It’s hard to believe that this is the first time redshirt sophomore quarterback Blake Frohnapfel has fully participated in spring drills. The 6-foot-6 signal caller didn’t arrive on campus until the fall of 2011 and suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery toward the end of his freshman season. By the time spring practice rolled around he was still extremely limited in how much he could participate in practice.
Last spring, Frohnapfel spent much of his time taking “mental reps,” watching the offense work and going through the progressions in his head as Rakeem Cato took snaps from under center. Working as the backup quarterback, Frohnapfel spent much of the fall getting more mental reps as The Herd prepared each week for the next opponent. For Frohnapfel, it wasn’t a task he took lightly, knowing he was always just a play away from going into the game.
All the preparation paid off in the regular season finale when starting quarterback Rakeem Cato went down with a shoulder injury. Frohnafpel was called on late in the game and completed 12-of-15 pass attempts for 101 yards. He also scored on a 51-yard run that nearly got Marshall bowl eligible.
“It was a confidence thing,” said Frohnapfel. “Going in there it proved I could do it and being confident in what I can do and believe that I can do it.”
Frohnapfel has exuded that confidence this spring working the first and second team offenses. In two scrimmages, Frohnapfel has completed 27-42 for 382 yards.
“I feel more comfortable in the offense and I’m seeing things in the defense I’ve not seen before,” assessed Frohnapfel. “I’ve been getting the mental reps and now I’m actually going out there and find the receiver and throw it accurately.”
Now that Frohnapfel is healthy, the competition between quarterbacks has heated up. His performance has pushed the 2012 Conference USA Most Valuable Player step up his game as well. On more than one occasion Rakeem Cato has credited Frohnapfel for pushing him on the practice field and in the film room, not letting him rest on his 2012 performance. Frohnapfel’s work has also caught the eyes of the offensive coaching staff.
“It’s great to have Froh there and it’s just great to have him there and we’re going to have a package for him because he deserves to play and will play,” revealed head coach Doc Holliday.
There’s no doubt this is Rakeem Cato’s team and it would take something extraordinary for Frohnapfel to unseat Cato. However, Doc Holliday and Herd fans can rest a bit easier knowing if he’s called on, like at the end of the 2012 season, Frohnapfel is ready and capable of leading Marshall’s offense.