Moorhead, Minn.-- Horan's take on the quarterback position: "It's nice to have your starting quarterback in place and have a player who thoroughly knows the system and can be like a coach on the field."

Last year's team preview of the quarterback position stated, "In a perfect world, one player will step ahead of the rest and seize control of the situation and not relinquish the role for years to come." To say that Schumacher seized control of the situation would be like saying that Tiger Woods is just another golfer. Schumacher had a dream-like season that saw his name plastered all over the Cobber record book for marks in a single season and a single game. Not only did he set the school record for total offense in a season, but he also bettered the mark for most passing touchdowns in a single game, not once, but twice. All in all, it was a season that rightfully earned him the league's MVP trophy.

The biggest question this season is who will back up Schumacher. A seasoned returning player and a group of talented freshmen are poised to make their mark should the unthinkable happen to Schumacher. Eric Rodel spent a season in the role of understudy. He will also be used as a wide receiver this season. Rodel closely resembles Schumacher with his size (6-3, 215) and his ability to be dangerous off the run and pass.

The biggest recruiting class in recent history features several quality signal callers. The two with the most significant pedigrees are Scott Schumacher and Jesse Nelson. Schumacher is the younger brother of Brian and was an all-state quarterback for Thompson (N.D.) High School last year, while Nelson led Minnetonka High School to the Class AAAAA state championship last fall. Several other quality players will also be in the mix for the role of back-up in 2005.