— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — As Marshall begins preparation for its season opener against Stony Brook in 10 days, there are still no hints as to who will be guiding the Thundering Herd’s new-look Air Raid offense.
Head Coach Charles Huff says a battle between returnees Cole Pennington and Colin Paracheck along with Tulsa transfer Braylon Braxton and freshman JacQai Long has benefitted the entire team.
“We’ve had a true quarterback competition this year, unlike my other fall practices here,” Huff said. “I feel really good about the position. It’s important that we have multiple quarterbacks ready to play, because we haven’t had the original starter finish the year due to injury. Having true competition gives you more confidence going into the year.”
Another new name has entered the competition in Stone Earle, a recent addition to the program.
Earle, who left North Texas in June, presents an interesting case in his quest for snaps. He has experience running an Air Raid attack from his days with the Mean Green.
A Keller, Texas native, Earle played two seasons with the Mean Green, which followed his first two seasons at Abilene Christian.
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Earle made two starts last season for North Texas, including one in a season-opening loss to Cal. He finished 22-of-40 with 274 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Against the Golden Bears, he was 12-of-19 for 174 yards with three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.
He also started in a loss to Florida International, a contest in which Earle completed 10-of-20 passes for 100 yards with one TD and two interceptions. It was during that contest when Earle was benched in favor of Chandler Rogers and his playing time was limited the remainder of the season.
Earle rushed for 71 yards against FIU and finished the 2023 campaign with 16 carries for 70 yards.
Earle’s most extensive action in college came in 2021, his second season at Abilene Christian. That year, he completed 102-of-155 passes for 1,232 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Earle also rushed for 120 yards and two scores on 37 carries that season.
“We’re evaluating not who runs the offense the best, but who runs their version of the offense the best,” Huff said. “Then ultimately, that makes the decision of what the offense will be. We’re allowing them to get reps at what they do well, which has allowed us to see some consistency.”
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Marshall has announced a Fan of the Year contest meant to reward those who show loyalty to all Thundering Herd programs.
In addition to bragging rights as the Herd’s top fan, the winner receives a season-long football parking pass, a framed certificate presentation from the mascot, Marco, a custom framed Marshall football jersey and a Marshall gear pack
Starting with this fall’s events and continuing throughout the 2024-25 sports seasons, the Fan of the Year will be determined through a points-based system powered by the HerdZone app.
“Passionate fans have always been at the forefront of what makes Marshall Athletics special,” said Ryan Crisp, Marshall’s Associate Athletic Director for Annual Giving, Ticket Sales and Fan Engagement. “As a part of our ‘Fans First, Fans Forever’ initiative, we are proud to launch the ‘Fan of the Year’ contest to showcase and honor our devoted fans. We can’t wait to see who earns the distinction of Marshall’s Fan of the Year!”