Unless you have lived under a rock all summer, you know that William & Mary is in an intense quarterback competition. So far, we have profiled Brandon Battle, Dean Rotger, and Ted Hefter. This week, we turn to the most experienced quarterback of the bunch, junior Tommy McKee.

Tommy McKee

Quick Hits

• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 205
• Class: Junior
• High School: Cox (Virginia Beach, VA)
• Number: #6

High School Accolades

Tommy was a true dual-threat quarterback in high school. He finished as a second-team all-conference QB his senior year, after rushing for an insane 1084 yards, passing for 725 yards, and scoring a combined 25 touchdowns — which was a single-season school record. During his tenure, Tommy also broke his school’s record for most career touchdowns (43). Unsurprisingly, he was named team MVP during his senior year. On top of that, McKee was the team’s offensive MVP his junior year, and special teams MVP his sophomore year. The only year he didn’t get a reward was his freshman season!

A common theme among Tribe quarterbacks it seems, Tommy served as the team’s captain his senior year. Beyond football, McKee was a multi-sport athlete in high school, lettering twice in baseball and once in basketball. He also excelled in the classroom as  a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Math Honor Society. Overall, McKee groomed himself to be the perfect fit for a William & Mary team always looking for scholar athletes who excel both on and off the field.

This Year’s Spring Game and W&M Outlook

Tommy is the only quarterback in the competition that has actual collegiate playing experience. He has been the backup to former QB Steve Cluley the past 2 years, as both a freshman and sophomore. As a freshman, McKee saw action in 3 games. His biggest performance came against Richmond in the second round of the playoffs. In limited time, he finished 3/3 for 43 yards, 0 TD. In his sophomore season, he saw playing time as well, this time against NC State. In that game, he completed his only pass for 7 yards. In the classroom, Tommy has earned CAA Academic All-Conference Honors the previous two seasons, and was also honored as the W&M Quarterback Club Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year in 2014, his freshman season.

In this year’s Spring Game, McKee finished 3/5 for 21 yards. He ran the ball a couple times, but had the least pass attempts of any quarterback in the competition. Perhaps this is because the Tribe coaches already know what they have in Tommy: a smart, experienced QB who knows the playbook. And lets not forget, he also has the ability to run the ball — better than some running backs. He is naturally more mobile than former QB Steve Cluley (who was no slouch running the ball in his own right), as evidenced by his 1084 rushing yards his senior year in high school.

Odds of Starting: Medium-High

McKee’s primary advantage is his knowledge of the playbook and having been in the system for several years (3, to be exact). His head start on the aforementioned playbook will need to stand out vs. the much younger underclassmen if he is to win the starting job this Fall.

Bottom line is, we all know how much Coach Laycock loves experienced quarterbacks who really know the playbook. He relies on this experience to minimize mistakes and avoid turnovers. McKee may not be the best quarterback of the bunch in terms of overall skill throwing the ball, but he will likely make the fewest errors on game day — at least at this point. And we’re sure this is very appealing to Coach Laycock, as it has always been in the past.

Fun Fact: Tommy is listed as a punter, and actually punted in the Spring Game. He also punts in practice and will likely serve as the reserve punter this year for the Green and Gold, regardless of whether or not he starts under center.

Wrap Up

We hoped you enjoyed our preview of QB Tommy McKee. Next week, we will finish our Quarterback profiles with freshman Shon Mitchell. Is it football season yet? LET’S GO TRIBE!!!