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Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Last spring, Jamie Hampton beat out Levi Brown in a hotly contested battle for the starting quarterback position at Troy. A year later, after suffering a major knee injury, Hampton isn't putting up a fight.

	Chris Graythen/Getty Images
	Quarterback Levi Brown is out to prove he deserves to be the starter for Troy.

After talking with coaches and doctors, Hampton, a junior, decided to sit out the 2009 season, allowing Brown to finish his college career as a starter.

"Jamie's kind of a dual-threat guy because he's a runner and a passer and if his legs aren't 100 percent that takes away one of his dimensions," offensive coordinator Neal Brown said. "He's on board. He understands that it's the best thing for him and I thought it was the best thing for us as a team. So, we're going to give Jamie a chance to get well. And if something happens to Levi where he's going to miss a couple games then Jamie would be the guy."

Hampton suffered a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus damage after taking a hit while scrambling against Florida Atlantic on Oct. 7. Levi Brown didn't finish that game, but won a quarterback battle between he and then-sophomore Tanner Jones.

Levi Brown started the final eight games of the season and completed 201 of 326 passes for 2,030 yards, 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also led the Trojans to their first outright Sun Belt Conference title.

"It was definitely a big relief hearing that [Hampton was going to redshirt]," Levi Brown said. "I'd been hoping that they would tell me that because I had played pretty well and I was hoping they would tell me it was my job and they did.

"Last year during spring practice I was in the middle of a three-way battle so I was really stressed out the whole time and really pressing myself more than I should have. It feels a lot better this year to know that it's my job and that there's no competition. I feel like I've been playing a lot more loosely and a lot more confident."

Hampton played his first two seasons with the Trojans and has a redshirt season to give. Barring any more injuries, Neal Brown expects him to be the starter during his final two years of eligibility.

But the Troy coaches didn't want to push his rehab this offseason. Because of the severity of his injury, doctors told Brown that he'd need about a year of recovery, placing his return in October. Hampton had been able to throw during seven-on-seven, but was kept out of 11-on-11 and team drills. Neal Brown said he wouldn't be cleared to participate fully with the team until the Trojans begin camp in August.

"I think me sitting out is going to be really good for me personally, really good for Levi and really good for the team in general," Hampton said. "I think Levi's just really deserving of everything he gets. He's just a great guy. I just want to see him do really good. I know he's got a shot at maybe going pro and that kind of stuff. I'd just like to see his dreams come true. For me, it's just a joy as much for me to play as it is watching him play. So I think it was a really easy decision for me to take the redshirt."

Last season, Troy essentially played two different offenses to match their quarterback's styles. Hampton was more of a runner, so Neal Brown had several designed runs in the scheme. With Levi Brown in the game, the Trojans become a more pass-oriented scheme that relied on its running backs for rushing yards. Levi Brown had just two games with fewer than 200 passing yards, five with at least 250 passing yards and two 300-plus yard games.

And those numbers figure to be better this season as the Trojans return two of their top three receivers, including leading receiver Jerrel Jernigan. They also add top prospect Josh Jarboe to the mix.

More than anything, Levi Brown wants to prove that he deserves to be the starter. After losing the battle last spring, Levi Brown said he questioned whether he'd ever get to start for the Trojans. Now, he's getting his chance to prove he was a starter all along.

"It made me feel good to prove a lot of people wrong," Levi Brown said. "There were some people that doubted me and I kind of took it personal at times and I was glad that I was able to come out and play as well as I did and end up leading us to one of the best seasons we've ever had. So, I kind of had a chip on my shoulder coming in when I was handed the starting job and I took advantage of it. I'm really, really confident."