Why no Grad Transfer QBs?

fmlizard

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In my days as a Gopher fan I've never once heard us connected with a grad transfer QB, let alone actually bring one in. This in spite of the Gophers having had some dodgy QB play that required starting freshmen, still being in the Big Ten, and not being horrible the vast majority of the time. It's a pro-style offense and all the games are on TV.

One would think the U would be a great landing spot for a grad transfer, particularly this season. Scoring Malik Zaire or erstwhile LSU QB Brandon Harris (now of UNC) may have made the difference between a rebuilding season in 2017 and a serious chance at a West title. Same deal, different names in past seasons. Why is Minnesota not in the game on this?

I get it if PJF is going to develop an underclassman this year, but if we suffer through a year of a former walk-on grad student (Conor Rhoda) who was ready to hang up the game and get on with life as of this winter, I think we will all wonder why some more creative options weren't considered. Perhaps they were, and we were told to jump in a lake, but I doubt it.
 

1. There aren't a lot of top tier grad transfer QBs. Maybe 1-2 per year.
2. We run the ball a lot, which usually isn't what a grad transfer is looking for.
3. There has to be interest on both ends.
 


Grad transfers seem to wind up on teams that have a good chance to be successful, but just lack a top-flight QB. I don't think you can put the Gophers in that category. Plus, the Gophers have a new coaching staff and new O and D systems - not the settled type of situation a grad transfer is looking for - they want a "plug in the QB and win" type of scenario.
 

Don't say rebuilding or all hell will break loose.


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Pretty funny OP. This isn't EA NCAA 2018. We have our QBs for the next 4-6 years on the roster.
 

Grad transfers seem to wind up on teams that have a good chance to be successful, but just lack a top-flight QB. I don't think you can put the Gophers in that category. Plus, the Gophers have a new coaching staff and new O and D systems - not the settled type of situation a grad transfer is looking for - they want a "plug in the QB and win" type of scenario.

The Gophers have been successful, and would have been even better with a "top-flight QB." We are on the list.
 

The Gophers have been successful, and would have been even better with a "top-flight QB." We are on the list.

Seriously - you're a grad-transfer QB. You're looking for a program that is ready to challenge for conference or national honors. All they need is a QB. Can you really say the Gophers fit that criteria? Maybe if Fleck was in his 2nd or 3rd year, and there were no other major question marks - but this Gopher team is facing question marks at OL, DB and WR. Russell Wilson - or his equivalent - is not looking at the Gophers as his #1 option unless Fleck is an even better salesman than his reputation.
 

Seriously - you're a grad-transfer QB. You're looking for a program that is ready to challenge for conference or national honors. All they need is a QB. Can you really say the Gophers fit that criteria? Maybe if Fleck was in his 2nd or 3rd year, and there were no other major question marks - but this Gopher team is facing question marks at OL, DB and WR. Russell Wilson - or his equivalent - is not looking at the Gophers as his #1 option unless Fleck is an even better salesman than his reputation.

Agree, and while there are certainly circumstances where a grad transfer makes sense, in most cases it means something has gone seriously wrong with your pipeline and you're willing to potentially mess up your future recruiting to bring a special case in. That being said, I'm surprised we don't see more grad-transfers at other positions, especially from the FCS and D2 school around the area that want an opportunity to showcase their talent on the big stage.
 



Seriously - you're a grad-transfer QB. You're looking for a program that is ready to challenge for conference or national honors. All they need is a QB. Can you really say the Gophers fit that criteria? Maybe if Fleck was in his 2nd or 3rd year, and there were no other major question marks - but this Gopher team is facing question marks at OL, DB and WR. Russell Wilson - or his equivalent - is not looking at the Gophers as his #1 option unless Fleck is an even better salesman than his reputation.

I highlighted the reasons a grad transfer QB hasn't happened. We've challenged for the West championship 2 of the last 3 years. That isn't one of them.
 

I highlighted the reasons a grad transfer QB hasn't happened. We've challenged for the West championship 2 of the last 3 years. That isn't one of them.

Yes you did and they made a lot of sense too.
 

Pretty funny OP. This isn't EA NCAA 2018. We have our QBs for the next 4-6 years on the roster.

The 2022 QB is on our roster Today?


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Practice visitor to Sid, "You look really good."

Sid's response, "What?"

By the way, his "nurse" is attractive.
 



The 2022 QB is on our roster Today?


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Yes, do the math.

If you understood EA spots games, the "year" is always ahead one year.
 

There's only a scant few open-for-a-season QB jobs at the P5 level every year. There's even fewer of those that are with winning teams. A transfer isn't likely to go to the Rose Bowl here, or win the NCG, but one could do much worse than winning 6-10 games, going to a solid bowl, and showing scouts skills in a pro-style scheme at the B1G level.

There isn't a recent tradition of great passing teams, but yes, the Gophers would count as a great situation for a grad transfer QB.
 

We're no longer "pro-style" and that was largely going away under Kill then Claeys. From what I've seen of Ciarroca's system the QB is off about 5 yards, 3-4 WR sets with heavy use of an H back.
 




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