Rohach, Lanning providing quality depth behind Richardson at QB

AMES - For the first time in the last five years, the only quarterback battle on the Iowa State roster will be taking place behind the starter, and it's an intense one.

Redshirt senior Sam Richardson is the unquestioned signal caller for the Cyclones, but redshirt junior Grant Rohach and redshirt sophomore Joel Lanning are locked into earning the No. 2 spot. They each bring something different to the table, but when it comes to all three quarterbacks, Coach Paul Rhoads has taken notice of the position during fall camp.

'There's an obvious confidence,” Rhoads said. 'Not a subtle confidence, but they all feel good about what they're doing as the commander of it and they're all throwing the ball pretty accurately.”

Lanning has yet to see action in a game at quarterback since arriving on campus - he played on special teams against Toledo - but came close. The Ankeny native warmed up in the second half of last season's loss at Kansas, but Rohach finished the game in favor of the injured Richardson. Lanning would have gone into the game if his number was called, but he notices how much he's improved since last fall.

'In spring I think I took a big jump in seeing blitzes and defenses and stuff like that,” Lanning said. 'Now that it's camp the game is starting to slow down for me a little bit and isn't running as fast. Now I've just got to run the offense how coach (Mark) Mangino wants it.”

Physical attributes have never been in question with Lanning. At 6-foot-2 and 232 pounds, he is a bulky presence at quarterback with a reputation for throwing the ball very well. Where Rhoads has seen the most growth from Lanning is in between his ears.

'He's very skilled as a passer,” Rhoads said. 'I think if you polled the coaches or even the players, they might say, ‘Well Joel throws the best ball.' But you've got to have that complete package and that's where I think he's advanced the most.”

Taking notice in the quarterback meeting room hasn't hurt Lanning's growth either.

'Last year I was younger and didn't really understand what I need to do to prepare myself,” Lanning said. 'I think going through a 2-10 season last year and seeing what Sam and Grant go through to prepare helped me. It's making me focus a lot more.”

Alongside Lanning's improvement, Rohach also has taken steps in his experience. He has five starts in two years, including one last year, but has seen his game management skills evolve in the off-season.

Winning the final two regular season games as the starter in 2013 - against Kansas and at West Virginia - is something for Rohach to reflect on, but he knows he's a better quarterback now in his second year under quarterback coach Todd Sturdy and Mangino as the offensive coordinator.

'From a knowledge standpoint, we're light years ahead of where we were last year,” Rohach said. 'Sturdy has told us that many times. In the meeting room, it's more talkative than it's been. I mean (Sam and I) are the oldest and Joel is just ... technically he's old now too, but we have a lot of experience in that room.”

Although the competition is characterized on the field as 'intense,” animosity doesn't exist among Lanning and Rohach. And with an experienced player like Richardson at the helm, having quality depth behind him is a positive by-product.

'They're very supportive of one another and it has been a lot of fun watching those two compete every day on the practice field,” Sturdy said of the backups. 'Their level of play has really gone up, both of them, and I'm very pleased with where they're going.”

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