Cincinnati used two starting quarterbacks last season, first Munchie Legaux and then Brendon Kay.
Legaux is the better athlete, but Kay was much more consistent as a passer for then-coach Butch Jones.
New coach Tommy Tuberville told the Cincinnati Enquirer he wants to name a starter about 10 days into fall camp, which begins Monday. Both players vying for the job are seniors.
"I don't think you go up until the last week because that really puts too much pressure on your players, on your quarterback and all the guys around him," Tuberville said. "You need to know who your quarterback is going to be."
Legaux, a New Orleans native whose given first name is Benton, played well early last season, with nine touchdown passes and three picks in the first five games. But as the schedule toughened, Legaux struggled -- he threw six interceptions in a three-game stretch midway through the season and he didn't throw a pass or have a rushing attempt in the final five games. He finished the season completing only 52.2 percent of his passes.
Kay had barely played in his first two seasons before becoming the starter in November. He threw nine TD passes as a starter, including four in a Belk Bowl victory over Duke, and he also ran for 288 yards in the five games he started. Kay completed 63 percent of his passes.
While his teams at Texas Tech were prolific throwing the ball, Tuberville prefers a physical ground game. His coordinator is Eddie Gran, who has never called plays before and had been Florida State's running backs coach.
Given Kay's steady hand, he seems likely to win the starting job.
Sitting out this season is Gunner Kiel, a former national top-10 quarterback prospect who transferred from Notre Dame. He seems the likely starter for 2014.
