UMass's Blake Frohnapfel is the best QB you've never heard of

Gerry Ahern | USA TODAY Sports

DETROIT — He threw for nearly 600 yards in a game last season — and lost.

He hoops like Zach Randolph and chugs Coca-Cola like Mean Joe Greene.

He has a twin brother, Eric, who plays tight end for the San Diego Chargers.

He is on track to earn his Masters of Business Administration and Sports Management degrees and boasts a 3.8 grade-point average.

He is Blake Frohnapfel from the University of Massachusetts, arguably the most promising yet least known quarterback in FBS. But that is likely to change this fall as he plays his final season at UMass.

Frohnapfel (pronounced FROH nap-ul) is a big fan of the movie, "About Time," a 2013 romantic comedy/drama about a man who tries to change his future by returning to his past via time travel.

The 6-foot-6, 238 pounder out of Stafford, Va., didn't need a flux capacitor to alter his path. After two years as the backup to Rakeem Cato at Marshall, he completed his undergraduate degree in May 2014, then transferred to UMass and put up eye-popping numbers in coach/quarterback guru Mark Whipple's pro-style offense.

"It was definitely a big change for me because Eric was with me at Marshall and my sister (Sarah) was there as a graduate assistant," Frohnapfel said Wednesday at Mid-American Conference Football Media Day. "I really had no connection to the Northeast. I was kind of on my own for the first time with no Eric. Plus, with the school aspect, I was with a bunch of people who were 10 years older than me.

"I felt way out of my element. I had to learn and get more comfortable on the field and in the classroom. I wound up thinking I can handle this."

It didn't take Frohnapfel long to get a grip. The kid, first known as "Marshall" in Amherst, went from new guy to campus leader over the course of a few of weeks. Some bumps, bruises and bad breaks were part of his journey.

In his first game at Boston College, he hooked up with receiver Tajae Sharpe on a 77-yard touchdown in a 30-7 loss to the Eagles. He completed just 9 of 22 passes and was sacked three times.

A month later he threw for five touchdowns and a MAC-record 589 yards in a 47-42 home loss to Bowling Green.

In between was a 48-7 drubbing at Penn State. Whipple, who returned to UMass as head coach after 10 years as an assistant in the NFL, decided to light a fire under his quarterback.

"He played really poorly and I called him out in front of the team," Whipple said. "He came to me and asked 'How do I be a leader?' I said you just keep doing what you're doing. I have all the confidence in the world in you. And if I rip you sometimes, it's more for motivation.

"The next week he threw for 589 yards, broke all the records in New England. It was all about experience."

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Teammates realized "Froh" was a unique talent. And as smart as a Whip.

"When he threw me that post against BC, that's when I knew what kind of quarterback he was going to turn out to be," said Sharpe, a senior and UMass' all-time leader in receptions per game. "He's very special, he's very accurate and he's bright back there under center. When he was able to make that play the first game of the season, I saw what kind of player he was capable of being.

"There's no other quarterback in the country I'd rather have. When he throws the ball, as soon as I come out of my break it's right there in the perfect spot where no one can get to it but me. It seems like every ball he throws is right on the money. He has this trust with his receivers. Sometimes he lets the ball go early before we get out of the break but he trusts us to be on the right spot."

UMass finished just 3-9 overall, 3-5 in the MAC in 2014. Frohnapfel suffered a broken leg and missed the final two games.

Still he ranked fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yards per game (334.5). He was ninth nationally with a 24.10 completions per game and ranked ninth with 326.1 yards total offense per game.

That has raised expectations for Frohnapfel and the Minutemen, who will compete with Bowling Green, Ohio and Akron for the 2015 MAC East Division crown.

Frohnapfel has a full year in Whipple's complex system. His leg is sturdy. And his confidence is through the roof.

"Last year I was just tying to figure things out," Frohnapfel said. "Like in certain situations, 'What do I do here?' I started to get a little more comfortable with what I was doing. Just watching the film from last year I would see little portions of my game, little times in the game where I wouldn't play as well. They were easy fixes and over the summer and spring I focused on them. Where can I get a couple more completions? Where did I miss a deep ball? That's been my main focus."

The sign of a leader is how well he motivates his teammates to hunker down and do better. UMass senior offensive lineman Matt Sparks, Frohnapfel's roommate, has been inspired by the quarterback's work ethic and feels like the guys up front have a debt to pay.

"We saw what happened when he got hurt," Sparks said. "(Whipple) said if we can keep him standing up, we're going to have a pretty special year. I agree. There's definitely a little bit of pressure on us to keep him healthy this year."

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Frohnapfel's biggest vice is sucking down soda. His avocation? Playing basketball.

"I drink tons of Coke," he said, laughing. "I probably drink a two liter a day. It's really bad. My roommates are always like, 'You gotta stop.' I work out. I eat pretty well, don't eat a lot of junk food. But I'm going to drink Coke. Before each game I drink a can. I don't know if it's a psychological thing or what. It helps me relax.

"I always compare my basketball game to Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies. He doesn't really dunk any more. He just gets in the paint and drives hard, does some hook shots here and there. That's my game."

No one knows Blake better than twin brother Eric. The duo is one of only two sets of twins in Division I football history to connect for a touchdown. Eric has moved on to the NFL. He believes his brother can get there too.

"I think that he has definitely exceeded expectations," Eric said. "I knew he was a good quarterback and I figured he would go (to UMass) and get the starting job. But for him to have such a prolific season like he had, I think none of us could have expected that much success for him. There's more to come."

Whipple too thinks Blake Frohnapfel has what it takes to play on Sundays. The man who developed NFL quarterback talents such as Ben Roethlisberger and Donovan McNabb ought to know.

"He's going to work, he's going to study, he's smart," Whipple said. "He's competitive. That's the kind of guy you look for who can take a game plan and handle it and be ready when the other guy gets hurt. I wouldn't hesitate to draft him."

The country will get a chance to see how good Frohnapfel is on Sept. 26 when UMass travels to Notre Dame for a nationally televised game against the Fighting Irish.

It's a challenge that has Frohnapfel reflecting on his childhood.

"It definitely will be a great experience," Frohnapfel said. "My dad (Steve) was a big Notre Dame fan, so I was too by default. We'd stand in front of the TV and try to block kicks. It's a historic university and historic stadium to play in. Our guys will be ready."

Western Massachusetts has proven to be the place for Frohnapfel. Faculty raves about his academic prowess. He served as part of a committee assembled to help select UMass' athletic director.

"I've had four to five professors seek me out and say he's one of the best students they've ever had," Whipple said. "He's just a great representative of what we are trying to do. One of the best kids I've ever coached.

"Our chancellor asked me about a student rep (for the AD committee) and I said right away Froh would be the perfect guy. Even though he was taking 18 hours of graduate classes, he managed to make that work with football. He fit it in and did and great job and had a lot of input.

"When you talk about a student-athlete, I've never been around a better one."

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