Officially announcing his commitment to NC State on Jan. 7, Virginia quarterback turned graduate transfer Brennan Armstrong has sparked debate over what the Wolfpack’s backfield will look like in 2023.

For a team that started four different quarterbacks throughout its 2022 campaign, it’s no surprise head coach Dave Doeren and company made it their mission to go land a capable, day-one starter to revitalize a QB room that just lost Devin Leary to the transfer portal. Making the marriage even sweeter, Armstrong has proven more than capable of filling up the stat sheet under NC State’s newly acquired offensive coordinator, Robert Anae, in their time together at UVA in 2021.

During Armstrong’s aforementioned season under Anae, he set Virginia program records in single-season passing yards (4,449), single-game passing yards (554 against North Carolina), single-season total offensive yards (4,700), single-season passing touchdowns (31) and solidified his place atop various other career accolades. NC State’s offense would benefit greatly from such a seasoned passer, but what happens to standout freshman quarterback MJ Morris?

Earning his respect as what many expect to be the future of the program, Morris was responsible for a miracle comeback against Virginia Tech and torching Wake Forest for one of the Pack’s best home wins of 2022. Even though his true-freshman colors shined in an abysmal loss to Boston College, the young gun seemed primed to learn from the blow until an injury shut down the rest of his year.

Now, heading into 2023, NC State has a position battle on its hands between two very capable options under center. Armstrong offers years of Power Five experience, familiarity with Anae’s system and a deep ball with beautiful touch to it. Morris, on the other hand, offers superior athletic ability and a clean slate for Doeren and Anae to build upon for years to come in hopes of reducing the amount of turnover the team has seen at the position since the final days of Ryan Finley.

In the past four seasons, NC State has seen six quarterbacks get the starting nod. From Matt McKay to graduate quarterback Jack Chambers, there’s certainly been a lack of stability at the position for some time now. Morris has plenty of eligibility remaining to provide the program with its guy for the near future, but adding Armstrong to the mix is liable to increase that turnover even more.

From a logistical standpoint, I can’t imagine bringing in a talent of Armstrong’s level in the offseason if the plan isn’t for him to take the reins immediately. Doeren likely won’t rule Morris, or redshirt freshman Ben Finley, out of the conversation, but it feels pretty clear that Armstrong is the early front runner for the job. It makes complete sense for that to be the case given his repertoire with Anae, but Armstrong is a one-year rental. Leaning his way in his last year of eligibility could push Morris out of the door and into the transfer portal given that the freshman has proved more than capable of playing at a Power Five level.

There was a time when the only thing that mattered in college football was fielding the best team possible. Now, with the revelation of NIL deals and the subsequent increased volume into the transfer portal, programs have to look farther ahead than the year in front of them. The position battle of Armstrong vs. Morris will be a perfect summary of that notion, with NC State set up for immediate success under the Virginia transfer but potentially jeopardizing its current best option for a life after Armstrong graduates.

None of this is to say it’s certain that if Armstrong is given the keys, Morris is out. The freshman has been nothing but a team player since arriving in Raleigh, stepping up to the plate whenever he’s asked to and always supporting his teammates when he can. But the man can play, and he’s proven more than ready to take that next step forward to lead a contending program to conference success.

If one of the two is playing at a clearly superior level to the other at the start of the year, I have full faith in the coaching staff to make the right decision. In the scenario where that matchup is at a much more comparable level, however, my vote is to stick with Morris for the future of the program’s sake. Let Armstrong mentor him in the system to get the most out of the new offensive coordinator’s scheme while staying ready on deck for situations where QB depth is needed like it was this past season.

There’s a lot of time for the program to find its solution between the time of writing this and the first snap of the year, and plenty is bound to change between now and then. But in the new age of college athletics, keeping young, star-level talent down on the depth chart is likely going to result in that same talent seeking playing time elsewhere. That’s something the coaching staff will have to keep in mind while evaluating all the talent available at quarterback for NC State this year.