Monday at ACC media day, Bobby Petrino did about 40 interviews. Obviously, a lot of those were just saying the same things over and over…and over. But some things stuck out that he said, of course. One of those was when he was discussing the backup QB job. Will Gardner has not been officially named the starting quarterback, but all signs point to that being the case. Petrino did say that if the season started now, he would be the starter.
During the spring, Kyle Bolin and Brett Nelson were battling for the backup spot. Neither could really separate from the other. It was learned Monday that Bolin actually injured his knee this off-season and it required surgery. Bolin’s dad told Jeff Greer of the Courier Journal that Kyle tore the meniscus in his right knee. If you remember, he tore his ACL in his left knee during his senior year of high school. He is expected to be 100% when preseason camp starts.
This brings us to freshman Reggie Bonnafon, from Trinity High School. A lot has been said about Bonnafon, many people wondering if he would even stay a quarterback at Louisville or if he would switch positions. He is very athletic, and played wide receiver in high school until his senior year. Bobby Petrino has made it clear that he sees Bonnafon as a quarterback.
Petrino said it would be ideal if Bonnafon could work into a situation where he could play a series every game. “We’re really happy with his maturity,” Petrino said. “He’s a tremendous athlete. He’s a good student of the game. I’m hoping he competes for the job.”
One of the biggest question marks all off-season has been the backup quarterback spot. We all assume Will Gardner will be the starting quarterback, and having a backup you can count on is huge. We will continue to track this as fall practice begins soon.
