Jantz named Iowa State's starting QB

By Rob Gray, Correspondent

AMES - The suspense surrounding the naming of Iowa State's starting quarterback has left the Jacobson Building.

The plot, however, thickens.

“Steele Jantz will be our starting quarterback when we open up the 2011 season Sept. 3 here in Jack Trice Stadium against UNI,” Cyclone coach Paul Rhoads declared after Saturday's scrimmage. “Steele emerged from a group of three quarterbacks, as you know, by displaying the three qualities we were looking for most consistently. That's decision-making. That's throwing accuracy and that's getting things done with his feet.”

The quarterback decision - whether it would have been Jantz, Jerome Tiller, or Jared Barnett - was expected.

But Rhoads added a wrinkle of intrigue by announcing Tiller has been ruled academically ineligible.

He also said Jantz would have earned the starting spot regardless of Tiller's academic situation.

“Steele emerged, clearly, as the No. 1 guy,” Rhoads said.

Tiller is 1-2 as a starter for ISU - including a landmark 9-7 road win in 2009 at Nebraska.

When asked if he may eventually be switched to a different position after regaining academic eligibility, Rhoads said, “he could.”

Jantz, a 6-3, 224-pound junior, threw for 3,075 yards and 23 touchdowns for City College of San Francisco last season.

He also rushed for 601 yards.

“He took off and ran this fall camp when he should have,” Rhoads said. “In the springtime, he didn't do that. He threw the ball on time. He threw a lot of good balls (Saturday) into crowds - not balls that concern me because they went into crowds. He's making better decisions at the line of scrimmage, which to operate this offense, you have to do.”

None of the quarterbacks were made available to the media Saturday.

So when did Jantz find out he would be No. 1?

“He doesn't know,” said Rhoads, who added by Wednesday the coaching staff had a good idea Jantz would be the starter. “I'd imagine (offensive coordinator) Tom Herman's told him by now.”

The Cyclones hope Jantz can help spark a unit that last season ranked at or near the bottom of the Big 12 in four key categories - including scoring (11th, 21.7 points per game).

Herman's convinced the offense will be more explosive this season.

“At every position, we've at times had a lack of execution to get that done,” Herman said. “And even when we did get it done, sometimes we lacked the athleticism to turn that execution into something big. This year, if we execute on a consistent basis we will certainly have a lot more dynamic players out there who can maybe do something with the ball.”

That list of playmakers includes Jantz, who said earlier this month his grasp of the Cyclones' spread offense had accelerated.

“I feel like I've come a long way,” he said. “But, of course, there's still more to learn and I'll keep learning.”

Some of that will entail on-the-job training.

But Jantz, Rhoads said, won't have to look over his shoulder.

“There wont be any desire to pull a guy going into it,” Rhoads said. “But I'll add to that by saying we're very pleased with Jared Barnett and what he brings as our No. 2 quarterback.

Jantz' lack of experience at college football's top level doesn't concern Rhoads.

“I think he'll continue to gain confidence and I think you'll see a personality change in how he runs that group,” Rhoads said. “He's got a laid-back personality that the kids are sort-of taking to and now he'll start to master the preparation that goes along with developing a game plan.”

QUARTERBACK

*  Projected starter: Steele Jantz

*  Backups: Jared Barnett, Brett Bueker, Sam Richardson

*  Cyclones need …: Improved efficiency. Longtime starter Austen Arnaud ranked 91st in that category last season.