Nearly every year since he arrived in Annapolis, Navy football coach Paul Johnson has needed spring practice to break in a new quarterback.
While Johnson and his coaching staff have many unproven players to look at over the next month, the Midshipmen do have a proven commodity under center in Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. The rising junior went 4-2 in six starts in 2006 after replacing an injured Brian Hampton Oct. 14 in the middle of the game against Rutgers. He is Navy?s first incumbent signal-caller since Craig Candeto in 2003.
Kaheaku-Enhada, who rushed for 507 yards and 10 touchdowns and threw for 384 yards and five scores last season, has the early advantage in the battle for the starting job. But Johnson stressed that doesn?t mean he is Navy?s anointed No. 1 quarterback.
Rising junior Jarod Bryant and rising senior Troy Goss are both expected to compete for the job, Johnson said. Bryant is considered the best passer of the three, while Kaheaku-Enhada has a better grasp of Navy?s triple-option offense. Goss converted to wide receiver last year and could be back there this season if he doesn?t win the quarterback competition.
“The thing that everybody forgets is that Jarod, Kaipo and Troy were all very close,” Johnson said. “When Brian went down, we had to make a decision that gave us the best chance to win at that time. I don?t know why they aren?t going to be close again.”
Much like Johnson tried to find different ways to utilize Kaheaku-Enhada last year with Hampton fully entrenched under center, he appears to want to do the same with Bryant this year. Bryant played in 11 games last season and even got the start against Boston College in the Meineke Car Care Bowl when Johnson tried to catch the Eagles off-guard.
“If [Kaheaku-Enhada] elevates his game and the other two stay the same, then he is really going to distance himself,” Johnson said.
