RENO, Nev. — Nick Graziano and Colin Kaepernick are friends and teammates, and both want to see the other succeed. But it's clear neither one of the two Nevada quarterbacks would be happy in a back-up role this season.

The two took the field along with more than 100 of their teammates yesterday as summer camp opened at Wolf Pack Park. Each took about the same number of snaps in the Pack's practice with no helmets or pads.

Nevada coach Chris Ault said Kaepernick will begin camp practicing with the first team, but he's not selected a starter yet.

"I think both of us want to play the most," Graziano told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "I don't think either one of us will be happy with a back-up role."

Graziano was the starter as a sophomore last season, but a foot injury in the team's fifth game ended his season. Kaepernick took over and went on to become the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year.

"It's a tough thing," Kaepernick said. "I went through it the first four games last year. Being No. 2 is very hard on you mentally. Going into this, I'm just trying to focus on myself and getting better and getting ready for the first game."

Kaepernick said the two of them haven't discussed the competition.

"We don't really talk too much about it," he said. "We just talked about how the break was, stuff like that. Not too much about football stuff."

One of them will eventually lose the battle to become the starter, but as far as Ault is concerned, it's a win-win situation for the Wolf Pack.

"Our quarterback situation is solid," he said before practice. "Kap will run with the first group. That doesn't mean he's the starter."

"I'd like to take this problem any time. It's a good situation. It really is. You only get better if you've got competition."

Ault reiterated his thoughts of a week ago at the WAC's annual media preview in Salt Lake City when he said Kaepernick must graduate from a thrower to a passer, and Graziano must shake off the rust.

"Kap's got to make the transition from a thrower to a passer," he said. "That's got to happen. We can't have the same thing last year. And Graz has got to catch up to where he was, and you don't do that overnight."

The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Kaepernick, from Pitman High in Turlock, Calif., had very good numbers in all areas with the exception of percentage (53.9). That was slightly better than Graziano's percentage (50.7), though.

"Making the touch throws, making the anticipation throws is what I see I need to improve on the most," Kaepernick said. "Developing my passing game more."

The 6-1, 220-pound Graziano, from Campolindo High in Moraga, Calif., was able to throw from a standing position in spring drills, but he could not put any pressure on his right foot.

"It seems like it's been a while since I've been able to strap it up and throw it with my teammates," he said. "But it's all coming around, and I felt good running today. At the beginning of the summer I started running hard and it's progressed quickly since then. Everything went well with rehab and I'm back 100 percent. So I'm ready to rock again."

There are four quarterbacks in camp this summer. Redshirt freshman Luke Collis and true freshman Tyler Lantrip are the others. Collis redshirted last season. Lantrip signed with the Pack prior to the 2006 season but had back surgery and is finally ready to begin his college career.

"Tyler is an unknown," Ault said. "He had a good spring two years ago. And Luke, he's a freshman. He's got to take it all in. It's a good group to work with. Each one of them has a different avenue they've got to travel to get better. This is a very intelligent group, and they're mentally tough, all four of them. I think they'll be excellent leaders."

Ault likely won't name a starter until at least the week of the first game, Aug. 30 at Mackay Stadium against Grambling State, and he might not name the starter until late in that week. The key players involved plan to just keep working hard.

"Just focus on your strengths and give it your all every day out here," Graziano said.

Nevada plays at Hawai'i on Oct. 25.

Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com