The question has lingered for some time: Who will be under center when the ISU football team takes the field Sept. 1 for its first game of the 2012 season?

At ISU football media day on Thursday, that answer did not become any more clear. All that is known as the team begins fall camp is it will be a three-way race between senior Steele Jantz, redshirt sophomore Jared Barnett and redshirt freshman Sam Richardson.

“It’s deadlocked. Sam is going to get his reps too, and he’s going to have an opportunity,” said ISU football coach Paul Rhoads. “He was behind [Jantz and Barnett] as we ended spring ball, but he is a part of the competition.”

A quarterback competition for a second consecutive year.

Last summer it was Jantz, Barnett and redshirt senior Jerome Tiller, who has since become a target for this year’s competitors, moving to wide receiver.

When the Cyclones took the field for their first game last season against Northern Iowa, it was Jantz who won the job and found himself behind center. But injuries, and at times lackluster performances, kept Jantz from starting the entire season.

In the end, Jantz started seven games for Iowa State in 2011, with Barnett starting six. Tiller was ruled academically ineligible before the season began, taking himself out of the competition.

Jantz said being in a battle for a second straight fall camp has made this battle easier.

“I do feel a lot more comfortable. Last year at this time was a lot of anticipation that I didn’t really know how it was going to go,” Jantz said. “This year I’m comfortable with the offense, and I’m just ready to get out there again.”

The playbook will now be called by new ISU offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham, who replaced Tom Herman in January after he departed for Ohio State.

For Messingham, the competition is simple.

“I want to see them make the plays that are in front of them; that’s probably the biggest thing,” Messingham said. “You can’t leave plays out on the field; if people are open, we need to throw strikes, and if people aren’t open, we need to be smart with the football and not turn it over.”

Both Jantz and Barnett shared a similar sentiment, putting emphasis on accuracy. Last season, Jantz had a completion percentage of 53.3 with 11 interceptions, while Barnett had a 50 percent completion percentage with six interceptions.

Barnett feels the competition will come down to improving upon those numbers in camp.

“I think accuracy is going to be a huge key,” Barnett said. “Whoever can throw the most completions and be the most efficient on the field, I think that’s who’s going to get the job.”

And don’t forget Richardson.

“Sam is a guy I think people lose a little bit or forget about,” Messingham said. “The thing I think some people miss about Sam is he’s not only a smart guy, but he’s a competitor.”

Rhoads said Richardson will get reps in practice during the next several weeks of camp. Richardson said he plans on taking advantage of his opportunities.

“You have to have the mindset that every opportunity you get, you have to make the best of it,” Richardson said. “You have to be ready for each and every opportunity; maybe it’s two [reps] one practice and maybe it’s 20 the next practice.”

For at least the next two weeks the quarterback question will continue to linger as Jantz, Barnett and Richardson split snaps in fall camp.

“I was thinking about waiting until the end of August, maybe the Sept. 1 pre-game show,” Rhoads said with a laugh when asked when he would make a decision. “It’ll be close to the 18th of August when I’m confident to name a starter.”