The Southeast Missouri State football team lost 23 seniors from last season, many of them among the squad's top players, meaning a host of starting positions figure to be up for grabs not only this spring but during fall practice.

But as the Redhawks prepare for their first spring scrimmage, set for noon Saturday at Houck Stadium, no position battle is more intriguing than that of quarterback -- and it has nothing do with any of those 2012 seniors.

Coach Tony Samuel considers any ultimate conclusion to be one that favors the Redhawks.

"I feel pretty fortunate to be in that situation. Three guys with a lot of potential who are very good leaders. ... We've had situations before where we only had one [quarterback]. You never like to be in that situation," Samuel said. "They're all doing the different things well. That's what I like about it, they're all multi-dimensional. It's shaping up to be a nice competition."

Kyle Snyder and Scott Lathrop -- the likely frontrunners for the job, with Blake Jackson also in the mix -- have especially interesting stories.

Blake Jackson

Snyder transfered to Southeast last year from Football Bowl Subdivision Ohio University, had an impressive spring and firmly established himself as the Redhawks' starting signal caller.

But those plans went out the window when Snyder suffered a season-ending knee injury nine days into fall camp.

"It was pretty frustrating," Snyder said. "You go through all of spring ball, then the 10th practice in the fall. ... It was devastating, but I feel like I'll be better in the long run for it.

"I got to watch [the season] like a coach, see what the offense is all about. Watching a lot of film. ... I learned so much."

Snyder, who will be a junior, has recovered well, although Samuel said he is being somewhat limited during the spring primarily for his own protection because of his competitive nature.

"He loves to go hard. We just have to keep an eye on him," Samuel said. "Kyle's a worker. He looks good."

Snyder said he feels fine and is ready for whatever he's asked to do this spring.

"My knee feels great and I can pretty much do anything they want, but they're kind of watching me, limiting me on some reps," Snyder said.

Scott Lathrop

It won't be easy for Snyder to regain his starting position because Lathrop made the most of his surprise opportunity after Snyder went down.

Lathrop was by far Southeast's most pleasant surprise last season as he earned OVC freshman of the year honors, becoming the first Southeast player to win that award since it started in 2004.

Kyle Snyder2011 statistics*n Rushing: 80 yds.n Passing: 5-8-1, 38 yds.* with Ohio

Lathrop, who previously had not taken a collegiate snap -- he redshirted during his first season at Southeast -- rushed for 824 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. He completed 91 of 158 passes (57.6 percent) for 1,025 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.

Lathrop, who rushed for 100 or more yards in four of Southeast's final six games, was among 20 finalists for the Jerry Rice Award which goes to the national freshman of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision.

"Scotty did a great job. You couldn't have really asked more than what he did," Samuel said.

Lathrop, much smaller than Snyder at 5-feet-10 and 183 pounds compared to Snyder's 6-1 and 219, proved extremely adept at running Southeast's option-based offense. He said he was confident in his ability to lead the Redhawks.

"It was definitely a big step for me and I was nervous going in, but I felt like I could handle it," said Lathrop, from Warrenton, Mo. "I felt every week I progressed and that helped me play better. My redshirt year helped me a lot. I got to know all my teammates and the system."

Scott Lathrop2012 statisticsn Rushing: 1,072 yds., 7 TDn Passing: 91-158-5, 1,025 yds., 7 TD

Lathrop, asked if he was surprised how well he performed, said: "I was kind of more disappointed in how many losses we had [Southeast went 3-8]. It's nice to get the award, but I was more focused on winning games, leading my teammates and helping us have a good season."

Confidence also appears to be one of Snyder's strengths. He's not about to guarantee that the starting position will once again be his but he plans on doing everything to make things turn out that way.

"Basically I've just got to execute, do what the coaches expect of me," said Snyder, a native of Barberton, Ohio, who saw limited action as a redshirt freshman at Ohio in 2011 while backing up standout Tyler Tettleton. "It's an open competition and this position won't be handed to anybody."

With Tettleton still having two seasons of eligibility remaining following the 2011 season, Snyder was looking for a chance at more playing time. One of his coaches at Ohio was familiar with Samuel, which led Snyder to Cape Girardeau. He hasn't regretted that decision.

"I really like it here. I love the coaches and my teammates," Snyder said.

Blake Jackson2012 statisticsn Rushing: 119 yds., 1 TDn Passing: 4-9-0, 36 yds., 1 TD

While Snyder and Lathrop are battling hard on the field, they said it's a friendly competition that also includes Jackson.

"We're all real close," Snyder said. "Off the field we're buddy-buddy. But when we get on the field it's a competition."

Said Lathrop: "Me and Kyle actually work out a lot together. He's a competitor. He pushes me. He makes me better. Blake too, we all push each other. With all of us around, it's just going to make us all better."

Of retaining his starting spot, Lathrop said: "We'll see. I'm doing everything in my power to keep it, doing everything the coaches ask me to do. Whoever the starter is, I just want whatever is best for the team."

Snyder and Lathrop might be the co-favorites for the starting job but that's not to count out Jackson, who displayed plenty of potential in limited action as a true freshman last season.

"You've got to feel bad for Blake, having to play him as a true freshman," Samuel said. "But he showed us a lot. He's right in there."

Jackson, a 6-foot, 194-pounder from Houston, Texas, saw action in eight games, completing 4 of 9 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 119 yards and one TD on 30 carries.

"The biggest thing I've been working on is my throwing mechanics. I had the running game down last year," Jackson said.

Jackson, like Snyder and Lathrop, has his sights set on emerging as the starter from what he also termed a friendly competition.

"My goal is to get the job point blank. I've been working hard. I just want to do my best to help the team," Jackson said. "We're all friends. We all know it's a competition. We've got to give it our best."

Noteworthy

Saturday's scrimmage will be the first of two for the Redhawks during spring workouts. They will also scrimmage at noon April 20 before spring drills conclude with their annual spring game at noon April 27.

All spring scrimmages and practices are open to the public.