Panthers still looking for No. 1 quarterback

Heading in to the 15th — and final — spring practice, new UNI football coach Todd Stepsis still is looking for a quarterback.

Oh, he has plenty of options, but picking that No. 1 guy? That’s been a challenge.

“All of them have proven that we can win with them,” Stepsis said earlier this week. “... they are all talented enough.”

UNI will hold its spring game on Saturday at Cedar Falls High School, starting at 1 p.m. The event is free and will not be streamed, “so the only way to take in the sights and sounds is in person,” a UNI release noted.

One of the things to watch is who lines up a quarterback during the “situational scrimmaging, offense vs. defense” portion of the afternoon.

Will it be junior Matthew Schecklman, who played nine games last season and passed for 1,276 yards? How about senior Aidan Dunne, the early starter last year who played in eight games and passed for 955 yards? Then there is junior Jaxson Dailey and red-shirt freshman Cale McThenia?

Stepsis said even his offensive coaches were scratching their heads when he asked for their top choice earlier this week.

“Their strengths are all different,” he said.

He said the ball “really pops out of (Schecklman’s) hands.” Dailey is the “quintessential” leader and Dunne has a “great football mind.”

“All four of them have made each other better,” Stepsis said. “All four of them have taken the challenge of learning something new and embraced it.”

And, he noted, “competition is going to help us improve.”

That can be said across the board when the Panthers take the field for the final time before things get serious in August.

Saturday’s spring game will include the aforementioned “offense vs. defense” scrimmage, some drills in the two-minute offense, goal line offense and defense, and some special teams work.

“We’ll keep it kind of similar to a game,” Stepsis said.

The spring game also will feature a variety of competitions, including position specific skills challenges and some “fun” things like linemen fielding punts and kicks.

Points will be awarded in a variety of ways, from the skills competition to first downs, explosive plays and three-and-outs.“

Fans also will have the chance to show off their skills with a punt, pass and kick competition.

“We want to have fun,” Stepsis said. “We want to get something out of this.”

He said he’s been pleased with the growth this spring, getting to know the players who returned after Mark Farley retired after a 3-9 season that included a 1-7 record in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

“I’m happy with how competitive both sides of the ball have been,” he said, noting one day the defense dominates and the next day it’s the offense that shines.

“The energy has not been lacking,” he said.

The Panthers open the 2025 season at home against Butler on Aug. 30.

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