Steele Jantz Named Cyclones’ Starting QB Against Tulsa

The long-awaited decision of who goes under center for Iowa State this season will be the same man that started it all off last year.

According to ISU’s official athletic website, head coach Paul Rhoads named senior quarterback Steele Jantz the starter against Tulsa. Once again, he will have the keys to lead one of the most anticipated seasons yet for Cyclones fans.

Straight from Rhoads in the Cyclones.com release – “Steele has demonstrated the skill set that I think is ideal for our offense. The main point is that we have depth at the quarterback position with two men who led us to a second bowl game appearance in three years.”

Jantz led the team in passing last season, completing a slightly higher percentage of his passes (at 53.3 percent) than Jared Barnett. He completed 138-259 passes for 1,519 total yards, also tallying 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Is this move good for Iowa State? Absolutely. I believed Jantz would have a better chance to start for the team, adding another level to the Cyclones offense. There is a ton of depth at running back. James White, Jeff Woody, and Shontrelle Johnson should all be touching the ball this season. Having the added mobile ability of Barnett isn’t necessary, and Jantz is naturally the best throwing quarterback.

Last season, Jantz showed us his clutch ability to finish games. The problem was nagging injuries and starting off games with multiple interceptions. As long as there has been improvement in the offseason by not looking overwhelmed in the start of games, this was a good decision by Rhoads.

Barnett fed off of a brilliant run attack and a tremendous stretch of the defense shutting down opponents’ running game beginning with Texas Tech. In those last three starts for Barnett, things didn’t come as easy and ultimately he didn’t look great out there, especially in the bowl game against Rutgers. He’s still just a sophomore, and continuing to learn the game should make him even better.

Best thing is, he’s had the experience from last season. If Jantz ever goes down with another injury, Cyclone fans should be relieved if Barnett comes in to take over.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Clones Confidential, follow the site on Twitter and Facebook. Read his other work on the Oregon Ducks blog, Autzen Zoo, and Lacrosse the Web.