App State Football head coach Shawn Clark announced Monday morning redshirt freshman Ryan Burger will start at quarterback for the Mountaineers.
“We felt right now, Ryan the last four or five days really taking a big step, so he’ll be the starting quarterback against Gardner-Webb,” Clark said.
Burger appeared in one game last season against Robert Morris where he completed four of six passes for 40 yards in addition to two rushes for 23 yards.
Throughout spring and fall camp, Burger competed against junior quarterback Joey Aguilar, who transferred to App State in the spring from Diablo Valley Community College in Pleasant Hill, California. While Burger won the battle, it’s still possible to see the Black and Gold utilize both signal callers skill sets in action this season.
“Both quarterbacks can lead our offense and move us down the field and take care of the football,” Clark said.
Offensive coordinator Frank Ponce spent last season as quarterbacks coach at the University of Miami before returning to Boone. Prior to his stint with the Hurricanes, Ponce helped recruit Burger to the High Country and coached him at the beginning of spring practices in 2022.
“I was extremely happy to see him coming back,” Burger said. “Obviously he has a lot of experience and being successful here.”
In high school, Burger completed 65% of his passes while throwing for 6,474 yards and 70 touchdowns in three seasons.
Burger will make his first career start in the Mountaineers home and season opener against Gardner-Webb Sept. 2. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
