He came to the University of Alabama in 2014 as one of the nation’s elite pro-style quarterbacks, and though it wasn’t meant to be for David Cornwell in Tuscaloosa, his new home is seeing his value.
Shortly after graduating early, the Oklahoma native announced via social media that he was heading to the University of Nevada to earn the starting job at quarterback. After turning in solid numbers in the Wolfpack’s spring game — 302 yards, two touchdowns — head coach Jay Norvell has given the 6-foot-5, 228-pounder the edge for now per a report via the Reno-Gazette Journal.
According to the publication, Norvell is very particular about wanting his signal callers to be accurate on short passes. Seeing that Nevada runs a fast pace offense, a consistent dosage of “catchable” passes keeps the timing crisp between quarterbacks and game-changing receivers.
“David fits those qualities and demonstrated those strengths the best out of all of our quarterbacks in the spring, and that’s why he was the starting quarterback,” said Norvell, who started Cornwell with the first string in the spring game. “And the way he played in the spring game gave us even more evidence of that.”
Prior to Nevada’s A-Day performance, the last time Cornwell saw meaningful snaps was in the first half of his senior year at Norman North High School. A knee injury limited him from playing the rest of the way; however, he did total 2,742 passing yards, 755 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior in 2012.
A former Elite 11 participant and No. 57 in the ESPN 300, Cornwell has three Southeastern Conference championship rings and a College Football Playoff national title ring to keep from his time with the Crimson Tide. He now faces an opportunity to write his own script as a starter and deliver a program to its first 10-win season since 2010; the year it finished at 13-1.
Stephen M. Smith is a managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
