Bryan Steele threw one touchdown pass across the middle of the field. He hit a receiver on a fade route for another.

And that all happened within a matter of minutes.

Sure, it was just 7-on-7 football, but on this day — on this stage — Steele made a point.

He showed everyone that attended Monday’s passing camp that Cullman High can still be a good offensive football team without Tyler Caldwell.

Caldwell left some big shoes to fill. The former Bearcats star finished his prep career as the state’s all-time leading passer.

And let’s not forget all the success Cullman enjoyed while Caldwell was the starting quarterback. The Bearcats compiled a 24-4 record and made back-to-back trips to the Class 5A semifinals during that period.

But Caldwell is gone. He’ll be joining former University of Alabama coach Mike Dubose at Millsaps this fall.

That’s where Steele comes into the picture. The rising senior should be Cullman’s starting quarterback when the season begins next month.

Following a record-breaking quarterback isn’t easy. It’s a job that comes with pressure.

But Steele should be able to handle his new role. He has the physical tools to be a very good quarterback in Cullman’s offensive system.

Steele actually has the potential to duplicate his predecessor’s success.

Now, no one is saying that Steele is going to set new state passing record. It wouldn’t be fair to put that type of pressure on anyone.

But with Steele at quarterback — along with all the talent Cullman has returning at wide receiver and running — the Bearcats could have one of the top offenses in north Alabama again. It’s just going to look a little bit different this year.

Cullman will continue to run a variation of the spread offense. That hasn’t changed.

What could change is how often Cullman runs the football — and who is getting the carries. That’s what a running quarterback brings to the table.

Diversity. It’s not something Cullman’s offense has been known for, even though the Bearcats have produced some of the state’s best running backs in recent years.

But Cullman’s offense should be diverse this season. It should also be entertaining.

With two proven running backs returning in Ben Moore and Connor Adams, the addition of Steele gives Bearcats offensive Kenny Gleaton plenty of options in the backfield.

And if Steele can throw the football with success — like he did during Monday’s passing camp — this offense will be hard to stop, especially since Cullman has two All-State caliber wide receivers in Drew Forrest and Riley Stewart.

The pieces are in place, and that can be said about the personnel on both sides of the ball. Remember, Cullman has eight starters back on defense — that includes Jonathan Robertson, who is a highly-touted defensive end that has received at least one offer from major Division I program.

Sounds like the recipe for success, doesn’t it? Most coaches would say yes.

So, will there be life after Caldwell? On paper, yes.

But winning on paper is one thing. Doing it on the field is another.

Lots of things can go wrong in football. Injuries happen. Seasons go awry.

But until something happens, it’s hard to bet against this particular Cullman team. All this group has ever done is win.

‰ Justin Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 257 or by e-mail at jgraves@cullmantimes.com.