Ball State football training camp: Hatcher named QB1, but competition continues

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State football on Wednesday held its first on-field practice of training camp.
At the Scheumann Family Indoor Practice Facility, players got their first chance to compete, without pads, against one another since the Spring Game and see where they initially fall in the roster hierarchy.
While there are several position battles to watch this camp, newly anointed starting quarterback Layne Hatcher and backup Kiael Kelly are once again a primary focus. Hatcher, a graduate transfer from Texas State, played 7-on-7 with the first unit and led drills, occasionally working in tandem with Kelly.
Cardinals head coach Mike Neu said Hatcher's considerable experience puts him ahead of his in-house product.
"(Hatcher's) seen a lot, he's been exposed to a lot," Neu said. "Both guys are going to play. But if you're talking about going out there for the first time, taking the first snap ... Layne's experience and being in that type of environment (on the road at Kentucky), certainly, (is) in his favor."
Hatcher red-shirted his freshman year at Alabama in 2018 before transferring to Arkansas State where he played three seasons, throwing for 7,427 yards and 65 touchdowns. At Texas State last season, the Little Rock native threw for 2,653 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Neu highlighted Hatcher's "pro-style" play — throwing from the pocket, spreading the ball around, game management — as a reason to put him under center, at least initially.
It's evident, however, the coaches desire to see the two throwers compete.
Neu clarified that starters aren't always the same every game, so evaluations will continue to be made during camp and beyond.
Hatcher said he's well aware of Kelly's dual-threat talent and that his role could change down the line.
"It makes me proud for myself just in the sense that I've come out and did the right things to help this team," Hatcher said. "But by no means is that a, 'Job well done' or 'Job's finished' type of thing.
"If I told you that being named the starter made a difference to me, I'd be lying ... I've never walked into a practice thinking, 'Oh, I've got this job no matter what happens.' I always thought every day, 'If I don't perform to the level that's needed to play, I'm gonna lose my job today.'"
Kelly, a redshirt sophomore from Tampa, was disappointed in the decision but reiterated that he's enjoyed working alongside Hatcher.
"Layne's ready, and whatever helps the team win, I'm down for whatever the decision would be if it's me or Layne," Kelly said. "All we can ask is whoever's in to execute, and they picked Layne to go first, so you hope that it's the best decision."
Kelly's effort was not dampened. He will continue striving for the starting gig and is encouraged by the coaching staff's insistence that he'll get on the field in some capacity.
He showcased his speed once again on some read-option drills.
"Anyway to get on the field is the best way possible," Kelly said. "I feel like I can help the team in many ways, and however that is, I'm happy with it."
Hatcher and Kelly's opposing strengths stood out during drills.
Hatcher looked sharper with his footwork, quicker in getting the ball out and more often placed catchable throws out of reach of a defender.
Kelly, who appeared in just one game last season, showed off his arm strength, offering more zip on his deeper throws. His short passes were slightly less consistent, as was his footwork. Both QBs went throw-for-throw on intermediate routes.
Chemistry with wideouts still needs to develop, but redshirt senior transfer Ahmad Edwards praised Hatcher's effort to get him and other summer transfers acclimated to the offense.
"(Hatcher) brings everybody on the field and he tells you, 'Hey, I want this route like this. I want you to hit this depth, I want you here,' so he broke it down," Edwards said. "It just made everything so much simpler, (so) once I started getting out here, I could play faster and not have to think."
Hatcher said he's made a point to connect with everyone and keep the camp's intensity high. He knows qualities that lead to a good or bad preseason, and teammates pushing one another is the primary separator he's found that translates to success.
As an individual, he also knows what works best for him, which is a sound mind-body connection.
"I want to study as much as I can, but then on those days right before the game, I want to try to simplify it as much as I can to where it's not a cluttered thought process," Hatcher said. "I think when I have a cluttered thought process, it shows in my feet. When my feet are in rhythm and I'm playing on time, playing well, then my mind is usually in that same place."