To say that there is a gargantuan position battle at the Quarterback position this offseason would truly be an understatement. When is the last time 4-5 quarterbacks were all in legitimate contention for the most important position on the team? It’s been an exciting offseason so far; get your popcorn ready, it’s only going to get more intense from here.

As you probably noticed in our last post, we here at the Blog are back at it with our in-depth Quarterback profiles. Last week, we released our profile of Redshirt Freshman QBs Dean Rotger and Ted Hefter. This week, we profile a talented, dual-threat QB who just so happens to boast a big arm: Sophomore QB Brandon Battle.

Brandon Battle

Quick Hits

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 195
• Class: Sophomore
• High School: North Point (Waldorf, Maryland)
• Number: #10

High School Accolades

Brandon Battle tore up high school football, setting school records for passing yards (5,485) and touchdown passes (48) during his tenure at North Point. In his career, he averaged an impressive 237.7 passing yards per game, a remarkable feat for a high school gunslinger. Oh yeah, he can run too. He rushed for 664 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career, totaling 6,149 career all-purpose yards.

Battle is also a natural-born leader. He was a three-year captain at North Point, where each season he started under center. Battle was also a National Honor Society member in high school, proving that he excelled not only on the field but in the classroom as well. A rock solid Tribe recruit. We’re not surprised he landed in the Burg.

Coming out of high school, Battle was a highly recruited prospect, finishing as a 3-star recruit, and the 26th ranked recruit in the entire state of Maryland. Ultimately, he received offers from three CAA schools, including W&M, JMU, and Albany, and one from Lafayette, among several others. As a fun fact…guess who was the number one ranked recruit in Maryland at the time? Come on, you know this. Okay, maybe you don’t. It was future William & Mary receiver Jalen Christian, who was a 4-star recruit with a 95 overall ranking. Of course, Christian would go on to the University of South Carolina before transferring to the Green and Gold prior to last season. Who knows, maybe these two former Maryland stars will come together to form a powerful one-two punch this year! Time will tell.

This Year’s Spring Game and W&M Outlook

In this year’s Spring Game, Battle performed well in limited playing time, finishing 2/6 with 61 yards and a touchdown. And aside from freshman Ted Hefter, Battle was the only other QB to throw for a touchdown — an absolute bullet at that, connecting on a 31-yard touchdown pass to 6’3″ WR Anthony Mague who made a superb catch in the end zone.

Just looking at him, Battle is the tallest of the current QBs on the roster, standing at 6’3″. He is light, however, checking in at just 195 pounds. For reference, QB Steve Cluley, also 6’3″, weighed 225 pounds last season. Battle will need to bulk up some this offseason if he wants to win the starting job. As we all know, QBs take a beating, and having a healthy man under center is absolutely essential for consistency and an overall successful season.

Battle is known for his incredibly strong arm, and he likely has the strongest arm of anyone in this QB competition. He is also, like junior Tommy McKee, a threat to run the ball on any given play — always a welcome, added bonus for a dynamic collegiate offense. He is also the second most experienced QB on the team, behind McKee. Battle has had the luxury of learning behind Steve Cluley the last two seasons, and the ability to participate in dozens of practices to boot. With an arm like Battle’s, if he can master the playbook, he’ll be a serious contender for the starting job this Fall.

Despite boasting a quiet demeanor on the field, don’t count out Battle’s leadership. As previously mentioned, he was a three-time captain of his high school team, exuding a calm confidence that this offense needs. He may not be a vocal leader, but his hard work and drive will undoubtedly earn the respect of his teammates.

Odds of Starting: Medium

Battle is an intriguing player. Many Tribe fans are feeling the hype surrounding true freshman QB Shon Mitchell. Some conservative Tribe fans like the experience of Tommy McKee. Others like Dean Rotger‘s potential. And some really like this year’s Spring Game star, walk on Ted Hefter. We say, don’t count out Battle. It wouldn’t surprise us if he took the reigns this offseason and became the starter for the season opener vs. UVA. And if that were to happen, we would be in full support of the Tribe’s newest dual-threat, big armed leader under center. Roll Tribe Roll.

Wrap Up

We hope you enjoyed our QB profile of Brandon Battle. We have now completed 3 of the 5 QB profiles. Next, we will profile junior QB Tommy McKee. Who else can’t wait for the football season? See you at Zable! LET’S GO TRIBE!!!