WORCESTER – Holy Cross opened fall camp with a three-player competition for the starting quarterback position, and, after 10 practices, juniors Cal Swanson and David Lynch and sophomore Dom Campanile are still battling for the top spot.
"Those guys will continue to get reps until the beginning of next week," Holy Cross coach Dan Curran said after the Crusaders' Aug. 10 practice at Kuzniewski Field. "Then we'll start to decide who the one is and who the two is going to be, too. They've all done a great job of not only competing, but of supporting each other as well."
During HC's practice Aug. 10, Swanson and Lynch shared the bulk of the first-team reps.
Swanson, who transferred to Holy Cross from the University of Illinois in 2025, won the job out of camp last year and made six starts before suffering season-ending injuries – dislocated left shoulder and torn labrum, which required surgery − in the Harvard game Oct. 4.
"It's all going good right now," Swanson said. "I came into fall camp knowing I have to earn my spot everyday and I'm going to continue to have that mindset. All the quarterbacks are really good at having that mindset. We're supportive of each other and we're all really humble. We have a bunch of hard workers in that room and we all know we have to earn it every day."
Last season, Swanson completed 53% of his pass attempts for 1,021 yards, 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He rushed for 229 yards on 55 carries and scored one TD.
"Cal has that plus-one piece with his ability to extend plays," Curran said. "He has a smooth, accurate release and he's worked really, really hard to continue to improve his command of the offense."
Lynch, a transfer this season from the University of Pittsburgh, played in three games, with one start, for the Panthers in 2024. He did not appear in any games for Pitt last season.
Lynch, who is from East Greenwich, R.I., entered the transfer portal last December and joined his HC teammates in January.
"This program and the coaching staff have been great," Lynch said. "We built great connections during the recruiting process. The ability to be close to home – my family is a big part of my life – and the opportunity to compete at still a high level that the Patriot League is and to play for some great coaches (were factors in choosing HC)."
Lynch was a three-sport star at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, R.I., before prepping at IMG Academy.
"David's decision making, his ability to process and command what we're doing as an offense and his ability to communicate with his teammates is high-level stuff," Curran said.
Campanile appeared in six games for HC last year, started the final three and helped the Crusaders to wins over Bucknell and Georgetown.
"I definitely got used to the speed of the game," Campanile said, "how everybody plays, team camaraderie, all that stuff. Just getting thrown into the fire as a freshman was great for my confidence in general and it's been going well."
HC used Campanile in goal-line packages earlier last season. He finished the year 53-88 for 514 yards and a TD.