Cadet impresses ASU coaches

Armanti Edwards was still on crutches when Appalachian State scrimmaged Saturday, and his availability for the season-opener Sept. 5 at East Carolina remains uncertain.

Edwards is waiting for his right foot to heal -- he cut it on a lawnmower blade Aug. 5 -- but Travaris Cadet, a new candidate at quarterback, said he is learning as quickly as he can.

Cadet had his game in high gear Saturday, impressing a Fan Fest crowd of about 8,500 with his running ability, and his status appears to be rising.

DeAndre Presley, who backed up Edwards last season as a freshman, is still considered the No. 1 quarterback while Edwards recovers. But Cadet, a sophomore from Miami who transferred after a redshirt season at Toledo and then spent time as a receiver at Pearl River Community College, is challenging.

Cadet scrambled for 39 yards on his first carry and set the tone for an 80-yard scoring drive in Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage. He went on to run three more times for 37 yards and completed 2 of 6 passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.

"It's probably the best we've moved the ball all (preseason camp)," Coach Jerry Moore of ASU said.

Brad Glenn, the quarterbacks coach, said of Cadet: "He did some awfully good things. There's a lot of competition right now. That's good for all of (the candidates)."

Glenn said that Cadet, who is left-handed like Edwards, has an ability to make things happen with his speed and footwork that is similar to Edwards' ability. And he said that Cadet's build (6-1, 210) makes him tough to tackle.

"He's only been here a limited time," Glenn said. "He doesn't know the entire offense right now. Once we can kind of hone in on a game plan, I think he's going to pick up everything fine. Obviously, he's dynamic with the ball in his hands."

Presley (3 for 5 for 74 yards in the scrimmage) is expected to get the nod if Edwards can't play, and he said he's preparing to start. "That's what it looks like," Presley said. "I'm just preparing every day to be ready."

Glenn said of Presley: "He's been thrown kind of in the spotlight all of a sudden, so he's got a lot on him right now. But he's handled it well."

Edwards said he doesn't know yet if he'll be able to play in the opener.

"There's no telling," said Edwards, who had more than 30 stitches removed from the foot Aug. 17.

"It's healing. I started walking on (the foot) last week, and part of the wound broke open. So I've got to let that heal up, but it's healing pretty quickly."

Edwards said he will have input in determining when he's ready.

"It will be up to me," he said. "The trainers have already told me once I start back working out, it will be up to me for the pain tolerance."

Cadet has increased his chances of being a viable option, despite a lack of game experience.

"I'm picking it up, and I'm getting more comfortable, and I feel better about myself in this offense," he said. "I'm putting my all into it, learning all I can, and I think something positive is coming out of it.

"I wish the best for Armanti, and we're all sorry what happened to him with the injury, but it's up to us to fill his shoes until he gets well."

Glenn said: "We've thrown a lot at him. The day he first walked out here, he didn't know our cadence or snap count. So he's had to learn a lot in a short period of time.

"He has to hone in on protecting the football a little more and just making great decisions with the ball in the running and passing game."

Cadet is more of a runner than passer.

"Right now he is," Moore said. "The throwing part is probably the hardest part for him to pick up right now. But he'll be alright there."

Glenn said: "Obviously we're trying to work on some things, trying to get him more accurate in the passing game…. If we can manage it the right way, give him a lot of short throws and quick reads and definite reads, I think he'll be fine with it."

Cadet also is a candidate to return punts. ASU coaches said they want him on the field somewhere, and Cadet said that he's up for any task. "I have an open mind," he said.

The Mountaineers have another quarterback candidate in freshman Jamal Jackson but the plans are to redshirt him if possible. Jackson has been sidelined with a thumb injury on his left (non-throwing) hand.

Glenn said that Jackson is a more polished passer, adding: "I see him having a great career here. A lot of different things can happen. We'll see how it shakes out. And a lot of it depends on Armanti and how quickly he heals."

■ Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at tbowman@wsjournal.com.