Jacob Sirmon, who played in seven games at quarterback in 2022 for Northern Colorado, will be the starting quarterback for the Bears\u2019 season opener Thursday at Abilene Christian.<\/p>\n
Sirmon, a senior and transfer from Washington and Central Michigan, was listed as QB1 on the team\u2019s depth chart when it was released Monday.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s game at Abilene Christian begins at 6 p.m. and officially begins the Ed Lamb era at UNC. Lamb, a former BYU player and assistant, was hired in December to be the new Bears\u2019 coach, replacing Ed McCaffrey. The game will be available on ESPN+.<\/p>\n
Sirmon completed 55.9% of his passes (52 of 93) with four touchdowns and two interceptions in the seven games last season.<\/p>\n
Statistically, his best game was the Bears\u2019 2022 opener against Houston Baptist. He completed 22 of 33 passes (66.6%) for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception and was sacked three times in the 46-34 loss.<\/p>\n
Two weeks later against Lamar, Sirmon was 16 of 28 for 218 yards and a touchdown in a 21-14 win — one of three victories for UNC last year. Sirmon completed his longest pass of the year in the game, a 43 yarder to Trevis Graham.<\/p>\n
Sirmon spoke about earning the starting position on his weekly show, \u201cThe Jacob Sirmon Show,\u201d on 1310 KFKA radio. Sirmon\u2019s show will air every Monday.<\/p>\n
Sirmon won the starting QB role over redshirt freshman Shea Kuykendall and redshirt sophomore Hank Gibbs.<\/p>\n
Kuykendall came into UNC last year from Long Beach Poly High School in California. Gibbs is a graduate transfer from Wyoming. He is from Fayettteville, Arkansas.<\/p>\n
Following the Bears\u2019 intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 17, Lamb said every job on the field is always up for competition — including the starting quarterback and coaches. Lamb also said that evening that Sirmon \u201chas really taken hold of that starting quarterback position,\u201d and the coach added, \u201cwe believe in him.\u201d<\/p>\n