In recent years, Nebraska has entrusted the reigns of its offense to transfer quarterbacks.
Zac Taylor and Sam Keller were both brought in to fix spotty depth and take over the starting job.
These days, former Miami quarterback Robert Marve is looking for a new school, and Nebraska's on his list.
Though he wouldn't be available to nab the starting job this fall, Marve might have a fair chance to become the starter for the 2009-2010 season.
But this would present a number of problems. And frankly, he doesn't seem like he'd be worth the trouble.
Marve, a redshirt freshman in 2008, was inconsistent in his only season with the Hurricanes, throwing for 1,293 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
He had problems staying on the field, though. Marve was suspended for the first and last games of the season and split time with true freshman Jacory Harris.
The first suspension came from an incident on Halloween in 2007 that brought two misdemeanors – resisting arrest without violence and minor criminal mischief.
He reportedly broke the mirror of a car and tried to evade police on foot.
The charges were dropped, but Miami coach Randy Shannon held Marve out for the season opener.
Marve was also suspended for the team's Emerald Bowl match-up with Cal for breaking team rules; he skipped a few too many classes.
Days after the suspension, he decided to leave, citing a poor relationship with Shannon.
NU is one of six programs Marve is interested in joining. He's also considering Michigan, Purdue, Texas Tech, South Florida and UCLA. He will have two eligible seasons after sitting out next season.
It would appear the interest is mutual. Marve has reportedly been in contact with NU coaches and hopes to attend next month's Red-White spring game. He plans to make a decision in April or May.
After Patrick Witt's decision to transfer last month, Nebraska hypothetically has a scholarship available at the position.
However, it has three other signal callers already on campus.
There's Zac Lee, the junior with a skill set similar to Ganz. He's the assumed leader coming into spring football practices, which start Wednesday.
There's Kody Spano, a dual-threat redshirt freshman.
And then there's Cody Green, the touted freshman who started school in January.
Every player I've spoken with since Green arrived has said that he can already make all the throws and just needs to learn the offensive system.
Beyond those three, there's nothing until freshman quarterback/safety Taylor Martinez joins the program this summer.
Will that depth be enough for the Huskers? Does the situation merit bringing in another arm?
Even casual NU fans remember the days of Keller, the Arizona State transfer who was expected to fill Taylor's shoes and lead the Huskers to, at the very least, a berth in the Big 12 Championship in 2007.
Keller sat out the required year and learned the complicated offense, earning scout team MVP honors.
Of course, we all remember how the 2007 season went. Even with a year of training, Keller wasn't ready.
What was lost in the rabid excitement of snagging a transfer quarterback was the effect it had on developing the other passers already in the system.
Ganz spent years learning the system. When he hit the field with a few games left in his redshirt junior season, he was ready to show what a quarterback with years of experience running offensive coordinator Shawn Watson's offense could do.
Had Keller never entered the picture, Ganz likely would have started for two years. In hindsight, that would have been the preferable option.
Bringing in Marve now would step on the toes of Lee, Spano and Green. Say he picks NU, and Lee presumably is the starter this fall. Then what? Do you give Marve the keys to the offense in 2010, which happens to be Lee's senior season?
By the time Marve would be gone, following the 2011 season, Spano would be a redshirt senior, and Green a redshirt junior. If the coaching staff has faith in these two quarterbacks, adding Marve certainly would send the wrong message.
Coaches love to say they welcome quarterback competition, and the best man deserves the starting gig. But when you bring in a transfer player, you only have so many years to use them.
Focusing on teaching Marve the system would take away from the development of Green. And at this point all signs indicate Green as the future of the program.
It's unknown whether NU's coaching staff is interested in him, but they've shown restraint in other recent situations. When uncommitted running back recruit David Oku moved to town last month, the staff didn't up its efforts for him. They were confident in what they already had.
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