Three questions Jackson State football coach T.C. Taylor needs to answer at SWAC Media Day

Jackson State football coach T.C. Taylor will be making his first appearance at SWAC Media Day on Tuesday. Taylor will be coming into the day as the hunted instead of the hunter.

In 2022, Taylor was the receivers coach as JSU went on an historic 12-1 season, winning the SWAC for the second year in a row, and played in its second consecutive Cricket Celebration Bowl.

Jackson State enters the 2023 SWAC season undefeated in its past 16 conference games.

Here are three questions Taylor is certain to get in Birmingham, Alabama, on Tuesday, and why his answers matter:

Who is the starting quarterback?

Questions remain on who will take over as starting quarterback. Taylor must replace Shedeur Sanders, who transferred to Colorado to play for his father, Deion Sanders. Shedeur Sanders started as a freshman and was named the Jerry Rice Award winner as the most outstanding freshman in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). In his sophomore season, he was named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, and the Deacon Jones Trophy winner for being the nation's top HBCU player. Sanders ran the Air Raid to near perfection passing for 6,963 yards with 70 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his two seasons.

The four quarterbacks on the JSU roster as of the spring game are Jason Brown, Phillip Short, Zy McDonald and Greyson Thompson.

In the spring game, Brown was given the majority of reps and seems to be the leading candidate going into fall camp. In the spring game, Brown started strongly by delivering a 45-yard completion that set up a 5-yard touchdown run by J.D. Martin in the opening drive. Brown finished 5-for-9 for 120 yards with an interception and three sacks.

Thompson played well during the spring game, going 5-for-6 passing with two touchdowns. His play seemed to invigorate the offense when he was in there.

Short played and had 26 yards passing. McDonald was injured and did not play.

With an unknown commodity at quarterback, fans wonder what a Taylor-type quarterback looks like. Is he looking for a game manager? Someone who can scramble and make plays or a coach on the field? No matter the answers, Taylor will likely be asked about the quarterback he chooses. Will he have to play well immediately, or will he have time to grow into the role of leader if JSU gets off to a slow start, and will the quarterback be given a quick hook?

How will Taylor be different than Sanders?

There is no need to look any further than 2023 SWAC Media Day. Last year's Media Day, Deion Sanders had his son, Shedeur Sanders and the No.1 high school recruit in Travis Hunter with him. In recruiting alone, there is already a difference. There were no four-or five-star recruits signed to play at Jackson State this year.

Another difference is that Taylor has recruited bigger offensive lineman. He noted that in spring football, he did not like the way North Carolina Central ran the ball on JSU's defense during the Black national championship game. JSU lost 41-34 in overtime. Central ran the ball effectively, keeping Jackson State's defense on the field for long periods of time. Taylor will want to implement a more physical running offense that can wear defenses down and put games away in the fourth quarter.

HOW THE T.C. TAYLOR ERA BEGAN How the T.C. Taylor era began for Jackson State football

How does Jackson State withstand a rough start?

During the Sanders era, teams were taunted to come after JSU. Sanders invoked his swagger, and JSU had superior talent.

This season, Jackson State has a daunting schedule, playing its first four games on the road. JSU opens in the SWAC/MEAC Challenge against South Carolina State on Aug. 26 at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

In the SWAC conference opener on Sept. 3, JSU will face conference rival Florida A&M in the Denny's Orange Blossom Classic in Miami Gardens, Florida. On Sept. 9, the Tigers will play Southern in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Then on Sept. 16, Jackson State will travel to San Marcos, Texas, and face Texas State.

These are just three of the questions that Taylor can expect to get on Media Day.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State football: Questions T.C. Taylor faces at SWAC Media Day