Little separation between Cyclone QBs

AMES | Tom Farniok has surveyed the landscape, and he fails to see a great divide at quarterback.

Discussing Sam Richardson and Grant Rohach, Iowa State's starting center said, "They're both level-headed, good leaders. They like success, obviously, but they really want success. They're driven.

"It's pretty even right now. They're really kind of the same person. That's why it's difficult to pick a guy."

That's been the company line throughout spring practice and fall camp. Richardson and Rohach, a junior and a sophomore, respectively, are neck and neck in the battle to start at quarterback for ISU when the season begins against North Dakota State. Even if head coach Paul Rhoads and his staff make a choice, sticking with it might be another matter, given the revolving door that's been spinning at that position under Rhoads.

Where it used to be Steele Jantz and Jared Barnett a few years ago, or Barnett, Jantz and Richardson, it's now Richardson and Rohach. Another candidate might be Joel Lanning, the true freshman out of Ankeny. But the two men who have won games at quarterback for the Cyclones are Richardson and Rohach.

"They're both - all three of them - at the 1-2 and 1-2-3 positions are great kids," said Mark Mangino, the new Iowa State offensive coordinator. "They have great personalities and I enjoy being around them.

Mangino, like Farniok, chooses to stand on common ground when evaluating the quarterback candidates.

"I think those guys are focused on being the best they can be and winning that position," added the former head coach at Kansas. "They all have certain leadership qualities. Whether your quarterback is a captain or a true freshman, there's a certain amount of leadership. I think those guys possess that. They just need to polish up and put the whole package together. That's the process we're in right now."

Of course, Farniok and Mangino can only run so far with the similarities, because the two veteran quarterbacks are not the same guy.

Richardson is a 6-foot-2, 223-pounder from Winter Park, Florida. Rohach, listed at 6-1, 224, was born in Iowa City, although he attended high school in Moorpark, California.

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Little separation between Cyclone QBs