Pat Fitzgerald discusses spring quarterback competition

EVANSTON — When Pat Fitzgerald addressed which players would lead the various position groups this spring, his answer for quarterback was “TBD.”

With starter Clayton Thorson out for the spring after undergoing knee surgery in January, the starting quarterback job, at least for now, is wide open. The three contenders — TJ Green, Aidan Smith and Andrew Marty — will split reps equally during the 15 spring practices, barring one of the three significantly outplaying the others, Fitzgerald said.

Here’s what Fitzgerald had to say about each of the three.

On Green: “TJ, obviously is from a football family. A guy that’s probably three inches taller, he’s a scholarship guy in this league. He’s got a high football IQ. He’s been here the longest.”

On Smith: “Aidan has got a big, talented arm. A guy who has been around football his whole life, got a great family just like [TJ]...He’s grown up on the scout field these first few years. This is a great opportunity him this spring to showcase his skills.”

On Marty: “Andrew is the youngest of the three obviously but he’s also a guy who I think is talented just like the other two.”

Thorson’s rehab sounds like it’s going well, but he still has a long way to go before he can get back to playing again. For now, the quarterback competition is on.

Northwestern’s first game against Purdue is on Thursday, August 30th.