Five days before the Lamar opener, Abilene Christian still has not named a starting quarterback. That is not panic time yet, but it is not exactly a sign of a staff that has settled into blissful certainty either. It means Keith Patterson is willing to let the competition breathe right down to the wire, and it also means the Wildcats are almost certain to lean on more than one arm early in the season.
That is the reality after Stone Earle’s final snap for Abilene Christian came at Stephen F. Austin at the end of last season. Earle’s departure left the door open, and now the door is still swinging. Patterson has made it plain that he is not rushing the call, and he has made it even plainer that the opener will not be a one-man show if he can help it.
“Nope,” Patterson said when asked whether a starter had been named. Then came the part that really matters: “You’re going to see more than one Saturday.” He did not sound like a coach trying to hide a mystery for the sake of it. He sounded like a man who believes the smartest thing to do is keep his options open and trust the game to sort itself out.
Four quarterbacks, one job, and no shortcut
The battle is not short on candidates. Patterson said four quarterbacks could end up on the field before the season is over, and he made sure to stress that he was not “just blowing smoke.” He also said he is excited about all four because they each bring “unique characteristics” to the table. In other words, this is not a situation where one obvious answer has taken the issue off the table.
Joe Castles got plenty of reps in the Saturday morning scrimmage before the opener, while the competition remains wide enough to include Marcos Davila and Tucker Parks, along with John David Black and Joe Castles as part of the ongoing mix. Patterson’s message is blunt: don’t sit around waiting for a public declaration when the staff is still weighing what works best.
There is logic in that, especially with an offensive line Patterson believes is his best since he arrived. He called it the best offensive line he has had since he got there and said it is probably the strongest in the weight room as well. That matters. A coach with confidence in his front can afford to be patient behind it, and Patterson is clearly betting that the protection and the run game will help stabilize whoever gets the first nod.
Still, the bigger point is hard to miss. This is no settled quarterback room gliding toward Week 1 on autopilot. It is a real competition, still alive, still unresolved, and still shaping how Abilene Christian prepares for Lamar. Patterson may be comfortable with that uncertainty. Everyone else will just have to watch and see who takes the first snap.
