Vic Viramontes was rowing long before the Gophers came calling

DanielHouse

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The sun rises in Norco, Calif., as cars cautiously yield the right of way for horses crossing the busy streets. Drive through the city of 26,714 and you’ll see horse trails carved alongside roads in place of paved sidewalks. In a town filled with Cowboys lives a quarterback with a burning desire. A long-haired California athlete with one mentality – faith, family and football.

Gophers quarterback commit Vic Viramontes has a tattoo on his forearm as a constant reminder. The inscription — “those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” — inspires Viramontes to embrace every challenge on the road to a Division-I football program.

“If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?” Viramontes said.

The dual-threat quarterback was recently named California Offensive Player of the Year after tearing up defenses at Riverside City College (RCC). He drew offers from Kansas and Ole Miss. In the end, Minnesota and P.J. Fleck emerged as the winners in his recruiting decision.

But his journey didn’t start at Minnesota or Riverside City College.

My full feature with Vic, two of his JUCO coaches and his personal trainer: http://www.1500espn.com/gophers-2/2017/12/vic-viramontes-rowing-long-gophers-came-calling/
 




A lot of the article talks about his running and his physical attributes. I noted that one of his JUCO coaches said VV would have to work on his passing. So, sounds like a player with a lot of potential, but not a finished product.

At the risk of getting flamed again, I will just caution fans about expecting too much, too soon from recruits. If VV does not set the world on fire in his first game, it will not be the end of the world.
 


A lot of the article talks about his running and his physical attributes. I noted that one of his JUCO coaches said VV would have to work on his passing. So, sounds like a player with a lot of potential, but not a finished product.

At the risk of getting flamed again, I will just caution fans about expecting too much, too soon from recruits. If VV does not set the world on fire in his first game, it will not be the end of the world.

Just looking at his stats I would say it's easy to say he's a run-first QB. 1900 yards isn't exactly Drew Brees so we shouldn't expect a high-flying aerial attack. My simple hope is that he can throw a football to an open receiver and extend drives. That's all the more I ask of our QBs, keep drives alive from time to time. We had zero of that this year so danged near anything will be forward progress.
 

VV is a very intriguing prospect to me.

A QB with energy like his coach and a strong drive to succeed. These are traits that you want in your QB. If he can throw short, medium, and long passes while threatening a run, or if he can be accurate throwing while running, he can be truly something special. He's got on paper a huge upgrade on catchers and a soon to be daunting offensive line.

He can possibly be a nightmare to defenses.

Cautious, I am excited!
 

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Another reason Vic will become a fan fave!!!!
 

Funny, I was shoveling for the third time last night and wondered if the boys from IMG had done some snow angels yet. Those would be some big angels.
 



A lot of the article talks about his running and his physical attributes. I noted that one of his JUCO coaches said VV would have to work on his passing. So, sounds like a player with a lot of potential, but not a finished product.

At the risk of getting flamed again, I will just caution fans about expecting too much, too soon from recruits. If VV does not set the world on fire in his first game, it will not be the end of the world.

I'm just hoping for a quarterback that can be dynamic in SOME way. I'll take a QB who is an iffy passer if he causes defenses trouble with his running. The thing I love about college football is that different types of offenses can succeed if coaches are creative. For too long we've had quarterbacks who don't move the needle in any way.
 

No matter the signal caller we need receivers that can get open and catch, a good pass-catching TE, and good blocking and blitz pick ups. We didn’t have any of those (consistently) this past year. Awful all around.

VV is an exciting runner but the story is yet to be written on moving the ball through the air vs Big Ten defenses. I’m perennially hopeful but my expectations are pretty low for next year, as they were for DC last season. It’s very likely going to be ugly, at first. I’ll be happy to be surprised, but I’m looking more towards 2019 for an offensive breakthrough at this point.
 

I'm just hoping for a quarterback that can be dynamic in SOME way. I'll take a QB who is an iffy passer if he causes defenses trouble with his running. The thing I love about college football is that different types of offenses can succeed if coaches are creative. For too long we've had quarterbacks who don't move the needle in any way.

Sounds like ML or MG. We need an adequate passing threat, period. Fleck's offense does not rely on the QBs legs as an integral part of the run game...mostly scrambles as needed and goal line runs.
 

Sounds like ML or MG. We need an adequate passing threat, period. Fleck's offense does not rely on the QBs legs as an integral part of the run game...mostly scrambles as needed and goal line runs.

I think Vic would be a better runner than those two. Leidner and Gray were both solid runners but they didn't really scare defenses. I think Vic could be more of a home run threat with his legs. We'll see though.
 



Sounds like ML or MG. We need an adequate passing threat, period. Fleck's offense does not rely on the QBs legs as an integral part of the run game...mostly scrambles as needed and goal line runs.

If VV can throw as well as Leidner, but be more of a running threat, we're in really good shape. Leidner was an adequate big ten passer. His career numbers are consistent with an average Big Ten QB.

Gray was a notch below Leidner in terms of passing, but still light years ahead of Demry Croft.

Upgrading our receivers will help in any case. Our QBs over the last 10+ years haven't had a whole lot of great options to throw to.
 

Sounds like ML or MG. We need an adequate passing threat, period. Fleck's offense does not rely on the QBs legs as an integral part of the run game...mostly scrambles as needed and goal line runs.

I don't disagree, but Leidner was a good runner, but hardly dynamic. Did Marquise even play a full season at QB? Who knows what he could have been.

While Fleck's offense doesn't rely on the QB as a runner, if your QB is a runner and not a passer and you're not willing to adapt to that you're in trouble.
 

