By Omar Perez:
San Jose State’s football team added some much-needed depth at the quarterback position with this years 2017 recruiting class. The loss of two-year starter Kenny Potter has left sophomore Josh Love (one career start) as the only QB with any experience on playing SJSU’s roster.
There will be five quarterbacks competing this spring to become the main man in the Spartans’ system. The team that is coming off of a dismal 4-8 record (3-5 in MW) in 2016.
Newly added quarterbacks Coach Ryan Gunderson and new head football coach Brent Brennan brought in two high school quarterbacks: Ryan Johnson from Hanford High School (Hanford, CA) and Terrell Carter from Madison High School (San Diego, CA).
Ryan Johnson may be the best athlete to come out of Hanford High School, a history that dates back 125 years. In his junior season, Johnson led his team to a CIF State Division IV-AA championship ending the season with 3,085 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns. A highly anticipated senior campaign was abruptly ended. In the 2016 season opener the 2015 Fresno Bee Player of the Year suffered an injury to his left knee injuring his ACL.
“Words can’t explain how hard it’s been,” Johnson said in an interview. “It’s been terrible sitting on the bench the whole time when I wanted to be out there helping my team.”
The incoming freshman that was once recruited by former head coach Ron Caragher, has much to prove as SJSU is looking to improve its passing attack from a year ago that ranked 75th in the nation. SJSU managed to pass for 2,665 yards in 2016 and only 18 touchdowns.
The loss of Potter’s ability to sling the ball and run elevated SJSU’s offense. Making big plays in big time games is what Madison’s Terrell Carter will bring to SJSU’s offense under newly added offensive coordinator Andrew Sowder. Carter is entering his freshman year at SJSU coming off of a stellar senior season with the Madison Warhawks going 13-2 , capping off the year with the CIF State Division 2-AA title.
No other game reflected the quarterback’s ability to carry a team to victory than the section title game. Down 31-7 at halftime , Carter managed to lead his team back in the second half, throwing for a season high 331 passing yards in a 35-31 victory to snatch the section title.
As a returning starter Carter racked up his senior season with over 3,000 passing yards and accounted for 34 touchdowns. The San Diego native showed maturity and growth in year two commanding the offense to nearly double his previous passing yardage total.
With SJSU’s starting quarterback position up for the taking, both Johnson and Carter will begin competing for playing time once they arrive on campus.