Countdown to Camp: Quarterback breakdown

PowerMizzou.com will preview fall camp extensively over the next four weeks, including previews at every position and individual looks at players who must step up to make 2008 a success. If you are not yet a premium subscriber, click here to start your free seven-day trial today!.

Fall camp opens up in 25 days. Over the next couple of weeks, PowerMizzou.com will continue to get Tiger fans completely prepped for the biggest season in school history. Today, we begin our in-depth breakdowns of the fall situation at every position on the field. We start things at the quarterback position.

The Starter: Hmmm, not much mystery here. Chase Daniel will start. Daniel had the best season for a quarterback in school history and finished fourth in the Heisman balloting in 2007. He is, bar none, the key to the Tiger team. He may be the most valuable player to his team in college football. Fall camp, honestly, is far less about Daniel than the guys behind him.

Projected Backup: Chase Patton. Patton isn't Daniel. The key to camp will be, if something were to happen to Daniel, how far can Patton take the Tigers? Bowl game? Big 12 North? Big 12 title? There has never been a doubt about his ability, but he has been inconsistent in practice and has battled interceptions quite a bit. More than anything, Patton has to simply show that he won't throw the ball to the other team.

Major Camp Storyline: Beyond the obvious of keeping Daniel healthy, all camp eyes will be focused on Blaine Gabbert. With Dominic Grooms gone, Gabbert should be the third-stringer by the time the first scrimmage is done. Is he ready to go any higher than that this fall? The answer to that question will go a long way toward making the decision of whether to play him in 2008 or throw him into the fire in 2009.

By the Numbers: 4,309 and 33. The number of yards and touchdowns, respectively, that Daniel threw for in 2007. Both were school records.

Position Rating: 9.5. Daniel may be the best quarterback in college football. But this can't be a ten because we don't know exactly what the Tigers have if he gets hurt.

PowerMizzou.com will continue our position previews with a look at the tailbacks on Friday.

PowerMizzou.com will preview fall camp extensively over the next four weeks, including previews at every position and individual looks at players who must step up to make 2008 a success. If you are not yet a premium subscriber, click here to start your free seven-day trial today!.