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Washington football: Can Thomson win the job?

By Roman Tomashoff

TEMPE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 06: Quarterback Kevin Thomson #5 of the Sacramento State Hornets throws a pass during the first half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on September 06, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 06: Quarterback Kevin Thomson #5 of the Sacramento State Hornets throws a pass during the first half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on September 06, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Washington football has a big-time battle on their hands at the quarterback position

It’s no secret that Washington football wanted to add a transfer quarterback this offseason. After losing out to Mississippi State on K.J. Costello, the Huskies were able to secure a big-time playmaker in Kevin Thomson.  It’s also no secret that outside of Thomson, the other quarterbacks on the roster have thrown a combined three pass attempts at the college level.

Thomson, the 2019 Offensive Player of the Year in the Big Sky Conference, brings a different dynamic to the offense. While he doesn’t have the arm strength that Jacob Sirmon does, he’s a true dual-threat quarterback. He rushed for 619 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final year at Sacramento State, and allows new offensive coordinator John Donovan to open up the playbook in a whole different way.

Jimmy Lake has spoken multiple times about how he wants the new offense to be more aggressive, and has stressed that the new playbook will emphasize more downfield passing to go along with Washington’s power run style. With all the talent at the receiver position, Donovan will probably end up utilizing a lot of play-action.

Now, Thomson is not a perfect prospect. For example, he finished his career at Sac State with a 57.8 completion percentage. If Donovan’s offense allows receivers more one on one matchups, Thomson will have to be precise. With the receiver talent on the outside, guys like Puka Nacua and Ty Jones will probably win the majority of 50/50 balls, but that won’t leave a lot of room for yards after the catch. His arm strength isn’t nearly on the same level as Sirmon’s, and he might not be able to push the ball downfield in the same manner.

One thing is clear about Thomson, he came here to win the job, and he has a good shot to win it. Keep a close eye on the quarterback battle this summer, as it will probably come down to Sirmon and Thomson. Only time will tell who will take the first snap of the season, but both guys will have plenty of opportunities to show they deserve to win the job.

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