UTSA Football: Jeff Traylor Offers Insight on QB Competition

Joe Londergan | Aug 22, 2024

Sep 2, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; UTSA Roadrunners head coach Jeff Traylor reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

For the UTSA Roadunners, arguably the most difficult task on deck in 2024 is replacing longtime starting quarterback Frank Harris. Finding the right way to do that continues to to be a priority for UTSA football coach Jeff Traylor and his staff.

Traylor appeared Thursday on 247Sports' The Flagship podcast with Horns247 writers Eric Henry and Chip Brown. There, Traylor offered some insight into the ongoing competition between Owen McCown and Eddie Lee Marburger and his hopes for their college careers as the Roadrunners' fall camp draws to a close.

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"Owen and Eddie are two good ones. We can both win with them. We have won with both of them," Traylor remarked. "They were good high school quarterbacks, they're good college quarterbacks, I just hope everybody grades them on the same curve that they graded Frank [Harris] on. We only won seven games that first year with Frank. It took him a while to learn the offense and get it down. I don't want everybody to grade Owen and Eddie on the same curve that they graded Frank on in the end [of Harris' college career]. That's not fair. So I hope everybody gives those guys a little bit of slack early in their careers."

Marburger has appeared in 11 games over three seasons for UTSA, completing 43 passes on 80 attempts for 543 yards with five touchdowns and an interception. McCown, son of NFL veteran Josh McCown, led UTSA to a win in the 2023 Frisco Bowl. McCown appeared in seven games for the Roadrunners last season completing 43 passes on 58 attempts for 442 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. McCown played his true freshman season at Colorado in 2022.

UTSA are scheduled to open the 2024 season on Saturday, August 31, hosting the Kennesaw State Owls.