Perhaps the biggest question hovering over Air Force football’s preseason is one it hopes never needs to be answered.

If quarterback Liam Szarka goes down, who takes over?

“Great question,” coach Troy Calhoun said following the team’s first scrimmage of the year this past Saturday.

The depth chart currently lists senior Josh Johnson or sophomore Evan Medders as the No. 2 quarterback. Another sophomore, Cade Spradling, was a recent addition to the list at No. 4.

The position belongs to Szarka, who led the team in passing and rushing last season and whose run of three consecutive games of 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing was unprecedented in team – and Mountain West – history.

However, history shows more than one quarterback will see snaps at some point.

In each of the past three seasons the Falcons have turned to three starting quarterbacks because of injuries or performance.

Last year’s season-finale at Colorado State hinted at one possibility for a game plan should Szarka become unavailable. With Szarka out, Josh Johnson started and split time with the bruising fullback/quarterback hybrid Kemper Hodges. Johnson attempted the team’s four passes, completing all four for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Hodges ran 14 times for 87 yards and a touchdown, with Johnson adding 22 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

The Falcons blew out the Rams 42-21.

Is that a sustainable model, or would the team’s intentions become too transparent based on who lined up at the position?

There’s a chance it could again be tested, as Johnson and Hodges are both still with the team.

“If you were playing next Saturday, could it be more than one guy?” Calhoun said. “Absolutely, it could be.”

Johnson would also be a logical candidate to take over on a solo basis – though Hodges will probably factor into certain situations regardless of who is starting.

Johnson has started five games over the past two seasons. He has rushed 48 times for 165 yards and a touchdown and completed 22-of-42 passes for five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Johnson’s demotion last year wasn’t necessarily because of anything the 6-foot-2 Louisiana native did wrong but rather all the things Szarka was doing right.

Air Force has rarely had a backup quarterback as experienced as Johnson, and he might be the logical Plan B.

Then again, Medders provided most of the offense’s highlights in the first scrimmage. He broke off a touchdown of 50-plus yards on a run and directed a long touchdown drive.

Medders threw for 5,159 yards and 45 touchdowns, completing 62% of his attempts, at Marvin Ridge High School in Waxhaw, N.C. A running back until sliding to quarterback out of necessity as a freshman, Medders also ran for 2.097 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Asked if Medders might get the call should a need arise, Calhoun didn’t dismiss the idea.

“Well, we’re going to see,” he said following the scrimmage when Medders excelled. “I mean, it’s the beauty of competition. There are multiple samples that you want to evaluate rather than only, you know, one game of at-bats, but yeah, absolutely could be.”

Spradling brings a résumé seemingly custom-built for Air Force – sprinter speed in track, high school state championship game MVP in Texas, National Honor Society, hobbies that include flying – so perhaps he’ll keep knocking on the door.

There’s a chance this will be determined on the practice field and a depth chart but never on the field. Or, as has often been the case, the course of the season could hinge on what happens behind Szarka at the position.

Triple options

Air Force has needed three starting quarterbacks in half of the past 10 seasons.

2025 – Liam Szarka (7), Josh Johnson (4), Kemper Hodges (1)

2024 – John Busha (5), Quentin Hayes (6), Josh Johnson (1)

2023 – Zac Larrier (11), Jensen Jones (1), Ben Brittain (1)

2022 – Haaziq Daniels (13)

2021 – Haaziq Daniels (12), Warren Bryan (1)

2020 – Haaziq Daniels (6)

2019* – Donald Hammond (11), Isaiah Sanders (2)

2018 – Isaiah Sanders (5), Donald Hammond (5), Arion Worthman (2)

2017 – Arion Worthman (10), Nate Romine (1), Isaiah Sanders (1)

2016 – Nate Romine (8), Arion Worthman (5)

*Third-string quarterback Michael Schmidt did not start but came on early in relief at Hawaii, earning Mountain West player of the week honors.