Exploring alternate positions for UTSA standouts

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Author: Jared Kalmus – @JaredUTSA

Cole Hubble – QB

While most Roadrunner fans know Eric Soza as the program’s first quarterback, it was actually UTSA tight end Cole Hubble who first committed to handle the snaps for the young program. Hubble was a legend as a quarterback at Bandera High, amassing 3,682 total yards (2,091 pass/1,591 rush) as a junior. Once Soza transferred in from Texas State, it was clear Hubble didn’t have much of a shot to be the Roadrunners’ starting quarterback. However if Hubble had stuck at the position UTSA’s would have looked very different. Hubble was much more effective as a runner, posting huge gains on the ground out of Bandera’s option-heavy offense. I could see Hubble doing well in the 2011 season, but his lack of passing finesse would have hurt the offense as the competition level increased.

Rashad Wisdom – RB

After David Glasco, Jarveon Williams, Sincere McCormick, and De’Anthony Lewis, what would one more running back from Converse hurt UTSA? While Rashad Wisdom has been phenomenal as a safety at UTSA, many thought Wisdom’s ceiling at running back was higher than safety due to his lack of length. Wisdom had a knack for the end zone at Judson as he rushed for nine touchdowns over just 462 yards at the high school level. While Rashad probably would have been a solid running back, UTSA’s safeties would be in poor shape without his talent, making UTSA worse off overall.

Eric Banks – QB

Before he was chasing down NFL quarterbacks the former UTSA defensive end actually starred as a quarterback in Tennessee. Given his current stature, it’s crazy to think that Banks was once a skinny dual-threat quarterback who completed 58% of his passes for 1,199 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. Banks led his team to 12 wins and a district championship, but the Roadrunners correctly thought he could have a more immediate impact on the defensive end. Banks surely didn’t have the arm strength to be a Division I starting quarterback, but if you look at the list of guys that rotated through the backup QB position over his four years at UTSA it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think he could have been a spot starter for UTSA in an Austin Robinson type of role.

Josiah Tauaefa – DE

One of the best decisions Frank Wilson ever made was moving Larry Coker recruit Josiah Tauaefa from defensive end to linebacker. Of course Tauaefa would go on to earn Freshman All-American honors and spend some time in the NFL, but before all that glory Josiah was just an under-recruited and under-sized defensive end from Lake Dallas High School. How would Tauaefa’s career panned out had Wilson not moved Josiah to the second level? I think Tauaefa would have been a solid defensive end, but not a dominate one. His lack of arm length would have made it hard for him to gain separation against good offensive tackles, but his speed and motor would have kept him making big plays when facing poor blocks.

Marcus Davenport – WR

Now for the ultimate hypothetical. Did you know that UTSA’s best player of all time started his varsity football career as a wide receiver? Yes the first round NFL Draft pick was once a 6’5” receiver and basketball player at Stevens High School. Davenport’s high school coach Darryl Hemphill coaxed Marcus and his father into moving to defensive end as Hemphill felt that Marcus’ talent was being wasted due to Stevens’ lack of a strong passing game. But what would have happened if Davenport had an outstanding quarterback slinging him rockets? Or if UTSA committed to developing him as a wide out? Marcus certainly had the size to be a strong receiver, but I don’t think he had the top end speed to be a first round wide receiver. A Josh Stewart type of career feels most likely to me.

Other interesting hypotheticals

Josiah Monroe sticks at QB

Peter Gray stays at TE

Austin Robinson moves to LB before transferring to UH

Andy Martel switches to LB earlier in his career

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