Athlon: Top 20 Impact JUCO Transfer Quarterbacks for 2017 (#17. Neil McLaurin)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Athlon:

17. Neil McLaurin, Minnesota
Replacing Mitch Leidner at quarterback is one of Minnesota’s biggest offseason question marks for new coach P.J. Fleck. Former walk-on Conor Rhoda (8 of 16) is the most-experienced option, but redshirt freshman Seth Green and junior Demry Croft return for 2017. McLaurin committed to Minnesota under former coach Tracy Claeys and enrolled in time to compete during spring practice. The Mississippi native threw for 964 yards (52.8%) and eight scores and added 440 yards and six touchdowns in 2016 at Southwest Mississippi Community College. McLaurin ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 172 junior college recruit in the 247Sports Composite.

http://athlonsports.com/college-foo...top-20-impact-juco-transfer-quarterbacks-2017

Go Gophers!!
 



GopherWeatherGuy said:
So your claim is always that GopherHolers know nothing, yet you're going to trust what Athlon says?
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To be fair McLaurin was one of the "top JUCO QBs" not just listed on Athlon.... how important that is can be debatable as JUCO talent fluctuates, but it's not just Athlon.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
So your claim is always that GopherHolers know nothing, yet you're going to trust what Athlon says?
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I always disagree with highwayman, but I will tell you, he absolutely believe the part in bold. So he is consistent.
 


According to 247 there are 26 total QB's in this years JUCO class (247 has him ranked at 12th best).
 


I think he's third string at best behind Green and Croft and possibly Rhoda while redshirting Morgan. He fits better in our old offense where the QB ran more.
 

It's shocking that anyone could have a strong opinion of McLaurin.

He was recruited (and likely evaluated) by Johnson and has zero track record, good or bad.
 



beatles said:
I think he's third string at best behind Green and Croft and possibly Rhoda while redshirting Morgan. He fits better in our old offense where the QB ran more.
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My thought too...maybe WR? Got the body for it.
 



I'll be stunned if he is in the mix at QB just based off Fleck's comments (well, more lack of comments or apparently any interest in him at all) at NSD. It was something like "uh, this guy signed under the last regime and is already enrolled, so I don't really know anything about him...". I get that Fleck didn't recruit him. But when he didn't have one of his minions spend the 30 seconds to put together 3 facts (such as highest rated dual threat JUCO QB according to Athlon, went to X high school, etc.) it seemed pretty obvious that Fleck wasn't real excited about him eating a scholarship. Maybe he just forgot about him and it was an innocent thing. But the difference in the way Fleck sidestepped McLaurin but gushed over Morgan was pretty much night and day.

That said, I don't believe they can pull his scholarship even if they wanted to since he's enrolled (might be able to after next season - not sure with the B1G guaranteeing scholarships if that's allowed with JUCO transfers). I also think he'll at least get a semblance of a chance to start. It's just that I think he's going to have to dominate whatever chance he gets to be seriously considered. All QB's will have an equal chance to start, it's just some are more equal than others... :)

If I was a betting man, based off next to zero info, I'd rate the odds as:

Green 40%
Morgan 30%
Croft 20%
McLaurin 5%
Rhoda 4%
Estes 0.9999% (believe he'll switch positions)
Williams 0.0001% (based off the fact he'd have to have his suspension overturned which in and of itself might be greater than the million to one odds I have here)
 



Lakeville Goldy said:
I'll be stunned if he is in the mix at QB just based off Fleck's comments (well, more lack of comments or apparently any interest in him at all) at NSD. It was something like "uh, this guy signed under the last regime and is already enrolled, so I don't really know anything about him...". I get that Fleck didn't recruit him. But when he didn't have one of his minions spend the 30 seconds to put together 3 facts (such as highest rated dual threat JUCO QB according to Athlon, went to X high school, etc.) it seemed pretty obvious that Fleck wasn't real excited about him eating a scholarship. Maybe he just forgot about him and it was an innocent thing. But the difference in the way Fleck sidestepped McLaurin but gushed over Morgan was pretty much night and day.

