Quarterback position still unsettled

Transfer Gavin Hoffman is one of five contenders in Penn's quarterback battle. In less than two months, the Penn football team will kick off its 1999 season. But the Quakers still don't know who their quarterback will be when Dartmouth visits Franklin Field on September 18. Last year's starting quarterback for Northwestern announced last week that he is transferring to Penn, but the jury is still out on whether the 6'6'', 233-lb. sophomore will take the reins at Penn. "I hope he's going to be really good," senior wide receiver Brandon Carson said. "But I'm not going to be too optimistic yet until I see him." Hoffman threw for 2,199 yards and 13 touchdowns at Northwestern last year, but he still needs to learn the Quakers' offense before he can contribute. "I'll be a little behind not knowing the offense and the terminology," Hoffman said. "But I've got a playbook already. I'll be studying that this summer." Although Hoffman's accomplishments in the Big Ten may have entrenched him as the favorite in the eyes of fans, the football coaches still view quarterback as a wide-open position coming into training camp. "No promises were made to any of our kids," Penn head coach Al Bagnoli said, whether they be transfers, incoming freshmen or kids that we presently have on the roster," Holdovers Reed Werner, Ed Mebs and Tom DiMenna will push Hoffman for the starting spot when the team begins practice on August 25. Mebs, who transferred from Miami prior to last season, is the only one of the four to have attempted a pass at Penn. "I came to a situation that I felt was the best situation for me to come and play," Mebs said. "But [the transfer of Hoffman] definitely throws a little bit of a kink into playing." DiMenna did not practice much with the varsity team last season, but the Darien, Conn., native impressed enough in spring practice to move himself into contention for the starting job. Werner, meanwhile, also shares punting duties with Ryan Lazzeri for the Quakers. Freshman Mike Mitchell, a 6'0'', 185-pounder from Orlando, Fla., will also be given the chance to start behind center. "We have five quarterbacks in the program," Penn offensive coordinator Chuck Priore said. "All of them are going to get an opportunity in the fall." Hoffman stands at least four inches taller than the other quarterbacks and also owns the clear edge in experience, as the ex-Wildcat is the only quarterback on Penn's roster to have started a collegiate game. But the Wayzata, Minn., native is also the least familiar with Penn's offense. Bagnoli has not set a deadline for determining the starting quarterback, but both the Penn coaches and players hope the decision is made as soon as possible. "It would be nice if it was decided early so the whole team could gel around the quarterback," Carson said. "But I think it's probably most important that we get the right one." Whoever is ultimately named the starting quarterback will have big shoes to fill. Last season's starter, Matt Rader, threw for 2,026 yards and 15 touchdowns in leading Penn to an Ivy League championship. Like Hoffman, Rader was a transfer from a Division I-A program, starting seven games for Duke before he relocated to Penn in 1997. Because the official paperwork regarding Hoffman's transfer has not yet been completed, Bagnoli said he is unable to comment specifically on the ex-Northwestern quarterback. Northwestern coach Randy Walker declined to comment for this article.

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