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Wednesday, August 14, 2002

By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Youngstown State University, which might be only a quarterback shy of contending for a national championship, could soon add that missing ingredient with Cecil Howard, a former star quarterback at McKeesport High School.

Howard, 6 feet 1 and 195 pounds, left Syracuse over the weekend and plans to transfer to a school where he could play right away.

Syracuse Coach Paul Pasqualoni told the Post-Standard he helped Howard contact Youngstown State and IUP. Howard, Youngstown State Coach Jon Heacock and IUP Coach Frank Cignetti couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.

Howard, redshirted last season as a freshman at Syracuse, will have four years of eligibility beginning this season at NCAA Division I-AA Youngstown State or Division II IUP.

Howard apparently was unhappy at Syracuse because he was No. 3 on the depth chart behind junior R.J. Anderson and fifth-year senior co-captain Troy Nunes of Butler High School.

An option-style quarterback, Howard would seem to be a perfect fit at Youngstown State, where there's a vacancy at quarterback with the departure of four-year starter Jeff Ryan.

The quarterbacks in the mix right now are seniors Colby Street and Justin Green, junior transfer Luis Gonzalez and redshirt freshman Aaron Marshall.

IUP is settled at quarterback with Brian Eyerman entering his fourth season as the starter.

Phil Axelrod can be reached at paxelrod@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1967.