Three QBs competing for starting job at Dayton

Shane Hamm, of Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, couldn’t take an official visit to UD because of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 but visited with his family on his own and felt at home.

All three players find themselves enjoying life at UD in the summer of 2022 as they compete for starting quarterback job with the Dayton Flyers. Coach Rick Chamberlin wants to name a starter by Aug. 27, one week before the team opens the season Sept. 3 at Robert Morris.

“It’s all about consistency out of that position,” Chamberlin said. “We need that at every position, but we want a quarterback that makes the right decision and doesn’t turn the ball over because we have a lot of talent on offense. We don’t need that quarterback to be the man. Just manage that offense.”

Dayton needs a replacement for Jack Cook, a three-year starter who was a fifth-year senior last year. The redshirt sophomore Dow and sophomores Casciola and Hamm have emerged from a group that included redshirt sophomore Ryan VanSchelven and sophomores Will Tammaru and Braden Woods in the spring. All six saw action in the spring game.

The three quarterbacks remaining in the competition have different strengths. Dow was the backup last season. Casciola won two state championships at Weddington High School in North Carolina. Hamm won three state championships in four years as a starter at Hoban.

“In my opinion, Cole is the best all around,” Chamberlin said. “You’re talking about athleticism and passing. Dante, his strength is his passing. He’s got a very good arm and is very accurate. And then Shane, he’s that helter-skelter playmaker who can make something happen out of nothing.”

Dow is the only one in the group who took snaps in a game last season. He attempted four passes and completed one for nine yards in two games. He said the competition has made all the quarterbacks better.

“You just have to go out and have fun and ball because if you start getting caught up in the stats, that’s when things can go wrong,” he said.

“It’s definitely special being put up against those two other guys,” Casciola said. “We’ve all got our own talents that we bring to the table, but at the same time, we’re competing hard. We’re all good friends off the field. We joke to each other in the film room. We’re just there to help each other. If we see something from the sideline, we make sure to tell them. It’s a fierce competition. Everyone wants the same job, but at the same time, we’re there for each other, and whoever gets it, we’re going to be behind them 100%.”

The player who wins the job will take over an offense that returns every other starter, including running back Jake Chisholm, a fifth-year senior.

“It’s really just going t come down to who can make plays and who protects the ball better,” Hamm said. “We have a great offense. Jake Chisholm, give him the ball and let him do his thing. Whoever makes the smart plays and keeps it safe should really get the job.”

Wide receiver Kyle Hazell doesn’t want to judge the competition because that’s above his pay grade, but said the coaches have done a good job of creating a culture where competition is important.

“We don’t have anyone becoming complacent and thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve been here longer,’ or “I played better yesterday,’” Hazell said. “It’s always who’s going to take the next step and get better today.”