Quarterback spot could be a rotating one for Liberty this season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mike Brown arrived at Friday’s Big South media day in a dark gray suit with a pressed black shirt and tie, looking every bit the part of a leader. A Liberty sophomore, Brown earned that role during spring practice, when he impressed Flames coach Danny Rocco so much that he made Brown one of six team captains.

The only other sophomore to earn captain honors under Rocco, running back Rashad Jennings, is preparing to head off to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ training camp, so Brown is in select company.

Now the burning question: Will Brown be Liberty’s first-string quarterback on Sept. 5, when the Flames open their season at West Virginia? He came out of spring practice as the clear No. 1 at the position. Furthermore, does the title of starting quarterback really even matter, considering how many different offensive formations Rocco and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter plan on using this season?

Apparently not to Brown, who will be the No. 1 quarterback next Thursday when the Flames begin fall practice at Williams Stadium, marking the first time since 2005 that someone other than Brock Smith goes into camp as the top QB.

“You know, I’m going to give it all I’ve got and just focus on what I can do,” Brown said. “If it plays out that I end up at quarterback, then that’ll be great. If not, whatever helps the team the most. It’ll be a real interesting camp.”

The intrigue comes in the form of Tommy Beecher, who was South Carolina’s starting quarterback last season when it opened the year at North Carolina State.

He soon lost the job and fell out of favor with Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier. Beecher, a graduate student at Liberty, had one year of football eligibility remaining, and Spurrier encouraged him to explore other options. Beecher wanted to study seminary, so Liberty was a natural choice.

Beecher couldn’t participate in spring practice and has yet to work out officially with the team, though he’s been around campus this summer.

“He’ll be in camp,” Rocco said. “And we’ll give him a real good look early to determine what he can do and what he can give us.”

Despite Beecher’s inability to hold the starting job at South Carolina, Rocco likes that Beecher was able to do enough to win the job in spring practice and hold the position through the summer. He likes that Beecher has experience playing in big venues. Rocco noted, too though, that Brown will be on the field for nearly every offensive snap.

The not-so-subtle interpretation? Beecher and Brown will be on the field at the same time quite a bit this season.

“You’re going to see Michael Brown lining up under center and in the gun at quarterback, he’ll line up as the Wildcat quarterback, he’ll line up in the slot,” Rocco said. “No doubt about it, Michael Brown will be on the field all the time. It’s just, what’s the percentage that he’s quarterback, and what percentage is he some place other than quarterback?”

Rocco wants to maximize Brown’s many talents while still developing him at quarterback. Beecher has just one year of eligibility, so he’s not a long-term answer at the position.

“I will say this, and I’ve said this to Mike, Mike is the quarterback for the future of our program,” Rocco said. “It’s just a matter of whether or not that future is starting at West Virginia, or if that future starts later in the year, or if it starts in ’10 or ’11. The ’09? We have a nice situation where we have the luxury of some competition and a couple of guys who are capable of helping us win.”