Penn-cil him in as Portland State's utility QB
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The battle for starting quarterback at Portland State has led to several changes for the Vikings.
Senior Kieran McDonagh and junior transfer Alex Kuresa are the frontrunners, and sophomore Josh Kraght has been moved to a slot position.
And, junior Paris Penn from Grant High has had a new position created just for him: utility quarterback (UQ).
New PSU coach Bruce Barnum and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper liken the UQ role to the wildcat offense, in which a running back gets the direct snap from center.
But Penn can run or pass.
“We have a student-athlete who’s too good to just play quarterback,” Barnum says. “When he touches the ball, he’s special.
“When you’re touching the ball at quarterback, you’re usually distributing it. I need him to have it in his hands running toward the end zone.”
Penn, a 6-1, 215-pound junior, has seen limited playing time at PSU, mostly due to shoulder njuries. In two seasons, he’s played in 11 games, thrown for 196 yards (20 of 36) and two touchdowns and rushed for 383 yards (7.1 per carry) and four touchdowns.
“You’ve got to find a way to get that kid on the field,”’ Cooper says. “We have a plan we think will be utilizing him in the best way possible.”
Due to Penn’s dual threats, Barnum didn’t want to move him to a different spot on the field.
“It would have limited how good we can be,” Barnum says. “It would have cut down on his productivity. I’m not a very good coach if he’s not touching the ball as much as he can during a game.”
Penn says he didn’t consider moving to a different position, either.
“Never. It’s never crossed my mind. I never wanted to,” he says. “Honestly, this is just something I’m doing to help the team win games.”
During the 11-on-11 drill at the end of Monday’s practice, Penn got to play several snaps at quarterback and showcase his throwing skills.
“He can still throw the ball,” Cooper says. “He goes out there and throws a strike for about a 25-yard gain in the red zone. So he can still play quarterback.
“The thought of moving him to running back or receiver … of course it’s crossed our minds … but he’s such a threat when you give him the ball as a quarterback.”
Barnum says he intends to use Penn in the UQ role as much as he can.
“He’ll be a part of every offensive package,” Barnum says, “and shoot, who knows, defense, if it goes that far. He can play any position except O-line and D-line.”
Penn says the number one thing for him is to stay healthy. But he also plans on playing faster.
“I need to focus on just playing fast, not thinking and just making plays,” he says.
The Vikings’ first game will be on Sept. 5, when they battle Washington State in Pullman.
After a Sept. 12 game at Idaho State, PSU’s home opener is versus Western Oregon on Sept. 26, with kickoff at 2 p.m.
Penn, a former Portland Interscholastic League offensive player of the year and all-PIL third baseman, says he looks forward to competing in front of the hometown fans again.
“It’s always fun playing at home. Family and friends get to come see you play,” he says. “You get the excitement of just being in Portland, trying to (bring) the winning atmosphere back to Portland and rebuild this program and hopefully bringing some wins back to this team and having people come down to [Providence Park].”
