It has been well documented that the Jackrabbits are transitioning from maybe the greatest quarterback they have ever had to maybe the greatest athlete they have ever had at the quarterback position. Mark Gronowski is off to Iowa City to play his final year for the Hawkeyes and in steps #7 Chase Mason. It is a really exciting year because of this transition but I get a sense of anxiousness from the fanbase! Also gone is quarterback coach Danny Freund but a familiar face returns in Eric Eidsness was the Jackrabbit OC from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2010 to 2018. He was at Northern Illinois as the OC from 2019 until returning home. Coach Eidsness is happy with his room and thinks they have taken some big steps between spring and summer. They have a lot of youth in the room so there will be some growing pains.
Jackrabbit fans have been excited to see what #7 Chase Mason (6-4, 230) can do as a full time starter after offering glimpses of brilliance as a change of pace QB the past two years. In 2024, he completed 17 of 26 passes for 133 yards and 2 TD. However, it was his rushing ability that stood out when he ran for 464 yards on 46 attempts with 6 TDs. As “the man” this year, Chase must develop some self-preservation and discretion about when to deliver blows on his rushing attempts. In the spring game, he displayed the huge arm that has been raved about but did struggle applying touch to some short and intermediate routes. Coach Eidsness is excited about Chase’s opportunity this year and credits him with really working hard this winter, spring, and summer to continue to improve. Eidsness shared that Chase is where he needs to be mentally and in the playbook but now it is just about getting more and more live reps. I asked how Eidsness has coached Chase about self preservation and he said that it really doesn’t matter the position. Your best players have to understand the situation and weigh the value of the risk/reward. A meaningless extra 5 yards in the first quarter are different than if your team is on the goal line with the game on the line. Regardless of the position, if the offense is built around that player they have to be able to consider the “big picture.”
After Mason, there is a true open competition to determine the pecking order for the rest of the room. Eidsness said the first few weeks of camp will be extremely important because they will start to establish an order based on the charting. After that, the reps will be split based on the order.
#5 Jon Bell (6-3, 195) has minimal experience but is the next most experienced of this group. In limited action, he was 7 for 14 for 96 yards and a TD. Bell has served as the holder on field goals and extra points for a few years now. Eidsness said that Bell has a big arm but not the same type of athleticism as some of the other quarterbacks in the room.
Redshirt freshmen quarterbacks #16 Jack Henry (6-2, 205) and #13 Luke Marble (6-4, 200) will also battle it out. Henry showed off his athleticism in the spring game with some nice runs and did show promise as a passer. Marble transferred in from Northern Illinois and has been in Brookings all summer. Henry’s athleticism is evident and he has grown as a passer and displayed some good arm strength. Eidsness credits Marble with being a fiery competitor and bringing good energy to the room. He also has a really strong arm and is very intelligent. #17 Jack Thue (6-2, 190) is close to returning to action after a knee injury against UND. He is more of a pocket passer like Bell vs. a true dual threat like Mason, Henry, and Marble.
The final QB rounding out the room is #9 Preston Otter (6-3, 200) who joins the Jackrabbits after spending a year at Philips Exeter Academy, which is a prep school in the north east. Otter had a nice high school career in Michigan and was being recruited by Northern Illinois before going the prep school route. Eidsness said that he is as gifted as anyone in the room in terms of athleticism.
Go Jacks!
Matt
