There is much hype about the upcoming Minnesota Vikings’ season, with all of the offseason additions making the team look like postseason contenders.

But even the staunchest fan of the Purple needs to be concerned about the quarterback position, where Tarvaris Jackson has to better than last year or adding Jared Allen, Bernard Berrian, Madieu Williams, etc., won’t make a big difference.

It’s similar at Minnesota State, where there is plenty of hype, coming off a 5-6 season and moving into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. With probably three or four gimmes on the schedule, and another two or three games that they should win, the Mavericks should post their first winning record since 2004 and second in the last 13 seasons.

But even the most fired-up Mavericks’ fan must have concern about the quarterback position, where there is nearly no Division II experience and a handful of players who could be taking snaps this fall.

The Mavericks report to camp next week under first-year coach Todd Hoffner, with a defense that should be pretty good, spearheaded by All-American linebacker Blake Freese and a stout defensive line. The offense has game-breaking talent at running back and receiver, and this will likely be the best offensive line the program has had in the last 20 years.

But any Vikings’ fan can tell you, based on watching last season, what inconsistent quarterback play can do to the season.

Junior Ryan Fick, a highly regarded recruit in 2004, has been waiting for this opportunity for two seasons, but with the previous coaching staff’s commitment to finding a permanent home for Ben King in the Mavericks’ record book, Fick has seen little meaningful action under center.

Marcus Brumm, another hailed recruit, spent last season as a redshirt, but at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, his size in intriguing. Taylor Bennett, who is 6-5, is transferring after a redshirt season at Iowa State, and you have to figure that the Cyclones must have seen something when they recruited him. Steve Pachan was a late transfer from Los Medanos College, where he passed for 1,857 yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 games last season.

The pieces are in place at Minnesota State to have a highly successful regular season, with so many quality players coming back and a schedule that no longer includes North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha and South Dakota. But new offensive coordinator Stan Zwiefel will need to work his magic with whichever quarterback wins the job.

A losing season in the Northern Sun won’t be acceptable or as explainable as it was in the North Central Conference.

Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353 or e-mail at ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com.