Clark in the portal



Anyone know how many of our WRs tweeted that they are excited for Morgan to come back?
 


Then I guess PJ isn't logical....Zack did beat out Tanner originally
That was quite a while ago when they were both untested. Is it your opinion that they are both in the same place they were then cause if so I have a bridge to sell you on Hennepin Avenue.

But sure, I bet PJ will risk losing games and possibly getting fired cause he just likes Tanner better...
 








Assuming he didn't graduate, wouldn't he absolutely have to sit a season? I know players didn't have to sit out this year because of COVID, but isn't it back to the old rules going forward?

No. Players transferring from a four year school to another four year school now get one free transfer with immediate eligibility. If they transfer again, they would have to petition the NCAA for immediate eligibility and presumably show some kind of cause. The grad transfer exception I don't believe is applicable any longer since the rule awarding the one free transfer.
 

Then I guess PJ isn't logical....Zack did beat out Tanner originally

Ryan Leaf was drafted over Charles Woodson, Randy Moss, and Alan Faneca. Even over Scott Frost....the man himself! Point is that hindsight is 20/20. Clearly the year of experience and more time to assess the play was enough to convince the staff that he was better than ZA.

On a related note.....I happened to do a little research for this post.....and found out Ryan Leaf's net worth. lol.

 

I think this has more to do with the change in philosophy at QB for the future. Ciarrocca prioritized an accurate pocket passer, and Clark is not known for his mobility.

Since he left, they are now focused on recruiting dual threat QB's who can run. We saw Kramer play quite a bit this season, and Athan and Knuth can both really run.
 

it is. totally against tanner coming back. this is going to set us back . dont get me wrong love tanner, but time to move on.. now we are going to lose at least 2 young qbs. this will hurt. fleck also needs to get playing time for the young qbs thru out the year. major mistake the last 2 years fleck has given 0 minutes to anyone else.
There is no problem with having one qb stick around. It’s only a problem if he isn’t the best qb on the team. Zero reason to expect us to lose another young qb this year.
 



Ryan Leaf was drafted over Charles Woodson, Randy Moss, and Alan Faneca. Even over Scott Frost....the man himself! Point is that hindsight is 20/20. Clearly the year of experience and more time to assess the play was enough to convince the staff that he was better than ZA.

On a related note.....I happened to do a little research for this post.....and found out Ryan Leaf's net worth. lol.

Ok, cause this comparison is the same. In one case you have 2 qbs and in what you posted you have a QB vs CB vs WR. Seems apples to apples to me 😂
 


I don't think he should unless he gives us the best chance to win games.

Barring an injury, I don't think we have an interesting QB battle until 2023.
For sure. I've been to a few closed practices the last several seasons and Zack has looked very good. I think he sticks around so Gophs will have two solid QB options.
 

Ok, cause this comparison is the same. In one case you have 2 qbs and in what you posted you have a QB vs CB vs WR. Seems apples to apples to me 😂

It was not meant to be a direct comparison. It was meant to be a joke. But the underlying point stands.

Just because ZA won the starting job his freshman year.....does not mean that he was still the best option the next year.
 

Ok, cause this comparison is the same. In one case you have 2 qbs and in what you posted you have a QB vs CB vs WR. Seems apples to apples to me 😂
Delicious seeing as the whole premise of this argument is you pretending you know PJ is playing Tanner over QBs that are better than him. Then backed that up with when ZA was a frosh and Tanner was a RS Frosh ZA beat him out pretending that proves ZA is better than TM now or that any of the QBs are.

But please...since you obviously watch all the practices and see all the reps...which QB outplays TM in practice on a consistent basis? I will hang up and listen.
 

Wally Pipp beat out Lou Gehrig at one time too. Sometimes you don't know what you have until the lights come on...then you figure out you were wrong.

Bottom line is none of us know what goes on at practice, in meetings, in film study, etc. We have no idea who the best players are. Coaches undoubtedly make mistakes, but I can tell you that in 95% of circumstances the best player is on the field at every position.
It's coaching philosophy. Some coaches will wait through a few mediocre QB performances if there is no clearly better alternative in practice. So there may be someone as good or possibly better but no guarantee. Stick with what you know.

Other coaches are less patient and believe if you have someone at least as good, give him a chance and see if he steps up. Quite a few BIG teams used multiple QBs this year.
 


It's coaching philosophy. Some coaches will wait through a few mediocre QB performances if there is no clearly better alternative in practice. So there may be someone as good or possibly better but no guarantee. Stick with what you know.

Other coaches are less patient and believe if you have someone at least as good, give him a chance and see if he steps up. Quite a few BIG teams used multiple QBs this year.
I still think they ought give the backup QBs some meaningful snaps in a game situation. Having a backup that has some game experience is a good thing. Practice is not the same as a real game situation.
 

