Wednesday’s press conference with passing game coordinator Jim Hofher didn’t start with football, but rather tomatoes.

That’s right, tomatoes.

Hofher came in with a red tomato and described his love for farming for about 30 seconds. Then he said, “Okay, where are we at.”

There was a small laughter between the media and a smile on his face as he went into depth on the three, and possibly four, quarterbacks he’s working with at fall practice.

Jacob Park

Park will be the starting quarterback when Iowa State plays Northern Iowa on Sept. 2. That’s not a surprise to any college football fans following the Cyclones. What has been different for Park this fall camp, is the ability to participate every day at 100 percent.

Last season, Park had the mumps for the first week of fall camp causing him to sit out, while he was battling Joel Lanning for the starting quarterback role.

“It sucked,” Park said. “My face was huge. I mean it was terrible. I couldn’t eat really anything, but drink water. It was terribly painful. It sucked.”

Park doesn’t have much competition this fall camp, but he always has competition in his mind with himself. He’s more disappointed in the bad passes than happy with the good passes because he always wants to improve.

Hofher has seen the improvements that Park has made from last camp to this current camp, which clearly resulted in Park earning that starting quarterback role to start this season.

“It’s night and day [from last season],” Hofher said. “He was learning the words, learning the language, starting to learn his teammates, not getting all the reps that he began to earn, and is not even the guy that finished the season.”

Zeb Noland

Noland’s story is completely different to Park’s last season. Park stood on the sidelines watching Lanning start as quarterback, but knew his time could be at any moment.

Noland had to sit on the sidelines with a cast around his entire leg knowing his season was over before it started. The redshirt freshman tore his ACL last season, but to him it was a blessing in disguise.

“I honestly couldn’t be more thankful,” Noland said. “I think it was a blessing in disguise from the good Lord above that I tore my ACL and got to grow mentally.”

Now, Noland is looking forward to the battle with Kyle Kempt for the backup role this season. The two say they’re friends and want the opportunity to grow and not compete.

Hofher is proud of how Noland has grown during his time out with the injury and thinks he’s grown into a mature quarterback. A quarterback that could be useful for the team in the near future.

Noland has been helping true freshman quarterback Devon Moore with encouragement and advice since he tore his ACL last week during fall camp.

Kyle Kempt

Kempt is the other quarterback competing against Noland for the backup role, but for Kempt it’s feels like a different fall camp.

The redshirt senior has been jumping from schools starting at Oregon State then Hutchinson Community College and finally reaching Iowa State. These past few weeks of camp has been the first time since coming to Iowa State that Kempt could be in the backup role.

Last season, Kempt was the third quarterback behind Park and Lanning. Now he could be on the field in a matter of seconds if anything happens.

He’s feels prepared for it though.

Devon Moore and Kyle Kempt airing it out. #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/YGVcXspyPI

— Aaron Marner (@A_Mar32) July 31, 2017

“I’d start off physically, I’d attribute that to the strength coach and buying into the process,” Kempt said. “Then mentally, taking a lot of reps during spring ball and just getting in tune with the offense and really being in sync with the guys.

“I mean I wouldn’t even recognize myself from last year.”

Hofher believes Kempt is coming along at the right kind of pace doing everything he can in the weight room, class room and the field to show his understanding.

The competition and race for the backup role will be a hard fought one.

Joel Lanning

Even though Lanning has moved to the defensive side, opponents and fans can’t forget he has the capability to be at the quarterback position sometime this season.

Coach Matt Campbell said he expects Lanning to play offensively this season, so Hofher has not three, but four quarterbacks to work with this upcoming season.

The competition might be strong between one another, but the chemistry and friendship is tighter than ever according to Hofher, Park, Noland and Kempt.

Even Hofher gives out his tomatoes to the three of them. To them, they’re good tomatoes and thank Hofher for being a farmer.