CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Led by SUU offensive coordinator Justin Walterscheid, the quarterbacks on Southern Utah's 2019 roster are looking primed for a big campaign ahead.
Chris Helbig started the first four contests for Southern Utah in 2018, and completed 94 passes for 1,011 yards and five touchdowns. Despite only appearing in those four contests, those numbers were SUU's season highs in each category.
"Chris looks strong," Walterscheid said. "He looks physically ready to go, no question. I think he looks faster than I've ever seen him. He says his arm feels stronger than it's ever felt, so now we're focusing on the speed of processing things. He's getting better and better at that. And all offseason we talked about leadership, how that position on the football team demands a good leader, and I think he's done a phenomenal job buying into that."
Tyler Skidmore played in four contests for the T-Birds as well last season, completing 83 passes for 797 yards and three touchdowns.
"Skidmore has done a great job," Walterscheid said. "Last season he stepped into his first game having less than five practices the whole season, and the week he went in the game he had no practice reps. He had been dealing with an injury, so all offseason getting him healthy was the top priority. So now he's learning the details of the offense."
Transfering to SUU from Snow College, Justin Miller is in his first season with the Thunderbirds.
"Justin is a mature kid that went on a mission and had a year in junior college," Walterscheid said. "It didn't take long for him to come in and no longer look like a rookie, it looks like he's been here for a while."
Joining the Thunderbirds from Chino Hills High School in Riverside, California, Brayden Fawcett is also in his first year with the program.
"He's a true freshmen that's put on about 25 pounds since he got here in May, and I think he has an extremely high ceiling," Walterscheid said. "He can move, he can cover ground, he has a big stride that eats yards which is a big bonus because he can throw the football."
The Thunderbirds will open their season on August 31 in Las Vegas against the UNLV Rebels.
Keep tabs on the Thunderbirds throughout the entire Big Sky Kickoff by following @SUUFB on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Football page on Facebook.
Season Tickets and Single Game Tickets are currently available to purchase at the America First Event Center Ticket Office and at www.tbirdtickets.com.
