Gattuso Names Crook As Starting Quarterback

ALBANY, N.Y. -- University at Albany head football coach Greg Gattuso announced Friday afternoon that redshirt sophomore DJ Crook will be the Great Danes' starting quarterback for their season opener at Buffalo on Sept. 5.

“He's not afraid of contact. He's kind of built like a linebacker out there and he's got a good arm,” said Gattuso of Crook. “Right now he's just trying to absorb the offense. He can run and move to get out of trouble and has the arm strength to make the throws we need him to make.”

Crook, a 6-1, 215 pound native of West Barnstable, Mass., transferred to UAlbany last spring from Penn State. He served as the Nittany Lions' backup quarterback as a redshirt freshman in 2014. Playing in two games, Crook completed 6-of-9 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown in Penn State's win over Massachusetts. In UAlbany's 2015 Spring Game, Crook completed 6-of-8 attempts, totaling 38 passing yards.

Gattuso also noted that freshman Neven Sussman will back up Crook, while redshirt junior Dan Harding, and freshman Will Brunson add depth to a solid regime.

“The difference between DJ and Neven really is just experience,” added Gattuso. “We fully expect to play Neven at times during the year and get him game experience.”

Sussman, a 6-3 true freshman from Sandy Spring, Md., totaled 1,565 passing yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior at Sherwood High School.

Graduating from Carolina Forest High School in South Carolina a semester early, Brunson spent the spring season with the Great Danes, while Harding came to UAlbany in 2014 after stints at the University of Akron and Sierra College.

“Will Brunson is going to be a really good quarterback in time and Dan Harding has really played well this year. We feel pretty good about our whole quarterback situation,” said Gattuso.

Marking the program's first clash against an FBS opponent, UAlbany's opener at Buffalo will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN3.