Arms race: Who will emerge as App State’s quarterback out of five-way battle?
Head coach Dowell Loggains knows it’s no secret.
Appalachian State is in the midst of a quarterback battle.
He recognizes it’s the story of the preseason, and the story of the season. The locker room knows it. The coaching staff knows it. And he highlighted it during App State’s media day on Tuesday.
But right now, Loggains and associate head coach Clyde Christensen aren’t focused on the competition, even with the season opener against Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium a month away.
“We probably didn’t give anyone the chance to win the job,” Christensen said. “No one won the job. We had a situation where we kind of repped everyone equally. It was more of a teach mode.”
No matter the experience, age or talent, everyone has been on an even playing field. The battle part comes later. This week, actually.
“There’s five quarterbacks on campus that are going to get opportunities,” Loggains said. “We’re excited about the talent in the room, and the same message that I’ve given the quarterbacks is, ‘Eventually, one of you guys has to separate from the group.’”
The decision will come when he sees that separation. But for now, here are App State’s five quarterback candidates heading into the 2025 season.
AJ Swann
Loggains is familiar with Swann.
The former South Carolina offensive coordinator recruited Swann after he hit the transfer portal after two years at Vanderbilt, where he made 12 starts. Although the quarterback showed interest in the Gamecocks, he flipped to LSU for a season before transferring to App State.
So, Swann and Loggains not only know each other, but now Swann brings SEC experience to the Mountaineers.
“He’s got game tape,” Loggains said. “So, we know who he is, and we’re excited about getting to work with him a little bit more.”
At Vandy, the 6-foot-2, 220 pound quarterback threw for 2,731 yards, with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He became an LSU Tiger in 2024, appearing in two games and completing two of his four passes for 10 yards.
Swann was rated as one of the best pro-style quarterbacks in the country after graduating from Cherokee High School in White, Georgia.
He is looking to bring that same talent to App, where he is one of the top contenders for the starting job.
JJ Kohl
Kohl is unusual for a quarterback. He’s every bit of 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds. He’s so tall that Loggains won’t let the player stand next to him during media availabilities.
Loggains recruited him some during a brief stint at Penn State, but the head coach has come to know the player during the offseason. The quarterback is more than tall.
“He’s a talented kid, too, and he’s really unique in that way,” Loggains said. “He can throw, he’s smart, he runs better than what people think he does.”
The redshirt sophomore had four appearances across two seasons at Iowa State. As a Cyclone, Kohl went 9-11 for 23 yards. He also rushed six times for 32 yards during his redshirt true freshman year.
Kohl only saw game action against Baylor in 2024 as a reserve.
Before entering college, the four-star was ranked as the 19th best quarterback in the class of 2023, according to 247sports. He led Ankeny High School to a state title game during his junior year.
Billy Wiles
When Loggains thinks of Wiles, the coach sees an intelligent player.
He’s the guy that’s been at App. Wiles understands different systems. His knowledge helps him. Loggains predicts that Wiles would make a great coach one day with his understanding of the game.
“He’s got wisdom,” Loggains said. “And that’s what gives him a chance.”
Along with knowledge, Wiles brings experience. Outside of Swann, Wiles has the most game experience. The quarterback transferred to App State in 2024 after stints at Clemson and Southern Miss.
At Clemson, completed two passes in four attempts in 2021, but did not see action in 2022. He transferred to Southern Miss and started in 10 games in 2023, completing 162 of his 301 pass attempts for 1,940 yards and 11 TDs.
In 2024, the 6-foot-3 player appeared briefly in two games as a Mountaineer, against ETSU and Clemson.
Noah Gillon
Gillon is one of the youngest quarterback options, but his high school success speaks for itself.
The 6-foot-3, 195 pound freshman led his team to a 7A high school championship at Tupelo High School. While there, Gillon had 5,459 passing yards, 59 touchdown passes. He earned Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023 after an 8-3 season, where he had a game with five touchdowns and 322 yards.
He’s a three-star prospect and a top-200 recruit in the class of 2025.
Loggains thinks the freshman is an athlete across the board. The head coach observed Gillon’s basketball skills, and he was impressed. He can pass behind the back and do a lot of other moves easily. Loggains think it’s a testament to Gillon having natural-born talent that translates onto the football field.
“He just has ‘it,’” Loggains said. “You can see it at an early age. I think he has it.”
Despite his age, Gillon’s “it” factor gives a chance at securing the position in late August.
Matthew Wilson
Wilson enrolled early at App in 2024, but he did not see any playing time during his true freshman season last year.
The 6-foot redshirt freshman is a three-star prospect ranked inside the top-150 in the class of 2024. In high school, Wilson was an all-state selection and four-year starter, throwing for 2,155 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also added 421 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Loggains described Wilson as a player that’s “trying to figure it out.” The redshirt freshman needs to continue to develop before he can claim the starting role.
“If we can get his talent maxed out,” Loggains said, “He’s got a real chance to be a really, really good player.”
