Mitchell, Smith named to top two spots
SMU head coach June Jones made it official Monday, naming true freshmen Bo Levi Mitchell and Braden Smith as the Ponies' top two quarterbacks as the team prepares for its Aug. 29 season opener at Rice.
"After going back through all the tapes, I just felt they had a little bit better understanding of what we're doing," Jones said. "The other guys will continue to get reps, too, but we're going with these two."
Jones said that Mitchell looked "a little bit better" than Smith in Monday's morning session, but allowed that it was hard to get an accurate read in a practice mired by intermitent rain.
"It was a little hard to throw the ball when it got that wet," Jones said. "It probably weighed 10 pounds."
Jones said that although Mitchell is his No. 1 quarterback right now, the position is still open for competition between Mitchell and Smith, and that today's announcement was not a declaration of a starter against the Owls. He said that one thing he likes about Mitchell is how he has performed in big games, and the confidence that has instilled in him.
"He's played in a lot of big games before," Jones said. "In high school, he played in front of (about) 62,000 in San Antonio. He just seems to have a lot of poise, and he seems to be able to make all the throws we need to make."
Jones said that part of his decision also involved the psyche of Willis, a fourth-year junior this fall who has started most of the last two seasons and has a school-record 51 touchdown passes.
"They all can do it," he said of the team's five quarterbacks. "I told Justin he's only one play or two plays away from being the guy, so he's got to be ready. We're going in the other direction right now, but the other guys have got to be ready."
Jones said that as of today, Willis and Logan Turner are "about equal" as the team's No. 3 option, and in terms of practice reps.
For his part, Mitchell was understandably pleased with the coaches' decision, but said he realizes he does not stand alone ahead of the rest of the field.
"It felt good," Mitchell said when asked how it felt to learn he was the leader at the position. "It's whatever Coach (Jones) wants, but that's not to say I'm the starter, or that Braden is the starter. Justin and Logan are great quarterbacks, too. I've got four good quarterbacks to work against, and all that does is push you to work hard."
Assistant head coach/offense (and quarterbacks coach) Dan Morrison said the factors that led to Mitchell being named the No. 1 quarterback extend beyond the physical tools that made him a star at Katy High School.
"I think he's demonstrated that he has a very strong arm," Morrison said of Mitchell. "He gets rid of the ball very quickly, and he has a good grasp of the offense, which is kind of rare for a freshman.
"But with a young kid, you also have to consider the personality - not only is he physically ready, but is he mentally ready? I think he's proven that the game's not too big for him."
Morrison also said he admired the performance in camp by Smith, the former star at Rockwall High School.
"For a true freshman, it's amazing how few mistakes he makes," Morrison said. "He doesn't look like a really big guy, but he's about 195 pounds. He's got a kind of maturity beyond most true freshmen, he's got that moxie."
Morrison said that while playing freshmen means the team will go through something of a learning curve, the prospect of opening the season in two weeks with a freshman running the offense doesn't worry him too much.
"We've been in that situation before, with (former Hawaii quarterback) Timmy Chang," Morrison said. "There will be games where he struggles a little bit, but that's how he grows. We'll grow (as an offense). He has the physical attributes - we'll be fine."
