* First in a series on the 2022 football Eagles, highlighting the various position groups.

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- With Mark Pappas gone, a new signal caller will be at the helm of Head Coach Rob Tenyer's offense this season, but Morehead State's Quarterbacks Coach Tom Ross is confident that one of the five QBs on the roster will step up and take the reins of the offense in 2022.

"This is a very QB driven offense, and a lot revolves around his decision making - being able to process what defense he is seeing and getting the ball to the right guy. Being in complete control of the offense doesn't just mean getting the ball to the right person, or the X's and O's, it also means holding your teammates accountable - and being the leader of the entire offense," Ross said. "I think we've got a few guys right now that are all capable of getting the job done at a high level."

Sophomore Grady Cramer and redshirt freshman Carter Cravens return alongside two freshmen in Colin Parachek and Bryce Patterson, with sophomore transfer Matthew Middleton rounding out the quarterback room. In seven games of limited action in 2021, Cramer had 227 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite the lack of game experience, Ross displayed nothing but faith in his group.

"It's definitely tough to lose a two-time First-Team All-Conference player in Mark Pappas with all that experience, but we have a few guys in this room that learned a lot from him throughout his time here and are ready for their opportunity. In terms of experience, these guys have gotten a lot of reps in practice throughout last fall and of course throughout the spring. We go up against a talented, well-coached defense every single day in practice, and we don't take that for granted. Every rep we take is a learning experience, and that grows daily," said Ross. "It's always been about the small details and little things for every guy that is in this room; and the focus to get better every single day. These guys are a joy to coach, they work so hard at being great; and I love to see it materialize."

 A starting QB has not been named as of yet, but Ross did say that the plan is to have a starter to avoid a two-man rotation.

"The plan is to have a definitive starter. It's really tough on both guys in terms of getting into a rhythm in a game if you keep getting subbed out for a series here and there. You can't play the QB position looking over your shoulder, always afraid to make that mistake that will get you pulled from the game. When you get so caught up in trying to be perfect, so afraid to make a mistake, you're never able to reach your full potential. I think another thing you lose when you have a two-man approach is your confidence. A QB has to have confidence, no matter the situation."

 Morehead State kicks off the season in Macon, Ga., in a Week 0 showdown with Mercer on Aug. 27.