URBANA – Friday figures to signal the official start of the Cameron Mammen era at Urbana.

Sort of. Maybe.

Mammen is the sophomore quarterback who turned heads in an oh-so-brief varsity appearance in 2009, a stint that lasted one game before he broke his leg. He is a dynamic athlete from a family of standout wrestlers, the type of player who can help transform a program from also-ran status.

Only one problem: Mammen has a fight on his hands to win the starting quarterback job, coach Nathan Watson said.

"We have not decided on a starter; I'm dead serious," Watson said after Monday's practice. "Last year we had some woes (at quarterback). This year we have a competition."

Mammen is battling junior Travis Seten. The interesting part for Watson is that each has different strengths. Seten "manages the game very well," making good decisions and keeping the Tigers under control, Watson said. Mammen is the explosive one, "and if there's a broken play he'll make something out of nothing."

"I've never had a split quarterback system, but it's a possibility this year," Watson said. "They'll probably both play in some capacity."

Mammen is athletic enough to play just about anywhere the Tigers might need him. His instincts are special. That much was proven in Week 1 last season when, as a freshman, Mammen was pressed into action because of an injury against powerhouse Normal Community.

He promptly ran for 87 yards on nine carries and completed 5 of 7 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.

"It gave me a lot of confidence," Mammen said.

"What people don't understand about Cam is that he hadn't even (practiced with the) varsity" prior to the game, Watson said. "We weren't even running the same plays as (the freshman team) because they were using a tight end and we didn't. So I'm on the sideline during the game with my clipboard, drawing the play, and asking him if he'd seen it on TV. And he said, 'Yeah,' and he's doing it against Normal Community."

One day later, Mammen broke his leg in a freshman game and was done for the season. But the experience whetted his appetite.

"It makes me more hungry to get on the field," Mammen said. "Watching your team not do so good from the sideline for the whole year ... it just builds up. I'm ready to let it out."

Quarterback is a leadership position, and though Mammen is an inexperienced sophomore, his natural ability provides him a degree of credibility among his teammates. Mammen seems eager to please.

"Everyone depends on you," he said.

But, fortunately for the Tigers, not everything. To that point, Watson said the defensive unit will be "the heart and soul" of the team. The overall climate is better, and the team's commitment level was shown in extensive summer workouts that far surpassed anything Watson had seen in offseason workouts at previous coaching stops.

Most important, the Tigers – coming off an 0-9 season – are ready to win.

"They're definitely committed," Watson said. "And they definitely think they can win."

Opening line
A glance at the Urbana Tigers, who open the season Friday at home against Danville:

KNOWN QUANTITY: Sophomore quarterback Cameron Mammen is athletic and explosive, and he’ll give the Tigers the best playmaker they’ve had at that position in several years.

UP AND COMING: Coach Nathan Watson raves about the potential of his defense, which will rotate players and use its depth to stay in games.

FORECAST: The winless streak, which dates to Week 7 of the 2008 season (11 games), figures to end. The Tigers won’t make the playoffs, but they figure to be competitive against several teams in the Big 12. As always, it’s imperative they avoid injuries.