I don't disagree, but Leidner was a good runner, but hardly dynamic. Did Marquise even play a full season at QB? Who knows what he could have been.

While Fleck's offense doesn't rely on the QB as a runner, if your QB is a runner and not a passer and you're not willing to adapt to that you're in trouble.

This is what worries me about him becoming our QB this season.
 

If VV can throw as well as Leidner, but be more of a running threat, we're in really good shape. Leidner was an adequate big ten passer. His career numbers are consistent with an average Big Ten QB.

Gray was a notch below Leidner in terms of passing, but still light years ahead of Demry Croft.

Upgrading our receivers will help in any case. Our QBs over the last 10+ years haven't had a whole lot of great options to throw to.

I guess I’m the resident DC bobo but I’d disagree, subjectively, and the stats lie a little bit. As a Jr Gray was a 50 percent passer with an even TD/INT ratio.

Demry has 123 attempts and 51 completions. He objectively had upwards of 15-20 bad drops I can remember and that might be conservative. These were not 50/50 balls. Everyone from Still to Johnson to Drew H. to Woz and Lingen had unbelievable stone hands. Give him a conservative 10 more completions and he’s at 50%. Give him a few more catches and he’s above that. Turn that goal line bounce off the chest INT into a TD, or Woz completes his route for the easy TD and his TD/INT ratio looks a lot better. He played primarily vs the cream of the schedule, defensively.

Was he good? No. Was he as bad as everyone wants to think? No. Lots of mental errors, but it was a team effort. I don’t recall Gray being much if any better but I’m open to arguments.
 

I don't disagree, but Leidner was a good runner, but hardly dynamic. Did Marquise even play a full season at QB? Who knows what he could have been.

While Fleck's offense doesn't rely on the QB as a runner, if your QB is a runner and not a passer and you're not willing to adapt to that you're in trouble.

Go look at their numbers. Gray averaged 5 yards, had over 1700 yards rushing, and scored more TD rushing than passing. 2011 he was QB for the season. Leidner had 1500 yards and 33 TD rushing. I would argue that if both had been average passing threats coupled with those rushing numbers, Gophs would have had more wins in that stretch, given the number of close games played.

The post was QBs who cause defenses trouble when they run, not dynamic. I would say both caused defenses trouble because they could run...would have been more so if they were better passers.
 

I agree...kind of... I think both would have been remembered as much better passers if they would have had decent receivers... There is no doubt that stone hands and inability to get separation contributed to putrid passing stats....
 

Go look at their numbers. Gray averaged 5 yards, had over 1700 yards rushing, and scored more TD rushing than passing. 2011 he was QB for the season. Leidner had 1500 yards and 33 TD rushing. I would argue that if both had been average passing threats coupled with those rushing numbers, Gophs would have had more wins in that stretch, given the number of close games played.

The post was QBs who cause defenses trouble when they run, not dynamic. I would say both caused defenses trouble because they could run...would have been more so if they were better passers.

I think you read my post as if I wrote that I prefer a running QB. I don't. But if we're going to have a QB who passes like Leidner or Gray (or worse), then I prefer that he be a better runner.
 

MG5 was one of the most talented and worst utilized/handled talents the U has had.


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MG5 was one of the most talented and worst utilized/handled talents the U has had.


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If he wasn't rated a solid 4 star recruit I wonder if people project on him as much. If he had the tools but not the offensive weapons in college seems likely someone takes him on as a scout project. Leidner made it further as a QB in the league.
 

I agree...kind of... I think both would have been remembered as much better passers if they would have had decent receivers... There is no doubt that stone hands and inability to get separation contributed to putrid passing stats....

Some qb’s throw passes/balls that are hard to catch. (In bad spots, weird spirals, weird velocity, weird angles/arch) it just not the receivers fault that balls are hard to catch.
 


MG5 was one of the most talented and worst utilized/handled talents the U has had.

I think MG5 is/was a fantastic athlete. Great team player with a terrific attitude who can do a lot of different things.

Part of me agrees with your statement, but then I ask - how could they have used him differently? Should they have moved him to WR immediately? Played him at TE? I think we saw enough of him as a QB to know what he could do there. He was ok but not a game breaker as a QB.
 

This is what worries me about him becoming our QB this season.

My guess is if they feel there is at least descent depth behind Vic (assuming he is the starter to begin with), they'll run him significantly more than they did with Croft. Fleck's offenses at WMU were always run heavy.
 

Why all the posts about "Fleck's Offense". Shouldn't we assume he will adjust to best fit the talent he has? Isn't that what great coaches do?


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My guess is if they feel there is at least descent depth behind Vic (assuming he is the starter to begin with), they'll run him significantly more than they did with Croft. Fleck's offenses at WMU were always run heavy.

The depth behind VV will be exactly the same as what was behind Demry except replace Rhoda with FR PWO Annexstad and add a year of practice to the others.
They were a 50/50 run-pass offense at WMU, but the run part was done by the RB’s. The QB was used to read the D to pull the ball and throw, not pull the ball and run.


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My guess is if they feel there is at least descent depth behind Vic (assuming he is the starter to begin with), they'll run him significantly more than they did with Croft. Fleck's offenses at WMU were always run heavy.

I would say it was more run first or run oriented, not so much run heavy...and not using the QB. Fleck's WMU offense steadily moved from a 60/40 pass/run mix to a more balanced one, but still more pass than run.
 

Why all the posts about "Fleck's Offense". Shouldn't we assume he will adjust to best fit the talent he has? Isn't that what great coaches do?


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You tell us. You have all the answers.
 




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