dlmeyer@mavs.coloradomesa.edu, jameyer@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Levi Meyer: Quarterback hasn’t been a strong position for the CMU football squad. Last year, the Mavs ranked ninth in passing in the RMAC, tallying nine touchdowns to 17 interceptions. A strong defense and an unstoppable running back in Jake Cimolino kept the Mavs in close games, but the passing game fell very short in crucial situations down the stretch. The man behind center must improve in order for the team to avoid yet another sub-.500 season in 2013. A few quarterbacks entered Saturday’s spring game, with no standout performers. Who’s the right QB to steer the Mavericks?

Matt Meyer: There are a lot of unproven commodities, particularly with the offseason exit of Deke Cisco. Cisco had a rough start and never really looked like coach Russ Martin’s guy. Jacob Haferman is probably the favorite by default, but there are plenty of options, and plenty of Martin-era recruits.

L.M.: Although Haferman was the last QB standing in 2012, his stats were underwhelming. He completed just under half of his passes, with more picks (8) than touchdowns (6). However, he was much more consistent than Cisco, and limited his mistakes. My pick for QB is redshirt-freshman Kyle Duran out of Arizona. He was a top-ranked QB in his state in 2011, averaging 236 ypg and 58-percent completion. He’s a little undersized, but he was handpicked by Martin, who loves his leadership skills and decision-making. He’s young and he fits the system. Upside, upside, upside.

M.M.: I did get a chance to see Duran throw. He has an arm, and his receivers seem to like him, but two former University of Nerbraska-Kearney transfers (assuming they qualified for immediate eligibility) provide an interesting carousel. Aric Kaiser and Sean Flanagan are both technically freshmen after receiving medical redshirts. Both were studs heading for a powerhouse program and both started games there before getting hurt.

L.M.: Two years of Russ Martin, two years of the QB carousel. If the Mavs can field a decent signal-caller in 2013, I suspect a finish above .500. The secondary is growing and Cimolino is an animal. 6-4 would be a big step for this program. Any predictions of your own?

M.M.: Cimilino will likely finish top three in the conference barring injury (furiously knocking on wood) and Russ Martin and company will shore up some of the big play problems the secondary had. Something interesting to point out: a large, large portion of Martin’s first, full-fledged recruiting class is from Colorado. A few of those players are low-level D1 caliber. It’s the best recruiting class Mesa has had in a long time, and it’s competitive with CSU-Pueblo. It bodes well for the future.