Danny Langsdorf is "pleased" with his quarterbacks halfway through spring camp

BOULDER — Colorado will return the Pac-12’s second-team-all-conference quarterback in 2021, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be leading the offense this fall.

Senior Sam Noyer has the most experience in Colorado’s quarterbacks room but talented freshman Brendon Lewis and Tennessee transfer JT Shrout will compete with him in a wide open quarterbacks competition.

Quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf isn’t concerned about having three quarterbacks he thinks are ready to go.

“It’s a great problem to have,” Langsdorf said. “We have three really talented guys playing, maybe four.”

The fourth potential quarterback is Drew Carter, a true freshman who arrived on campus earlier this year.

“I do think you’ve got guys that are hungry, that have got a great competitive nature and they’re all wanting to be the starter,” Langsdorf said. “So it’s a it’s a great problem to have.”

As the incumbent, Noyer may have a slight edge in the competition. After the season, though, he had surgery to repair his shoulder and he won’t begin light throwing for at least a few more weeks. That means more reps for the rest of the bunch.

But, according to Langsdorf, Noyer has been vocal on the sidelines and diligent in the film room to make up for the lost practice reps.

“We were really able to dissect every play that we had from from last fall and go through it kind of at a slower pace, take a look at what was good and bad,” Langsdorf said. “And I think all of that will be really beneficial.”

While Noyer may be the most experienced of the group, Shrout has played against programs like Alabama and Texas A&M. The best game of Shrout’s career may have come in 2020 against Florida, when he completed 12 of 14 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.

“I think that big game experience is just something you can’t really teach, you can’t really get in practice,” Shrout said. “You can get something similar but it’s not the same.”

Langsdorf noted Shrout’s accuracy and brainpower. Karl Dorrell said that he’s seen the accuracy grow as he’s become more comfortable in Colorado’s system. Shrout credited Lewis and Noyer for their help as he’s learned Colorado’s schemes.

“You’re learning a new language,” Shrout said. “Football is football; you have a lot of similar concepts and schemes everywhere but you have a new verbiage that you have to learn. Those two guys have done a really good job in the film room. If I ever have questions about certain things they just helped me out on the spot on the field and meeting rooms and stuff like that. So they’ve been been really helpful. And I’m really appreciative to both of them.”

That’s good to hear, considering the three quarterbacks are competing for one job. This spring is just the first step in a competition that will extend into fall camp in August.

f I ever have questions about certain things just helped me out on the spot on the field and meeting rooms and stuff like that. So they’ve been been really helpful. And I’m really appreciative to both of them.

“We’re going to have awesome competition,” Langsdorf said. “Every rep is going to be very important to each of them. I think it’s going to be quite a battle. And I do think it’s a great problem to have.”