I assume the new HC will recruit a JUCO QB?

[BleedGopher]

The new coaching staff will have to hit the recruiting trail hard right away and without an incumbent QB, there will be a lot of uncertainty with that position. Horton obviously appears dead-set on playing Weber the rest of the year for every snap, so the staff will have some practice film to evaluate Gray/Alipate but the STrib said today that Gray is only getting 10% of the snaps in practice anyway, so the new staff won't have that much film regardless (it didn't say how many snaps Moses is getting).

The new staff can't risk not having a QB who is ready from day one so recruiting a JUCO QB gives them another option. This staff won't have the loyalties to Brew's players, although there will be some immediate pressure to keep a guy like Gray happy, but I would think throwing a JUCO QB into the mix will be given strong consideration.

Go Gophers!!

 

[Too Long in the Wasteland]

The new coaching staff will have to hit the recruiting trail hard right away and without an incumbent QB, there will be a lot of uncertainty with that position. Horton obviously appears dead-set on playing Weber the rest of the year for every snap, so the staff will have some practice film to evaluate Gray/Alipate but the STrib said today that Gray is only getting 10% of the snaps in practice anyway, so the new staff won't have that much film regardless (it didn't say how many snaps Moses is getting).

The new staff can't risk not having a QB who is ready from day one so recruiting a JUCO QB gives them another option. This staff won't have the loyalties to Brew's players, although there will be some immediate pressure to keep a guy like Gray happy, but I would think throwing a JUCO QB into the mix will be given strong consideration.

Go Gophers!!

I pondered this in another thread. I'd bet that anyone who is throwing their name in the hat for our coaching job already has a couple of post-its on their desk with JUCO candidates. The other thought is that if we hire a coach from another school, maybe he brings a QB recruit with him? That's sort of the dirty side of coaching changes, but it happens. Considering we lost Jones and Watt when Mason got fired, it would sort of be Karma.

I'm as frustrated as anyone else watching Weber eff up week after week (not due to lack of effort and heart on his part), but the sad reality is that if we had anyone who even had the potential to be better, he'd be out there. The coaches see Gray in practice, and there's a reason he's only getting 10% of the snaps. Look at how many 1st round NFL draft pick QB's are total fails. Ryan Leaf, Joey Harrington, Matt Lienart, just to name a few. The speed of the game changes dramatically when you go up a level, and being able to process that has nothing to do with athleticism. Same thing on going from HS to college. Unfortunately, I suspect that's the case with Gray. Phenomenal athlete, great team player, but just doesn't have "The Right Stuff" to succeed at QB. And it isn't a question of being a MENSA member, either. Plenty of brainiacs have failed at QB, too.

 

[Silvio]

To play devils advocate to this line of thinking. 1) If Gray is so far away from being ready why would their have been a QB competition going into spring ball? Was it to given AW an easy win or was the competition legit but Weber was the best?. 2) If the Gophers have no one ready to be the QB next year in Horton's eyes, why wasn't he already recruiting a JUCO QB? I haven't seen any mention of one being recruited on site such as FBT?

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

There are three Big Ten QBs in the NCAA top ten in pass efficiency and three more in the top 25. Chapell is 33rd. Weber is 50th. He has been a .500 passer for two years - why didn't they recruit a juco a year ago? There is something wrong with these coaches!

 

[Rescooter]

To play devils advocate to this line of thinking. 1) If Gray is so far away from being ready why would their have been a QB competition going into spring ball? Was it to given AW an easy win or was the competition legit but Weber was the best?. 2) If the Gophers have no one ready to be the QB next year in Horton's eyes, why wasn't he already recruiting a JUCO QB? I haven't seen any mention of one being recruited on site such as FBT?

Here's my thinking on this:

It's all about recruiting. Right now, Adam Weber is the 4th best passer (in yards) in the history of the Big Ten. By all measures, he'll end up in 3rd by the end of the year. This will place him on the NFL watch list (during a very important recruiting time) and we'll have a story to tell. How many blue chip recruits want to join a program that is 1-11? Not very many - unless they have a long-term vision for the team and staff.

How about recruiting a blue chip quarterback on the heals of the Big Tens 3rd rated passer in history? Now you've got something. The plan is to use him as a recruiting tool and the new QB will have one of the best supporting casts (Gray and McKnight).

It's almost unbearable for a fan to watch, but there's a plan.

