Jacob Sirmon, who played in seven games at quarterback in 2022 for Northern Colorado, will be the starting quarterback for the Bears’ season opener Thursday at Abilene Christian.
Sirmon, a senior and transfer from Washington and Central Michigan, was listed as QB1 on the team’s depth chart when it was released Monday.
Thursday’s game at Abilene Christian begins at 6 p.m. and officially begins the Ed Lamb era at UNC. Lamb, a former BYU player and assistant, was hired in December to be the new Bears’ coach, replacing Ed McCaffrey. The game will be available on ESPN+.
Sirmon completed 55.9% of his passes (52 of 93) with four touchdowns and two interceptions in the seven games last season.
Statistically, his best game was the Bears’ 2022 opener against Houston Baptist. He completed 22 of 33 passes (66.6%) for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception and was sacked three times in the 46-34 loss.
Two weeks later against Lamar, Sirmon was 16 of 28 for 218 yards and a touchdown in a 21-14 win — one of three victories for UNC last year. Sirmon completed his longest pass of the year in the game, a 43 yarder to Trevis Graham.
Sirmon spoke about earning the starting position on his weekly show, “The Jacob Sirmon Show,” on 1310 KFKA radio. Sirmon’s show will air every Monday.
Sirmon won the starting QB role over redshirt freshman Shea Kuykendall and redshirt sophomore Hank Gibbs.
Kuykendall came into UNC last year from Long Beach Poly High School in California. Gibbs is a graduate transfer from Wyoming. He is from Fayettteville, Arkansas.
Following the Bears’ intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 17, Lamb said every job on the field is always up for competition — including the starting quarterback and coaches. Lamb also said that evening that Sirmon “has really taken hold of that starting quarterback position,” and the coach added, “we believe in him.”
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