And Skylar Thompson is no different, having to step up for multiple stints as a starter his rookie season two years ago — when he entered the season as a third-stringer. Thompson had to win a regular-season finale at the end of that 2022 campaign,

“The confidence that the team has towards Skylar is real and it’s earned and it’s based upon thousands of hours that, as a backup quarterback, most people don’t see,” McDaniel said. “He has ran our plays in a walkthrough setting probably more than anybody on our team.

I’m super excited for that,’ Skylar Thompson said. ‘For me, that’s what you want. That’s why football is such a great game: having a road opportunity with the guys.’