Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino is refusing to tip his hand about the Cardinals' convoluted quarterback competition, saying only that the five signal callers vying for the starter role must be willing to take direction.
"They first and foremost have to come in and be coachable and do what we want them to do," he said on Saturday, according to Eric Crawford of television station WDRB. "(They need to) run the offense the way it's designed and do what you want them to do. Get us out of bad plays and into good plays. Make good decisions, be able to execute after you've made a decision. So there’s a lot that entails."
Sophomore Reggie Bonnafon finished spring practice as the front-runner to assume the starting position, though he will face stiff competition from Lamar Jackson, Tyler Ferguson, Kyle Bolin, and Will Gardner, who started last season's opening game.
Petrino said he plans on naming a starter at least two weeks before the Cardinals' season opener against Auburn on Sept. 5 in Atlanta.
Gardner is reportedly edging closer to 100 percent after suffering a knee injury last season.
"Will looks healthy," Petrino said of the quarterback. "He's running, he's changing directions. The only thing they’re not letting him to do really is roll out and do things on the run full speed, unless it’s straight ahead. He's strong. He feels good. He said it’s the best he's felt since before he ever injured it."
Petrino also said that the coaching staff would give a hard look to incoming freshman Jackson, who he described as a "really, really good athlete."
"He's big. I know he has a lot of confidence around the other players, so it’s good to see that," he said of Jackson. "The other guys say he throws the ball real well, has a strong arm. It’ll be fun to see how it all plays out."
