***Friendly discussion with my Hog Family and the Mods***

Football Insider Board
#1

Happy Friday to my Hog Family and the Mods!

So now that December 4th and the KB situation has come and gone, I have found myself thinking about the QB situation and thought I would throw out some things to get a friendly discussion just to get a feel from everyone else on their take. There really is no right or wrong answer on this, just curious is all.

Without a doubt, all of us would have loved to had KB. Now that we know it isn’t happening I have found myself wondering if we are better off moving forward with the dudes we have and with the incoming QB in KJ versus a transfer. A big part of me feels that if we go with a 1 year transfer then we will essentially be somewhat back to where we are now which is playing a QB with little to no experience. Now, will those dudes that are still here have more experience in the system, without a doubt yes. However, they more than likely will not have much playing experience other than maybe a few games as I assume you will be living with the transfer in the SEC games baring an injury.

To me a perfect transfer situation is like what LSU got. They got a guy that still had 2 years left to play and for the most part I believe that is typically a rare situation but I could be wrong and will let guys like RD and DD confirm on that. Only one I know of this year is Buechele I believe.

If we go with who we have now and KJ, you take your lumps and grow as a team. I mean, with the situation we are in now, you can’t fall out of a hole! So you grow with what you have and prepare and build for the future. Look at Baylor, they were 1-11 last year and now 6-6. Yes, different conference but they took their hits and grew from it. Look what the Cowboys did with Troy Aikman as a rookie. He got abused (0-11) and hammered in first year but their win totals went up to 7 wins the next 2 seasons on to 13 wins by 4th year. Might not be the best example but hopefully you get my point. I don’t want to see KJ get abused or beaten down to where he loses confidence but we have to remember one thing with him. I believe he was a starter for 4 straight years and early on they were not good until the last couple of years he led them deep in state playoffs. So, this is something he is used too.

Sorry so long. Anyway, I don’t know the answer to this and like I said - there is no right or wrong answer here. Just putting it out to see what others takes are on it because Lord knows that there are a TON of you on here that are WAY smarter than me.

Let’s have some fun with this and I hope all of you have a blessed weekend!

#2

I hope we take our lumps with CN, JSJ and KJJ. If we do that, we will be in good shape at QB in 2020. KJJ should not shoulder the entire load as a true Frosh. However, I hope he plays in every game.

#3

Very well put. Regarding KB, glad that is over. If everything went down that last week as stated around here, we may have been dealing with a Prima Dona type anyway. Mizzu can have him.

As for moving forward, not sure if Buechele is that much of an upgrade from what we already have just because he was a 5 star out of HS. Has he played that much yet in college, was he impressive? We have had a couple of those around here before, 1 recently & niether stuck around. We start bringing in transfers with 2 years left & undermining the guys on hand we stand a chance of scrambling for a QB period soon for lack of faith. We may become the New Sumlin QB killers of the SEC.
Work with what we got, why they were recruited & the talent is there. Let the QB competition begin

#4

I was never on the KB bandwagon.

Disclaimer: I have never been a “quick fix” type of person. I prefer methodical, long-term, sustained success. Anyway…

At the end of CBB’s tenure, I felt as though we had a plethora of serious issues within our football program.

Watching CCM’s first year only cemented that belief.

To me, getting KB for just a single year seemed more like a short-term, band-aid fix to only ONE of our many issues. And even though he may have been worth an extra win or two (over whomever else would have been our QB) next season, it is my opinion we have so many other serious issues (especially on OL) that his effect would have been marginal. To me, having KB would have only delayed the inevitable: we need find SEC-quality QBs who have the skill set to effectively execute the RPO.

I’ll be the first to admit I have absolutely NO idea whether any of the QBs on our current roster (or current commits) have that skill set … or the potential skill set. It’s possible we do. But with all the other issues we have, I’m not so sure you’d be able to tell in a game situation. Having said that, it’d be my opinion that we need to start getting our (younger) QBs as much in-game experience as soon as possible. If for no other reason than to have more video to evaluate/teach … while we go out and recruit more QBs who DO have the necessary skill set.

