College Football: UNI QB room is making it tough on Stepsis to pick No. 1

The Panther head man does not appear to have a tell.

While Stepsis has said he wants to have a No. 1 then a 2A and 2B when UNI begins pre-season practice in August, the Panthers six deep quarterback room, including four veterans – Aidan Dunne, Matthew Schecklman, Jaxon Dailey and Cale McThenia – are making it difficult to project that No. 1 guy.

During the Panthers first full (60-play), with officials, Stepsis said all four of those veterans made throws that jumped out.

But just when it appears Stepsis was ready to disclose a leader of the pack, he pulled the rug out from under reporters gathered Monday during his weekly press availability inside the Alumni Suite at the McLeod Center.

Stepsis said there are four characteristics he and his offensive staff are looking for in their quarterback – command of huddle, the ability to make all the throws and then do it consistently and make great decisions.

Stepsis is already on the record as saying Dunne, who started the first four games and the last two of the 3-9 2024 season and was the starter in all three wins, has the best command of the offense with Dailey close behind.

Schecklman, started six games, including four against FCS playoff qualifiers in 2024, has the best arm strength, while McThenia, a redshirt freshman, is perhaps the best athlete of the bunch.

So, when Stepsis says command of the offense is the No. 1 tenet, the untrained eye, reading between lines, would analyze that statement and say Dunne is the front runner.

But Stepsis, like College Football Analyst Lee Corso likes to say, is going, ‘not so fast.’

“He’s probably got the most command,” Stepsis says of Dunne. “Dailey is right there, too. Sheck has got this quiet demeanor to him, and I think, you know, when he starts to show his presence … I think that’s gonna be a key thing for him. I mean if you look at straight arm talent, he’s got it.

“So, yeah, Aidan on command of the offense, probably the best of them all and Dailey is not too far away. I’m really pleased with how quickly all four have picked it up.”

If there was one nugget Stepsis did reveal Monday is there could be at times in 2025 three of the four will be on the field at the same time.

“You know, we have some gadget plays and we’ll have three quarterbacks out there at the same time,” Stepsis said. “It’s been a part (of us) in the past where you have your main quarterback, but you’ve got other guys you can throw in there, you know, some plays designed for a quarterback to throw, some plays designed … (the quarterback) can run a little bit.

“We gotta find ways to keep them all engaged and keep them all interested, but I think they’ve all done a great job of just being each other’s biggest fan, which is great.”

Also in camp at quarterback with the Panthers are early enrollees Jayce Nixon and Kaz Rebarcak.

Quick scrimmage recap: UNI held a quick 60-snap, with 2-minute drill packages, scrimmage Saturday, its ninth of 15 practices.

With a couple of position groups thin, Stepsis said you could see those groups wear down toward the end of practice, but overall, he said there were a lot of positive outcomes.

Here are a few Stepsis takeaways that don’t include quarterback play:

• The offensive line, which is looking to replace graduated tackles Jared Penning and Tristan Roper, is beginning to look more comfortable in the Panthers’ new offensive system and there are signs that group is beginning to put it all together.
• 6-foot-6, 254-pound senior tight end Derek Anderson is having a breakout spring.
• Slot receiver JC Roque flashed, as did 6-foot-5 receiver Brady McCullough and redshirt freshman receiver Ben Gordon from Van Meter is quickly becoming a go-to pass catcher in critical situations.
• Defensively, the defensive line is building depth but is also a position that is the thinnest with injuries slowing down numerous potential rotational candidates.
• The back-seven of the defense is full of athletes who are going to make a lot of big plays for the Panthers this fall.