That said, I don't believe they can pull his scholarship even if they wanted to since he's enrolled (might be able to after next season - not sure with the B1G guaranteeing scholarships if that's allowed with JUCO transfers). I also think he'll at least get a semblance of a chance to start. It's just that I think he's going to have to dominate whatever chance he gets to be seriously considered. All QB's will have an equal chance to start, it's just some are more equal than others... :)

If I was a betting man, based off next to zero info, I'd rate the odds as:

Green 40%
Morgan 30%
Croft 20%
McLaurin 5%
Rhoda 4%
Estes 0.9999% (believe he'll switch positions)
Williams 0.0001% (based off the fact he'd have to have his suspension overturned which in and of itself might be greater than the million to one odds I have here)
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Croft 40%
Green 40%
Morgan 20%

My $0.02


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 




A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
If Morgan is ready out of the gate... he is either the steal of the draft.. er recruiting season, or we're desperate.
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I'd disagree, mostly because of the situation. The three huge advantages he has are:

1: He is enrolled and will be here for Spring Practice so will have that full time plus the fall to get used to the college game/college life.

2: With a new Offensive Coordinator none of the QB's are coming in with a leg up since they won't know his scheme or terminology. Realistically, does Conor Rhoda (for example) who has been with the program for 4 years really have an advantage when going to a new system? Maybe, since he (and Croft) have gone through that type of change already last year. On the same sense, Morgan's system in HS may have been closer to what they will run here, which could give him a leg up on the others, even though they technically have more experience. Note - I have no idea if Morgan's system or someone else's system is more like what they will run here. Heck, I don't really know what they will run here! :)

3: No incumbent. If Leidner was still here there'd be virtually no question he'd start regardless of what happened. Or if Leidner had gone pro after the 2015 season (ha ha) and Rhoda had started all the games last year, same thing. But that's not the case and as I mentioned the other QB's have a combined 34 pass attempts. And it's not like either of the ones who played lit it up when they were in there, where there was a legitimate "he's the guy next year" type of moment. Doesn't mean they aren't or can't be good, but at least for me neither made me salivate for when they'd get the ball.

Because of that he doesn't need to be the next Peyton Manning or the Gophers don't just have to be desperate. It could just be that he picks the system up faster or it is more natural for him and he's a better fit. I agree it's more likely than not he will NOT be the starter, but I think it's a lot more realistic possibility than a lot of other people do.

Though I am hoping he IS the steal of the recruiting season and IS the next Peyton Manning. :)
 

Lakeville Goldy said:
I'd disagree, mostly because of the situation. The three huge advantages he has are:

1: He is enrolled and will be here for Spring Practice so will have that full time plus the fall to get used to the college game/college life.

2: With a new Offensive Coordinator none of the QB's are coming in with a leg up since they won't know his scheme or terminology. Realistically, does Conor Rhoda (for example) who has been with the program for 4 years really have an advantage when going to a new system? Maybe, since he (and Croft) have gone through that type of change already last year. On the same sense, Morgan's system in HS may have been closer to what they will run here, which could give him a leg up on the others, even though they technically have more experience. Note - I have no idea if Morgan's system or someone else's system is more like what they will run here. Heck, I don't really know what they will run here! :)

3: No incumbent. If Leidner was still here there'd be virtually no question he'd start regardless of what happened. Or if Leidner had gone pro after the 2015 season (ha ha) and Rhoda had started all the games last year, same thing. But that's not the case and as I mentioned the other QB's have a combined 34 pass attempts. And it's not like either of the ones who played lit it up when they were in there, where there was a legitimate "he's the guy next year" type of moment. Doesn't mean they aren't or can't be good, but at least for me neither made me salivate for when they'd get the ball.

Because of that he doesn't need to be the next Peyton Manning or the Gophers don't just have to be desperate. It could just be that he picks the system up faster or it is more natural for him and he's a better fit. I agree it's more likely than not he will NOT be the starter, but I think it's a lot more realistic possibility than a lot of other people do.

Though I am hoping he IS the steal of the recruiting season and IS the next Peyton Manning. :)
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This is a good post, but I just think we have a different definition of desperation. The scenario (completely plausible) you laid out is a desperate situation, IMO.

So I tend to agree with the idea that if he starts, he's either SOD type of recruit OR we're desperate. Your situation falls squarely into the latter for me.
 

I don't know how the frosh players do it, I partied my add off when I first got to college....
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
This is a good post, but I just think we have a different definition of desperation. The scenario (completely plausible) you laid out is a desperate situation, IMO.

