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How new FAMU football starting quarterback Jeremy Moussa fits with team's offensive attack
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- How new FAMU football starting quarterback Jeremy Moussa fits with team's offensive attack
The biggest question mark of Florida A&M football's offseason has been answered.
Ahead of the Rattlers' season opener at North Carolina Saturday, FAMU coach Willie Simmons named graduate transfer Jeremy Moussa as the team's starting quarterback Wednesday.
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This comes after neck-and-neck battle that Moussa with last season's starter Rasean McKay spanning from the spring to fall training camp.
Saturday will be Moussa's first start on the Division I level. And what better way to do it as it will be nationally televised on the ACC Network .
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Florida A&M University quarterback Jeremy Moussa (8) attempts a pass during fall training camp, Aug. 10, 2022
Who is Jeremy Moussa?
Moussa has come far from home to FAMU as he hails from Chino Hills, California. He has traveled across the country simply looking for opportunities to earn meaningful snaps of high-level football.
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Out of Roosevelt High School, he originally signed to Hawaii in its 2018 recruiting class. He spent a single season there and passed for 77 yards and a touchdown on 4-of-9 completions.
Leaving Hawaii, he joined junior college San Bernardino Valley College for the 2019-20 season and posted an outstanding stat line of 3,179 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and nine interceptions on a 53 completion rate before breaking his ankle to end his season.
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For his efforts, he earned an offer from the SEC's Vanderbilt ahead of the 2020 season. Moussa didn't appear for the Commodores until the 2021 season where he completed 5 of 8 passes for 24 yards.
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Looking for opportunities to play, he entered the transfer portal and was connected with FAMU Head Coach Willie Simmons through former Rattler quarterbacks coach and current Los Angeles Rams Minority Coaching Fellow KJ Black — leading him to commit and sign in December 2021 .
Florida A&M University quarterback Jeremy Moussa (8) drops back for a pass during Orange and Green Spring Game, April 9, 2022
How he got the job and where he fits
Being with the team since the spring, Moussa had ample time to learn his new playbook.
He played in the Orange and Green Spring Game to get his first in game feel that he said he felt good about. Moussa also impressed in the second intrasquad fall scrimmage where he passed for two touchdowns to All-American wide receiver Xavier Smith and running back Terrell Jennings.
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Two weeks and a half weeks later, Moussa was named the starter.
At Moussa's lengthy 6-foot-3 frame, he has a high release point to put the football where no one else but his receivers can access it. He has a richness of weaponry of wide receivers in Smith, Jah'Marae Sheread and David Manigo.
That's just the short version.
Other receivers like Darian Oxendine, Trevonte Davis and Godby alum tight ends Kamari Young, Nicholas Dixon along with Florida State transfer Koby Gross are also some targets from Moussa.
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Though the starting quarterback named, Simmons hasn't ruled out McKay getting snaps early in the season.
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During training camp, he mentioned that the permanent starter may not be solidified until a few games into the 2022 season.
2022 FAMU quarterbacks: Cameron Sapp, Junior Muratovic, Jeremy Moussa, Jacory Jordan, Trey Fisher, and Rasean McKay
Game Information
Who: Florida A&M at North Carolina
When/Where: Saturday, August 27 at 8 p.m. inside of Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Broadcast/Radio: ACC Network, Rattler Sports Network
Gerald Thomas III covers FAMU athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.
Follow the Tallahassee Democrat on social media at Tallahassee Democrat (Facebook), TallahasseeDemocrat (Instagram), and @TDOnline (Twitter)
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football: Moussa named starting QB, see how he fits with the team
