Beacons by position: Appel Jr. ready for second year as starting quarterback

FB: Sophomore leads quarterback room mixed with experience and potential

Second in a series of nine position previews leading up to the Valparaiso football season opener on Aug. 31.

Mikey Appel Jr. has been through a lot in his first two years at Valparaiso.

The sophomore quarterback arrived in the fall of 2021 and spent the entire season on the sidelines while learning the playbook under offensive coordinator Chris Limbach. After being named the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year, Appel entered into an intense competition with Mason Kaplan, Teryn Berry and Jeffrey Jackson in the spring of 2022. That competition spilled into the fall under offensive coordinator Will Fleming, and Appel ultimately won the job.

Appel performed admirably last season in his first collegiate action, throwing for 1,878 yards and 10 touchdowns, and was named Valparaiso’s Most Improved Player. Now, under his third offensive coordinator in three years, and firmly entrenched as Valpo’s starting quarterback, Appel is ready to take his game to the next level.