So I tend to agree with the idea that if he starts, he's either SOD type of recruit OR we're desperate. Your situation falls squarely into the latter for me.
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Thanks. I think you're right as to our definitions of desperation. To me desperation was starting Philip Nelson as a true freshman because they were simply out of bodies to start. If this team has that problem it will have been a BAD season with all the bodies they have now!!! :)

Not trying to start a war at all, just want to understand your view.

Do you think that the guys that have been in the system have an advantage over Morgan because they just have more experience in the college game? Or similarities between the old offense(s) and the new? Maturity? Or since they've picked up one (or two) college offense(s) it'll be easier to pick up another (kind of like how they claim learning a third language is easier than a second, not that I'd know).

Based on those thoughts, would you think McLaurin would be ahead or behind or equal to Morgan (regardless of Fleck's comments and their actual talents which I'm assuming we don't have enough info to speak on)?

For me personally, as I've mentioned I don't really see how just having been here puts anyone ahead of anyone else with the new systems coming in. I just think they truly will all be starting from zero, and there's no reason Morgan might not pick it up as fast as anyone else. But I've been wrong before and probably will be again. :)
 

If Fleck thinks Morgan may be the guy eventually but he starts one of the four horsemen: Rhoda, Croft, Green, or McLaurin and they have reasonable success then pure inertia makes it hard to make a change the following year. If the team takes a dump after the change then Fleck looks bad. So as fans some are in a tough spot. If they think Morgan is the guy do we take the lumps that go along with starting a freshman? Or do we start one the four and hope they don't do the too well so "their guy" gets his opportunity?

I have no idea who the starter will be. I doubt Fleck knows. Maybe he has his pet players, maybe he doesn't have that fault and starts the best player. It will be exciting to watch. Will Green rise above his humble "co-starter" (not really) origins and realize his athletic potential and greatness? Will the fluid and giant-like Croft become a shotgun-armed, attacking, aggressive and devastating dual-threat warrior on the gridiron or fade into obscurity? Is everyone just a placeholder for Armstrong?
 

Lakeville Goldy said:
Thanks. I think you're right as to our definitions of desperation. To me desperation was starting Philip Nelson as a true freshman because they were simply out of bodies to start. If this team has that problem it will have been a BAD season with all the bodies they have now!!! :)

Not trying to start a war at all, just want to understand your view.

Do you think that the guys that have been in the system have an advantage over Morgan because they just have more experience in the college game? Or similarities between the old offense(s) and the new? Maturity? Or since they've picked up one (or two) college offense(s) it'll be easier to pick up another (kind of like how they claim learning a third language is easier than a second, not that I'd know).

Based on those thoughts, would you think McLaurin would be ahead or behind or equal to Morgan (regardless of Fleck's comments and their actual talents which I'm assuming we don't have enough info to speak on)?

For me personally, as I've mentioned I don't really see how just having been here puts anyone ahead of anyone else with the new systems coming in. I just think they truly will all be starting from zero, and there's no reason Morgan might not pick it up as fast as anyone else. But I've been wrong before and probably will be again. :)
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Let me put it this way, I think we both agree on the fact that Morgan has a chance to become a starter day 1 and I totally agree with you about having to start Phil Nelson because of lack of bodies. In my head, I guess those are just varied degrees of desperation. In our assumption, we're assuming that Morgan isn't the SOD of recruiting (which he very well could be and then this convo is moot). So if Morgan is just an average to slightly better than average true freshman QB and he is our best option. . .that is kind of a desperate situation. But you're 100% right, it's not the dire situation that is "starting because of lack of bodies". So, I think we mostly agree and it's just sort of semantics as far our definitions of the word "desperate".

As far as a level playing field. I agree with you in terms of X's and O's. They will likely be on a very similar page.

Where the upperclassmen have an advantage is that they've done it before. They've (presumably) learned a college playbook and they have experience with the work it goes into doing that at the college level.

They also have a year of weight training and building their bodies. Even for a QB, college football is a different beast, physically than HS. Morgan has decent size, but I'd guess that it's still HS kid size.

They also have an advantage in terms of putting it all together. They've lived away from home, they've balanced classes, social life, and football. That kind of stuff can eat a kid up.

So yeah, I think there are still definitely advantage to being an upperclassmen, even with a brand new system. That said, I don't think those advantage are too much for the better player, if that is what Morgan is, to overcome.
 

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