West Virginia hasn’t named a starting quarterback for the 2020 season yet, but it’s becoming abundantly clear that Neal Brown has faith in either of the two upperclassmen to lead the team.

Whenever football does resume, redshirt senior Austin Kendall and redshirt junior Jarret Doege will pick up where they left off this spring by battling for the position.

Kendall won the starting job out of fall camp a season ago and started nine games while throwing for 1,989 yards and 12 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He finished 3-6 in those contests as the starter, although he was knocked out of the Iowa State contest early into the game.

Doege was elevated to the starter during the final three games of the year and threw for 808 yards and 7 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Perhaps most importantly though, Doege led the team to a 2-1 record during that span with a pair of wins on the road over Kansas State and TCU.

Brown kept it an open competition heading into the spring and that hasn’t changed with all of those practices being shelved and work turning toward a virtual sense for the time being. But both have gotten the attention of the head man in a positive way.

“I’ve been extremely pleased with our quarterbacks during this pandemic and period of virtual learning. Both of them have done an exceptional job from a leadership standpoint,” he said.

You don’t have to look far to back up those claims either, as the two quarterbacks are captains of the Accountability Teams that are at the top of the standings. Those teams have the players compete against each other in every facet leading into fall camp and those two have been the leaders for their respective groups throughout the period away from campus.

“Doege and Kendall’s team have risen to the top of those standings,” he said.

But it isn’t just as leaders either, as both have shown progressions through virtual learning in how to play the position which could help separate them once practice does resume. That is currently set for Aug. 7, and both have improved with their defensive recognition, coverages and protections.

The competition between the two is one that is going to make both players better in the long run.

“They’ll be ready to go,” he said.

Brown has the utmost confidence that both quarterbacks will be ready to compete once coaches are able to start working with the players and has been consistent that a decision won’t be made between them until it is clear. But for now, the pair have done everything in their ability to put themselves in the best spot to earn the starting role for the 2020 campaign.

“We’ve got two guys I’ve been extremely pleased with and are more than capable of leading our football team,” Brown added.

Perhaps two is better than one in this instance.

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