we’re at Florida State University and we’re going to be highly competitive and the best guy is going to win the job. The guy that can lead this football team and I’m not saying just the offense, but the offense and the defense…and be able to execute our offense efficiently and keep us out of trouble. So I can see this battle going all the way through training camp."

Thoughts

I think most folk in the know assumed this was how it was going to go. There’s no reason for Taggart to announce the starter any earlier than he has too.

This method does a number of things. It keeps all three quarterbacks fully engaged in the competition. The time allows Deondre Francois a chance to heal and compete for the job fully in fall camp.

It also helps with depth as it would be possible for one or two of the three to transfer is they were not named the starter.

If that happened, FSU football would be back into a similar situation as the 2017 season. A quarterback under center with absolutely no college experience and we saw how that turned out.

Taggart expanding the time through training camp gives him ample time to choose the best option for the team.

It gives him a chance to assess which quarterback the team responds best to, and a larger sample size to see just how hard each quarterback is willing to work to earn the job.

For what it’s worth, Taggart did mention James Blackman by name as one of the players he has seen emerge as a leader thus far in the interview. Neither Deondre Francois nor Bailey Hockman were mentioned, but that could be a motivational tactic by Taggart.

Next: 5 Reasons James Blackman Is Willie Taggart's QB in 2018

It’s going to be interesting to see how the competition shakes out. Who do you see being named the starter?