Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU quarterback Daniel Richardson throws a pass during a recent practice.
Photo by: Andy Sneddon
Hashing It Out At Quarterback
8/10/2021 10:46:00 AM | Football
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – In collegiate athletics, a byproduct of what is now commonly referred to as the COVID year is negligible roster turnover.
In the case of the Central Michigan football team, that's a good thing. The Chippewa offense returns nearly everybody who produced in 2020, including the explosive backfield tandem of Kobe Lewis and Lew Nichols III along with receivers Kalil Pimpleton and JaCorey Sullivan.
But who will take the snaps and get the ball to those, and others, is a question – a big question -- as the Chippewas make their way through preseason practices ahead of the Sept. 4 opener at Missouri.
There is a healthy competition at quarterback featuring two main contenders, incumbent Daniel Richardson and newcomer Jacob Sirmon, along with developing freshman Tyler Pape.
Richardson is a 5-foot-10, 205-pound redshirt freshman in his third year at CMU. He started the Chippewas' first four games a year ago, completing 63 percent of his pass attempts with four touchdown passes against two interceptions, before an ankle injury ended his season.
The 6-5, 230-pound Sirmon is a sophomore who appeared in six games over three seasons at Washington. He was among the nation's top prostyle quarterback prospects coming out of Bothell (Wash.) High School in 2018.
Familiarity, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kevin Barbay said, is on the side of Richardson, who has been with the program since head coach Jim McElwain and his staff took the reins of the program before the 2019 season.
"He's been here for a couple years in the same system, so his advantage comes from expectation and knowing what we expect in the offense," he said. "Last year I think the game was moving pretty fast for him and it's slowed down a little bit.
Richardson's improvement is in "his ability to recognize defenses and know exactly where his eyes are supposed to be on certain concepts and seeing things down the field," Barbay added.
Sirmon, who arrived on campus in January, is still finding his legs and getting better acquainted with his new teammates.
"Sirm's a great young man that's hungry and he's really invested in learning every little detail of the offense," Barbay said. "He's really putting in the study time and I think that comes with experience and being around some of the guys that he was around at (Washington).
"He's done a great job of coming in and having the maturity level and knowing how to grasp the attention of the other players and he's doing a good job of leading."
Sirmon is one of hundreds of transfers who move from one school to another in any given season. The Chippewas are no strangers to either side of that coin; but a new face and a new voice at the quarterback position can be delicate what with all that the position entails, particularly from chemistry and leadership perspectives.
"The leadership role is so important," Barbay said. "I (tell) these guys all the time that only one quarterback is going to play at a time, but we all support each other and we're one unit. It's a fierce competition and every rep matters. These guys have done a good job of supporting one another and helping each other out and learning from each other's mistakes."
In the case of the Central Michigan football team, that's a good thing. The Chippewa offense returns nearly everybody who produced in 2020, including the explosive backfield tandem of Kobe Lewis and Lew Nichols III along with receivers Kalil Pimpleton and JaCorey Sullivan.
But who will take the snaps and get the ball to those, and others, is a question – a big question -- as the Chippewas make their way through preseason practices ahead of the Sept. 4 opener at Missouri.
There is a healthy competition at quarterback featuring two main contenders, incumbent Daniel Richardson and newcomer Jacob Sirmon, along with developing freshman Tyler Pape.
Richardson is a 5-foot-10, 205-pound redshirt freshman in his third year at CMU. He started the Chippewas' first four games a year ago, completing 63 percent of his pass attempts with four touchdown passes against two interceptions, before an ankle injury ended his season.
The 6-5, 230-pound Sirmon is a sophomore who appeared in six games over three seasons at Washington. He was among the nation's top prostyle quarterback prospects coming out of Bothell (Wash.) High School in 2018.
Familiarity, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kevin Barbay said, is on the side of Richardson, who has been with the program since head coach Jim McElwain and his staff took the reins of the program before the 2019 season.
"He's been here for a couple years in the same system, so his advantage comes from expectation and knowing what we expect in the offense," he said. "Last year I think the game was moving pretty fast for him and it's slowed down a little bit.
Richardson's improvement is in "his ability to recognize defenses and know exactly where his eyes are supposed to be on certain concepts and seeing things down the field," Barbay added.
Sirmon, who arrived on campus in January, is still finding his legs and getting better acquainted with his new teammates.
"Sirm's a great young man that's hungry and he's really invested in learning every little detail of the offense," Barbay said. "He's really putting in the study time and I think that comes with experience and being around some of the guys that he was around at (Washington).
"He's done a great job of coming in and having the maturity level and knowing how to grasp the attention of the other players and he's doing a good job of leading."
Sirmon is one of hundreds of transfers who move from one school to another in any given season. The Chippewas are no strangers to either side of that coin; but a new face and a new voice at the quarterback position can be delicate what with all that the position entails, particularly from chemistry and leadership perspectives.
"The leadership role is so important," Barbay said. "I (tell) these guys all the time that only one quarterback is going to play at a time, but we all support each other and we're one unit. It's a fierce competition and every rep matters. These guys have done a good job of supporting one another and helping each other out and learning from each other's mistakes."
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