As ISU quarterback Bret Meyer prepares for his senior season, two freshman quarterbacks are fighting for the unofficial title of quarterback of the future.

Redshirt freshman and Ames-native Austen Arnaud and true freshman Phillip Bates are Meyer’s backups. Although they are competing, they both said their immediate goals were not to beat each other out, but to make themselves better players.

“Bret’s a great guy. Austen’s a great guy. We’re going to compete,” Bates said. “I’m not looking for anything right now. I’m just looking to get better every day.”

Arnaud had similar feelings.

“Bret is looking to have a great season this year, and me and Phillip are just pushing ourselves every day to get better,” Arnaud said. “I knew Phillip before he came here. We’re good friends. It’s going to be a competition, but we’re still good friends.”

Although he was redshirted last year, Arnaud said the experience of being on the ISU sidelines last year will help him in the future.

“It definitely helps me,” Arnaud said. “I got to travel to all the away stadiums last year. Just to get a feel for how the crowd’s going to be will definitely help in the future. It’s a whole new game now.”

Coach Gene Chizik said Arnaud’s year of experience gives him the upper hand early.

“Obviously it’s a learning process for them, and obviously Austen has a little bit of a jump, simply because he’s been here for spring,” Chizik said.

“They’re both doing really well, they both really want to learn, and they’re both excited to be here and excited to have a chance to play for this team.”

Arnaud was the Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Ames High. Bates’ high school career also stood out to Chizik during the recruiting process. Bates had a school-record 2,963 passing yards in his two seasons with Omaha North High School in Nebraska.

“We just thought [Bates] was a good athlete, and obviously had a tremendous high school career,” Chizik said. “He’s obviously a tremendous athlete, and we just thought that his leadership skills and the things that he did and his production in high school would give him a chance to do well here.”

Chizik wouldn’t elaborate on what it would take for one of the quarterbacks to earn playing time over senior Meyer. Chizik said he wouldn’t shy away from playing freshmen if it was for the good of the team.

“I want to be successful. If we feel like freshmen can help our football team win today, we will play them,” Chizik said. “If we feel like they will be better to help the football team next year, then we won’t play them.”

Both backups expressed confidence about coming in at any point in the season should Chizik seek a change in quarterback or if Meyer should go down with an injury. Meyer also expressed confidence in Arnaud and Bates being ready to take over for him.

“I don’t think we’ll have any falloff once I leave,” Meyer said. “Austen has grown a lot in the spring, and Phillip from the first day he got here has been growing. There’s no doubt in my mind they could come in and do the job.”

Freshman QBs could see playing time

Bret Meyer may not be the only quarterback taking snaps Thursday.

Meyer, who has thrown for 7,348 career passing yards, will start for the Cyclones against Kent State, but might take a seat to backup Austen Arnaud for several plays.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do exactly with the backup role at quarterback,” coach Gene Chizik said at a press conference Monday. “We’d like to play two, maybe three, if we could. We’ll just kind of see how the game unfolds and what we want to do from there.”

Arnaud, who redshirted last season, has taken a number of snaps with the first team throughout fall practices this year.

“I think both guys bring different [skills] to the table at this point in time and we really like both of our quarterbacks,” Chizik said. “It would just be nice to be able to get Austen in there some and let him work some game situation in college football.”

Chizik did say Meyer would start for sure.

As for running back, Chizik has yet to decide who will open the 2007 season as the Cyclones’ starter. Junior Jason Scales is currently listed at the top of the depth chart ahead of junior J.J. Bass and redshirt freshman Alexander Robinson. Still, Chizik said the job is open.

“We’ll let them keep battling it out,” said Chizik, who will likely announce the starter Tuesday.

– Tommy Birch