Brett Smith left some very big cleats to fill when he declared for the NFL draft last December.
The restructuring of Cowboy football left us with four potential quarterbacks to replace the 6’3”, 210-pound NFL hopeful. Redshirt senior Colby Kirkegaard currently leads the pack, followed by senior Sam Stratton, sophomore Tom Thorton and sophomore Aaron Young.
The finale to spring training, the spring game, demonstrated that Kirkegaard has a shaky hold over the starting quarterback spot and Stratton has an even unsteadier grasp on the second-string spot.
However, the depth chart should be revisited.
Specifically, the ‘or’ that separates Stratton and Thorton’s name. If the spring game is any indication, Thorton deserves the second string position over Stratton.
Thorton out-performed Kirkegaard, Stratton and Young substantially. He may be younger and less experienced than Stratton, but he proved he can perform in a game-like situation, run an offense and read the field more efficiently than Stratton.
Good on his feet and with his hands, Thorton was the only quarterback with a memorable play: his third quarter 52-yard touchdown pass. The pass that sealed the win for his team was the only completed-touchdown pass during the scrimmage.
Although Stratton was going up against the Cowboys’ first team defense, he had the No. 1 offense to work with. Thorton played with the second team offense and still played better game than both Stratton and Kirkegaard.
“I thought Tommy really did some good things,” said Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl in a press conference after the spring game. “Once again they were measured (against the No. 2 defense), but that’s not to take anything away from him. He did some good things, particularly in the play-action part. He had a great downfield throw and got some air under the ball and hit the receiver in stride. He’s had a good spring.”
Playing a significant role in his team’s victory, Thorton finished the game far ahead of the quarterback pack, throwing 7-of-9 for 117 yards and two touchdowns and only one sack. Stratton threw 5-of-10 for 58 yards with three sacks. Stratton’s longest pass was 26 yards; 27 yards short of Thorton’s longest throw.
Stratton was absent for both of his team’s touchdown plays; Thorton was a staple in all of his teams scoring plays and created a considerable presence on the field, something Stratton failed to accomplish.
Bohl mentioned there would be changes made to the depth chart before the Cowboys take the field in the fall. Those changes should include an amendment to the quarterback section. If Thorton continues to perform the way he did at the spring game, he should permanently have the second string position.