Bottom Line: I do not envy the job CCM has ahead of him.

#5

Never bought into the KB deal. I just could not see any reason for him to come here. I also posted at the time that we should not even consider him if it hurt us with KJ even a little.

I hope next season we can at least start climbing out of this hole. The Oline will not allow for many wins (boy, is that story getting old, but it is true). Just as well make the best of it and try to develop the future. Unlike many here, I do not know the best way to do that. That is why we pay all of this money to coaches, but is going to be a very difficult job.

#6

I never thought Bryant was coming. I figure it will be Noland vs Storey in spring and one of them will be QB next year and Jefferson will redshirt. John Stephen Jones should not be discounted.

#7

We’ll sign a QB, either a Grad transfer, or JUCO. The staff knows they need an upgrade at the position asap. They need wins next year to make sure the heat doesn’t get turned up too high for 2020. I fully expect them to sign someone.

#8

Clay, I will give you props for saying you thought Ty Storey would win the starting quarterback job in a thread last spring. I thought you were just dead wrong. But you were eventually proven right.

I hope it is a 3 man battle with Connor, John Stephen and Ty. We know what Ty can do. Let’s see what the young boys can do. If Storey wins that battle and is the starting quarterback or even #2, I would be surprised. Not shocked, but just mildly surprised.

It will be interesting to see how all this plays out.

Now, I will head for cover.

#9

I agree with this and would then expect Storey to transfer.

#10

I bet Hyatt would as well JacksonReid if that happened. Just a speculation but that would be my guess. Been awful quiet on him. I like him as a player so not sure what is going on there.

#11

I’m fine with going with Connor, JSJ, and TY. However, none will be successful if he doesn’t give them most of his entire offensive system to work with. If we stay with those 3 QBs and they are saddled with the slow offensive system we saw this past year we won’t win more than 4 games, if that. My goodness, none of those 3 QBs are stupid, but he never gave them enough (he said 30%?) offense to even see if they could be successful in his system.

Yes, I know, offensive line and receivers have to do their job. Coaches need to teach and prepare them better. Talent is coming in and some talent is still there. Get the most out of them, not the least, like last year. And, in the spring, he should NOT give Ty more of his system than Connor or JSJ to work with either. If they can’t grasp it fine, but at least give them a chance.

#12

I am going to take this conversation in a slightly different direction; that is to say, I’m going to leave the QB discussion and veer over to just the trajectory of the program, in general, going forward.

I expect 2019 to be very much like what we saw in 2008 - year 1 of the Petrino era. The similarity is an influx of several talented WR and an ace TE (in combination with a returning TE that finally found his game late this season). IF we close the deal on the OL we have on campus this week, I expect that situation to start out mediocre (game 1) and gradually improve to “OK” over the course of the 2019 season. If we can get to “OK”, that will be a marked improvement over what we got from the OL last year.

Getting back to the WR, and the old Darrel Royal axiom, I expect these young wideouts to show their teeth early. If we can get halfway decent protection, our passing game should improve quite a bit by mid-season. Remember, in Petrino’s first season we had a veteran QB (C. Dick) who, although never a “star”, was a solid QB who had a number of starts and wins under his belt by 2008. This past season, in addition to very poor OL play, we had a 4th year QB seeing basically his first extended playing time. Big difference.

With the influx of new DL talent, I also expect to see gradual improvement in our defense next season. Perhaps not marked improvement, but noticeable. I’m also anxious to see Andrew Parker at LB. He’s become kind of a forgotten man to most of our fans, but he was held in great esteem during last year’s recruiting season and it was expected he would play early and often this season, before he suffered an injury in the pre-season. If he’s fully healthy, and with Scoota coming back, we should be fine at LB (still need to develop some depth).