Tanner will have played five seasons when he goes. Because of what Tanner has accomplished and who he is, it is simply unthinkable that PJ would let another QB take meaningful snaps in season five (except in faux wildcat) unless Tanner is very injured. Won’t let a QB controversy start. And Annexstad probably gets first shot if Tanner is ever injured. So, Clark won’t play in 2022 unless a number if things go wrong. As to competition, if Clark were Tanner’s equal he gets no snaps. And I genuinely believe Clark wouldn’t play even if he were 15% better than a healthy Tanner. Too much loyalty to Tanner built up. I would have loved to see Clark play, but he really has no choice but to leave if he ever wants to take a snap in college. Fleck isn’t going to give him one.
 

I think this has more to do with the change in philosophy at QB for the future. Ciarrocca prioritized an accurate pocket passer, and Clark is not known for his mobility.

Since he left, they are now focused on recruiting dual threat QB's who can run. We saw Kramer play quite a bit this season, and Athan and Knuth can both really run.

and that is the intriguing aspect of the discussion. As you say, the Gophers seem to be going after mobile, dual-threat QB's - but they use an offensive system where the QB almost never runs.

is that strictly due to Morgan, and a new QB would have more freedom to run?

Or, is this the offense no matter who is at QB?

If you don't plan on having the QB run, it makes no sense to recruit dual-threat QB's.
 


I think he deserves a shot with another P5 school but his lack of playing time/film will hurt his chances. Hoping the best for the young man. He never even got a real shot here.
 


Wally Pipp beat out Lou Gehrig at one time too. Sometimes you don't know what you have until the lights come on...then you figure out you were wrong.

Bottom line is none of us know what goes on at practice, in meetings, in film study, etc. We have no idea who the best players are. Coaches undoubtedly make mistakes, but I can tell you that in 95% of circumstances the best player is on the field at every position.

Yeah, that really was a Wally Pipp moment. Morgan instantly looked better that second half at Nebraska and obviously hasn’t played himself out of the starting spot since - maaaybe came close this year.

Unless there is a suspected discipline/academic/cultural issue (no idea but PJF has alluded at times….) as with Dylan Wright.
 

There it is. Now waiting for ZA to enter.

Now we know why PJ never sat TM2 after his bad stretch. TM2 must have told PJ he planned on returning and PJ rolled with him even after the Illinois and Iowa losses.
Really, that's reason Morgan wasn't benched? It wasn't that Fleck & staff were relying on previous success as well countless practices/performance in the spring, training camp and currently to think Morgan gave the Gophers the best chance to win games?

The West was still on line up to the day before Saturdays game and even without that they still were putting it all on the line for the Axe. It's not like the team was playing out a string and could throw a backup out there just for development.
 

Really, that's reason Morgan wasn't benched? It wasn't that Fleck & staff were relying on previous success as well countless practices/performance in the spring, training camp and currently to think Morgan gave the Gophers the best chance to win games?

The West was still on line up to the day before Saturdays game and even without that they still were putting it all on the line for the Axe. It's not like the team was playing out a string and could throw a backup out there just for development.
It is much easier for some fans to work with the idea that there is some secret stuff going on behind the scenes and that the coach is actively playing guys who are not the best option because of blind loyalty.

Why that is easier to believe than trusting the fact that they spend hours and hours and hours with these players and might have a good feel as to who gives the team the best chance to win, I will never fully understand.
 

You are assuming he doesn’t keep an open mind.

It is my belief that PJ wants to win games.

The concern is that either PJ has an attachment to Morgan that is clouding his vision or that he and his staff have not identified QB's very well. This was a huge problem with the last regime as guys would come in and people would get excited and they would exit the program quietly or switch positions.

We have Morgan, who is a great leader and had his moments, but has had some major problems after his high level Wr's left the program, but then the list starts to get worrisome. ZA, Viramontes, Jacob Clark, Kramer. Athan being too new say either way.

Now maybe they have found good QB's and Morgan has just been too good for anyone else to see the field, but watching him last year and this year, that rarely seems to be the case.
 

Tanner will have played five seasons when he goes. Because of what Tanner has accomplished and who he is, it is simply unthinkable that PJ would let another QB take meaningful snaps in season five (except in faux wildcat) unless Tanner is very injured. Won’t let a QB controversy start. And Annexstad probably gets first shot if Tanner is ever injured. So, Clark won’t play in 2022 unless a number if things go wrong. As to competition, if Clark were Tanner’s equal he gets no snaps. And I genuinely believe Clark wouldn’t play even if he were 15% better than a healthy Tanner. Too much loyalty to Tanner built up. I would have loved to see Clark play, but he really has no choice but to leave if he ever wants to take a snap in college. Fleck isn’t going to give him one.
Zack Annexstad staying put is critical. If Tanner Morgan is injured, we have a capable veteran quarterback.
 




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