By Al Myatt
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The concept of developing depth and position competition at East Carolina may be facing its biggest test in the tenure of Ruffin McNeill as he enters his sixth season as football coach of the Pirates.

A week after he had been named the starter at quarterback, ECU announced Wednesday that Kurt Benkert would be sidelined for the upcoming season due to a right knee injury.

Benkert reportedly experienced some discomfort after practice on Tuesday. Further examination on Wednesday morning led to the bad news.

Just how bad the news may be may depend on how effectively left-handed junior Blake Kemp steps up.

The Pirates will look at Kemp and Cody Keith as potential replacements but Kemp has been the healthier and more productive of the two in preseason workouts.

Kemp was listed as the backup when the announcement that Benkert would be the starter was made on Aug. 19. Since then, Keith has returned from a foot injury that caused him to miss the two preseason scrimmages.

It's doubtful that the coaching staff will be long in making a second announcement on the starter since game week begins Sunday for the season opener at home against Towson on Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. Benkert was named the starter last week so that he could get the majority of the snaps in practice to get ready for the first season in three years that Shane Carden hasn't been directing the offense for the greater portion of the time.

Keith was Carden's back-up in 2013, completing 7 of 11 passes for 57 yards in three games. Keith went out of action after an elbow injury in October of 2013 and spent last season in the rehabilitation process following surgery.

Kemp transferred from Mesa (AZ) Community College after the 2013 season. He was recruited by former ECU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley after completing 229 of 352 passes for 2,961 yards and 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in eight games as a sophomore. In his freshman season at Mesa in 2012, Kemp completed 162 of 262 attempts for 1,583 yards with 11 TDs and five picks. Kemp ran for 128 yards and three scores in 2013. He rushed for 151 yards and three TDs as a freshman.

Mesa was Kemp's only college option despite leading Hamilton High School in Chandler, AZ, to a 13-1 record as he passed for 2,580 yards as a senior.

The colleges weren't beating down his door after two quality seasons on the junior college level. He had an offer from Southeast Missouri State, a Football Championship Subdivision program, and interest from Georgia State, New Mexico, New Mexico State and UNLV.

Riley was looking to sign a quarterback after two commitments to the Pirates wound up elsewhere. Kemp actually visited ECU in March after the February signing date in 2014.

It should be pointed out that Mesa was 1-10 the season before Kemp and coach Ryan Felker arrived. The program made it to bowl games in 2012 and 2013.

Kemp figured his decision was down to Mesa or getting a job and he chose football. Coincidentally perhaps, Kemp became the starter in junior college when the No. 1 guy went out with an injury in a preseason scrimmage.

"Blake went lights out," Felker told Sammy Batten of Bonesville and The Fayetteville Observer in April of 2014.

Kemp is 6 feet, 1 inch and 207 pounds, a little smaller than Benkert. He runs 40 yards in 4.65 seconds.

Isaiah Jones talked about the pending quarterback competition in the summer before preseason camp got under way. He valued Kemp's competiveness and work ethic.

Jones spoke of emerging from the shadow of Justin Hardy. Kemp, or possibly Keith, will have to endure comparisons to Carden.

"For us guys coming up, whatever you want to say, we have big shoes to fill but we have great guys who are going to do that," Jones said. "The quarterback situation will be a battle. Other great quarterbacks are going to try to come in and try to perform and do their best. It's exciting to see the competition, that new fire, that new hunger throughout our football team. It's going to be something that everybody is going to be able to enjoy and work hard through and we'll see who gets to start on Sept. 5."

Kemp sends the ball out a little differently, being a southpaw.

"We pick on Blake because he is left-handed," Jones said. "It kind of looks funny because it's coming from a different angle. He takes different drops but ultimately Blake gets it there and that's the main thing. I'm really proud of Blake, the way he's been working. He's a hard worker. He competes. He doesn't shy away from it. Obviously, he is a little smaller than Benkert but he doesn't play like it. He takes control of the team and when he gets his reps, he's working hard. I'm just real excited about what he's going to bring to the table."

Kemp took a redshirt year in 2014 at ECU, putting in his time as a good soldier on the scout team.

Benkert likely would be eligible for medical redshirt consideration, making him a candidate to become a six-year quarterback as Patrick Pinkney did in the Skip Holtz coaching regime.

Kemp was 9 for 14 for 56 yards with one interception in a preseason scrimmage on Aug. 15. Benkert was 3 for 15 for 13 yards with a pick the same day.

Benkert improved to 8 of 13 for 87 yards in the second scrimmage on Aug. 22. Kemp completed 6 of 10 for 94 yards.

The potential for a solid running game and a stingy defense appear all the more important with the hit ECU's quarterback depth took this week.

"Everyone in college football is affected by injuries and we are no different," McNeill said in an ECU release. "I am disappointed for Kurt because he has worked so hard for this opportunity. We've got a lot of talent on this team and we'll be asking everyone to step up."