So, I see us winning 4 or 5 games in 2019. Many, including myself, that are long-suffering Hog fans will be disappointed to have yet another Bowl season dome and go with Arkansas not involved. However, in the big picture, I will be FINE with that result SO LONG AS I also see tangible improvement from the beginning to end of the season. That’s something I had hoped for this year, but - honestly - didn’t see. I believe I understand some of the reasons why, so I’m OK deferring what I had hoped for this year one more season.

But we really do need to make that “jump” this year, and then 2020 needs to be a Bowl year (6-7 wins). If we can do that - and have another couple of recruiting classes somewhat comparable to what we appear to be in line for this year - I think we’ll be “off and running” to being where Arkansas has been at times in their SEC experience - and that’s competitive with any team on their schedule.

Of course, I really DO want to see an SEC Championship before I cash my chips in, and I’m hopeful that we will break through and do that sometime in the next 5-10 years. But I guess I’ve been humble and learned that winning 8-10 games is not so bad even if you don’t win the conference. Right now, that sounds pretty doggone good to me.

#13

I actually agree with your record prediction going forward. 4-8 next year and 6-6 in 2020, however I don’t think Morris will have a big leash because of the past 7 years (JLS, CBB 5 seasons, and 2-10 this year). If we are correct, I think the BOT and fan base will demand he “seeks another opportunity.”

For Morris to be around in 2021, I fully believe he’d have to jump to 6-6 next year and 8-4/9-3 in 2020. Anything less and I think he’s gone. I do think if he’s given enough time (5 yrs plus) we will see a much better “state of the program.”

JMVHO

#14

I understand where you are coming from, but i think that so long as the trajectory remains positive (more wins one year than the year before), AND we make a Bowl by 2020, CCM will be fine. Another reason is that AD HY understands the situation Morris came into, and is also able to guage if we are (or are not) getting the kind of Texas talent from CCM’s staff that we expected when he was hired. If he is, and the win totals continue to grow, I think Morris will be here to see year #4.

#15

Agree Wiz…if the trajectory you mention and I believe we all hope for happens he will be here. All you need to do is look east to Lexington and you see what happens when you give a coach 5 years after showing marked improvement each year. If you have marked improvement and CCM has time to build it I can see us having the same success but I feel like it could be in year 4 when the 2019 class is Juniors and RS Sophs! Add in as you stated, a couple of consecutive classes like we are having and the talent will be in place to have success. In addition, the AD is no dummie and he is getting a front row seat of what CCM is up against. The timing of both coming in together leads me to believe CCM would get 5 years minimum unless we had zero improvement.

#16

What Wiz and Hawgfan said. We’ll never get out of this if we don’t give a coach at least 4 years. We all have our opinions, and that’s all they are, but CCM deserves support for at least that long. He’s a hard worker and very good recruiter. If, as some of you have said, we win 4 next year and 6 the next, he deserves that 4th year.

#17

I don’t know about 4 wins. I can’t imagine the Hogs have ever had a coach go ofer in league play 2 consecutive years, that’s in the SEC or the SWC. Let alone survive that if they did. I think if he would survive with 4 wins, one would have to be a league win and toward the end of the season, which would show improvement. We’ve got MS St and MO at home this year but MO (with KB) is in Little Rock. That leaves MS St as the most likely late season win. He’s going to lose a boat load of fans and ticket holders following 0-16 in league play.

#18

I do not see how a juco or a grad transfer can have an advantage on the 2 freshmen given they have been practicing for a full season under Coach Morris. And given Noland’s atheleticism, I don’t see how they would better equipped to make the plays, does not make sense to me to seek a transfer, not to mention the long term outlook.

#19

So, Wash U wasn’t better with Minshew, LSU better with Burrow, should I go on? You take a player if he is better than your current options, simple as that.

#20

I betting my money on Storey staying home, if you have a hunch bet a bunch, if your hunch is wrong your bunch is gone ! Storey is going to be the starter the way I see it playing out. WPS