As he exited his first spring football session as Nebraska's head coach, Mike Riley wasn't prepared to name a starter at quarterback heading into the summer.
But reading between the lines of what the former Oregon State head coach said, it isn't hard to see who has a leg up in the competition.
Redshirt freshmen A.J. Bush and Zack Darlington each showed flashes in the Cornhuskers' April 11 spring game, but junior Tommy Armstrong still appears to be the front-runner to reclaim his starting role in Riley's first season in Lincoln. Speaking after the exhibition, Riley said he had a pecking order at quarterback in mind but wasn't going to reveal it just yet.
The bulk of the praise he offered when it came to the position, however, was directed toward Armstrong.
"The thing that never wavered about Tommy was—and is a separator for him right now—that's his confidence," Riley said. "He's a confident guy and he plays like it."
The Cibolo, Texas, native enjoyed a strong sophomore season statistically under Bo Pelini in 2014, passing for 2,695 yards and 22 touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 705 yards and six scores. But while his totals may have been big, Armstrong struggled with consistency in the passing game, completing just 53.3 percent of his attempts while also throwing 12 interceptions.
Those struggles could potentially be magnified under Riley, whose pro-style offense relies more on efficient passing than Pelini's spread system did. The first-year Nebraska head coach admitted that Armstrong has had his share of struggles in adjusting to his new offense after two years of playing one more fit for his skill set.
"The hard part for a guy that has been playing for a couple of years is all of the sudden having a new system put in. I thought he did a really good job of learning it, and there's some new football that he's dealing with," Riley said. "It is a tough thing midway through your college career to have what you know pulled out from under him. That's a tough deal for him. But I think he's done well, and he should continue to grow."
If Armstrong can continue to adjust to his new offense and solidify his lead in the Huskers' quarterback race, it could benefit him not just now, but down the road as well.
Thanks in part to Riley's system, the Beavers made a habit of putting quarterbacks in the NFL in his 12 years in Corvallis. Derek Anderson and Matt Moore have each enjoyed prolonged professional careers and have had multiple stints as starters, and Sean Mannion is a lock to be selected in next week's NFL draft.
At 6'1" and 220 pounds, Armstrong isn't necessarily an ideal draft prospect himself, but there are enough exceptions that a strong final two seasons at Nebraska could earn him a place in professional football.
Especially if Armstrong can master Riley's passer-friendly system, which helped Mannion throw for an astonishing 4,662 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2013, before his numbers came back down to earth in his senior season. Armstrong may be four inches shorter than the 6'5" Mannion, but Riley has seen enough in him to be reminded of another one of his former players.
"Tommy is very natural at throwing, and I thought Lyle Moevao was one of the most natural guys that we ever had," Riley said. "Just looking at the natural rhythm of throwing the ball and the relatively quick release and it just looks comfortable for him."
Playing in 11 games in 2008, Moevao threw for 2,534 yards and 19 touchdowns while completing 59.3 percent of his passes. At 5'11" and 220 pounds, he was similar to Armstrong in stature, and as Riley explained, his system is capable of fitting different types of quarterbacks.
"Our system—that is a loose term a little bit," Riley said. "Our system varied from Derek Anderson to what Lyle Moevao did. Lyle was a heck of a quarterback, but he didn't have the same reach on the throws that Derek did. What he did, he was probably the best angle thrower that we've ever had. That was more of a feature thing for him.
"We would adapt as we will when we watch Tommy. We will look at the throws he can make and then we will adapt."
That certainly seems to bode well for Armstrong's prospects, although it's worth noting that Riley is yet to solidify his status as the Huskers' starter for the 2015 season. In the spring game, however, he was certainly treated like a first-string player, attempting just 12 passes on the day, six of which he completed for a total of 77 yards.
For his part, Armstrong admitted to enduring some struggles picking up his new offense, but overall he seems pleased with the progress he made this spring.
"I felt like I improved, just mentally," he said after the spring game. "Being able to know where I needed to go with the ball. My assignments, giving other guys assignments. Putting myself in the right situations."
Armstrong will need to continue to do just that throughout the summer, in order to fend off Bush and Darlington in a competition that isn't quite over yet. Bush and Darlington's skill sets may be better fits under Riley, but Armstrong has experience on his side, which could ultimately help him make the most of the remainder of his college career.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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