Delaware Football 2025 Positional Preview: Quarterbacks

A first breakdown of the quarterback room heading into the 2025 season.

(Mikey Reeves/Delaware Athletics)

We are underway with our first official 2025 Season Preview article, and there is no better way to kick this off than to take a deeper dive into the quarterback room heading into Delaware’s first year in Conference USA.

Each offseason presents competitive battles for every position, but the quarterback room faces a unique challenge in 2025. Following Captain Ryan O’Connor’s decision last spring to step away from the game, the team will be searching for a new leader under center. The presumed starter will be Zach Marker, who has started six games in his two seasons with the Blue Hens. The dual-threat quarterback from Iowa Central Community College threw for 253 yards/game and controlled the ball extremely well last season, having a 10-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his four games played. In 2023, Zach set a school record by completing his first 16 passes against Towson. Marker, who has the most experience running Head Coach Ryan Carty’s playbook, is expected to be the first starting quarterback in the school’s FBS history.

While I predict that Marker will get the ball Week 1 against Delaware State, the quarterback room also boasts valuable experience and potential in junior Nick Minicucci. Minicucci was thrown into the fire as a true freshman in 2023 when both O’Connor and Marker went down in the regular season finale. This forced his first collegiate start to come in the First Round of the FCS Playoffs, where the Hens overcame a 28-7 deficit to take down Lafayette 36-34. The Don Bosco Prep alum started the final five games of 2024, earning CAA Offensive Player of the Week honors by throwing for 230 yards and 4 touchdowns in 41-22 win against Campbell. Minicucci has consistently shown his readiness when called upon throughout both seasons as a Hen. Also returning is sophomore Braden Streeter, who threw a 27-yard touchdown pass on his first collegiate snap last season. The Franklin, Tennessee native went 6-7 for 56 yards in two games in relief as a freshman.

The coaching staff also added dynamic playmakers to the quarterback room from both high school and the transfer portal. Freshman EJ Archield Jr., a 3-star quarterback from Tampa, Florida, has a promising collegiate future ahead, as his high school tape showcases a powerful arm and explosive legs. Archield Jr. led both Robinson High School and Gaither High School to district championships in his junior and senior seasons. In the spring, the program announced the signing of UCF transfer Riley Trujillo. In high school, Trujillo was rated as a top-50 quarterback in the country (247 Sports). He amassed over 4,600 passing yards, 1,800 rushing yards and 52 total touchdowns at Bartram Trail High School in St. John’s, Florida. The 6’4” dual-threat quarterback redshirted as a true freshman at UCF and will look to immediately compete for playing time. Rounding out the room is Middletown High alum Austin Troyer, who did not see playing time in his first season in Newark. Troyer was a First Team All-State Quarterback in 2023 and the Class 3A Co-District Player of the Year.

Throughout the coming weeks leading up to the season, we will continue to take a deeper look into each positional group. Follow along for news, recruiting, and analysis throughout the entire athletics calendar year at http://feathersandfieldgoals.com.

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