BYU football: Riley Nelson aims to win heated BYU QB battle

PROVO — BYU junior quarterback Riley Nelson was the first to emerge from the locker room Monday, jogging alone onto the practice field for the first day of spring practice.

As one of three contenders, along with sophomore James Lark and true freshman Jake Heaps, vying to become the next Cougar QB, Nelson wants to be the one to emerge — as the starter — when BYU opens the 2010 season Sept. 4 against Washington.

"That's definitely my goal," said Nelson, who was three-year starter Max Hall's backup last season. "I wish to accomplish it. But not all my eggs are in that basket. If the chips don't fall in my favor, I've got to keep working and waiting for the next opportunity. This is opportunity number one to accomplish a goal that I've had since I was a little kid, and I plan to take full advantage of it."

Coach Bronco Mendenhall acknowledged that all three quarterbacks have a lot to learn, but, he added, "In terms of talent, all three are very skilled and bring something special. One day is hard to assess other than they all have the skills necessary to lead the team. We'll see how it plays out."

Mendenhall reiterated Monday that this quarterback battle could last until fall camp.

During 11-on-11 drills, Nelson, who took reps with the first-team based on his knowledge of the offense, completed 5 of 7 passes for 33 yards. Lark, who returned home in December from a mission to Russia, finished 0-for-3, including an interception by cornerback Robbie Buckner.

And in his first official practice as a Cougar, Heaps, a highly touted prep star who graduated from high school early so he could enroll in classes at BYU in January, was 4-for-8 for 25 yards, including a 16-yard pass to wide receiver Marcus Mathews.

Both Nelson and Lark say the quarterbacks are enjoying the competition.

"We all have different strengths, which is really good for this team," said Lark, who prepped at Pine View High. "We have a good team. We're excited and working hard."

"Day One went really well. First and foremost, it was fun to come out, run around and play football," said Nelson, a Logan High product. "I feel really excited and enthused about how we performed as a team. It was a little bit of ebb and flow today with the offense and defense, which is what you want to see. We've got a bunch of athletes on defense and a bunch of talented guys on offense. It was real fun to get out and play some spring ball. ... Everyone is trying to show what they can do. That's the objective right now."