Radcliff named starting QB as summer practice begins

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DETROIT — Central Michigan head coach Dan Enos has identified his starting quarterback for the 2010-11 season — for now.

Enos revealed Friday during the Mid-American Conference Football Preview at Ford Field that sophomore quarterback Ryan Radcliff is the leader for the starting job heading into preseason camp.

Radcliff will take snaps as the No. 1 when the team begins practice Friday. Players report back to campus Thursday.

“It will ultimately be won in the fall, but Ryan Radcliff is the guy who at the end of spring separated himself,” Enos said.

The 6-foot-2, 212-pound Radcliff began spring camp as the most experienced among CMU’s quarterbacks. He played in seven games last season, going 10-of-21 for 115 yards and two interceptions.

Junior Derek Rifenbury made just one appearance last season, getting a few snaps in CMU’s 48-0 win against Alcorn State. A.J. Westendorp was redshirted last season.

Radcliff also saw the most playing time of the three quarterbacks in April’s spring game, taking every snap for the White team and going 25-of-41 for 229 yards and an interception. Rifenbury and Westendorp split time for the Maroon team.

“We felt that in the spring he was just a little better throwing the ball and understanding what we were doing,” Enos said. “He was just a little further ahead.”

But Radcliff is expected to receive some additional competition from 6-foot-1, 206 pound junior Brandon Fricke, who transferred to CMU from Grossmont Community College (El Cajon, Fla.) in May, and freshman Kyle Smith.

Fricke, a pocket-passer, threw for 780 yards and eight touchdowns while helping lead Grossmont to an 8-3 record in 2009.

Smith holds the Pennsylvania state record for career passing yards (8,544), touchdown passes (118) and single-season touchdown passes (50). He led Lancaster Catholic High School to a state championship in 2009.

Notes

CMU was picked by the media Friday to finish the 2010 season second in the Mid-American Conference West Division. Temple was selected to win the East Division title and MAC championship, while Northern Illinois was picked to win the West.

The Holland Sentinel reported last week that A.J. Westendorp could miss up to three weeks after spraining his right ankle during conditioning on Thursday.

The contract for CMU Sports Network play-by-play man Ryan Schuiling was not renewed last week. Don Chiodo and Brock Gutierrez will handle duties for football and men’s basketball games. GVSU alum Justin Hoff has joined the staff and will handle sidelines reports and serve as the voice of CMU women’s basketball, baseball and softball.

Follow @AaronMcMann and @CMLifeSports on Twitter for the latest CMU sports updates.