I will throw out one conspiracy theory: The Weber's are bigtime boosters. I'm just saying.

 

[gophmeister]

There are three Big Ten QBs in the NCAA top ten in pass efficiency and three more in the top 25. Chapell is 33rd. Weber is 50th. He has been a .500 passer for two years - why didn't they recruit a juco a year ago? There is something wrong with these coaches!

Ding!

Brewster really, really wanted Weber to succeed and therefore planned all along to have him start all year regardless. I believe this even more after reading Horton's comments about Gray running the pistol next year.

 

[gophmeister]

Here's my thinking on this:

It's all about recruiting. Right now, Adam Weber is the 4th best passer (in yards) in the history of the Big Ten. By all measures, he'll end up in 3rd by the end of the year. This will place him on the NFL watch list (during a very important recruiting time) and we'll have a story to tell. How many blue chip recruits want to join a program that is 1-11? Not very many - unless they have a long-term vision for the team and staff.

How about recruiting a blue chip quarterback on the heals of the Big Tens 3rd rated passer in history? Now you've got something. The plan is to use him as a recruiting tool and the new QB will have one of the best supporting casts (Gray and McKnight).

It's almost unbearable for a fan to watch, but there's a plan.

I will throw out one conspiracy theory: The Weber's are bigtime boosters. I'm just saying.

I would imagine Brewster & Co wouldn't want to offend the Webers by benching their son. I would imagine the staff would want to win some games and prove Brewster was the problem and not them. I doubt any of them believe they'll be coming back next year, unless the new coach has already been chosen and they've received assurances they'll be on the staff.

 

[Silvio]

I will throw out one conspiracy theory: The Weber's are bigtime boosters. I'm just saying.

I have often wondered how this (being the son of an "M" man has affected Weber. Does he feel unusual amounts of pressure due to the fact that his father and many of his friends (probably) are M men? I have wondered if this may be part of the issue why he seems so "uptight" early in games.

There is a reason Petyon Manning didn't go to Ole Miss. I am not comparing the two, just pointing out the a close situation to Adam Weber's at the U.

 

[Swagger Wagon]

There isn't a JUCO QB that we can get that would make it worth the while. Better off using what we have and dangle immediate PT as a selling point to a 2012 recruit.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

I pondered this in another thread. I'd bet that anyone who is throwing their name in the hat for our coaching job already has a couple of post-its on their desk with JUCO candidates. The other thought is that if we hire a coach from another school, maybe he brings a QB recruit with him? That's sort of the dirty side of coaching changes, but it happens. Considering we lost Jones and Watt when Mason got fired, it would sort of be Karma.

I'm as frustrated as anyone else watching Weber eff up week after week (not due to lack of effort and heart on his part), but the sad reality is that if we had anyone who even had the potential to be better, he'd be out there. The coaches see Gray in practice, and there's a reason he's only getting 10% of the snaps. Look at how many 1st round NFL draft pick QB's are total fails. Ryan Leaf, Joey Harrington, Matt Lienart, just to name a few. The speed of the game changes dramatically when you go up a level, and being able to process that has nothing to do with athleticism. Same thing on going from HS to college. Unfortunately, I suspect that's the case with Gray. Phenomenal athlete, great team player, but just doesn't have "The Right Stuff" to succeed at QB. And it isn't a question of being a MENSA member, either. Plenty of brainiacs have failed at QB, too.

I'm amazed at the people on here who aren't able to grasp this concept. "Why aren't we preparing for next year, playing Gray (or Alipate)", etc. The cries are endless.

For all Horton knows, there's less than a 40% chance that the new coach's starting QB is going to be either Gray or Alipate. Why throw him out there when he's got one decent WR (McKnight) and one decent TE (Lair) to throw the ball to?

But no, apparently guy on his computer in his dorm room or his mom's basement is smarter than the coaches who have been around football all their lives.


The REAL question I have right now is, for all the talent that has been brought in on defense (and I DO believe that there is a LOT of talent to work with on defense AND on the O-line), why aren't there any WR's to throw the ball to right now?

ONE legitimate WR threat to throw the ball to if Gray was behind QB? Really?

Weber has THIS to throw to right now:

> McKnight played one year of HS football at WR
> Gray NEVER played WR in his life
> Stoudermire was so talented at WR that they moved him to DB
> Bryant Allen will be playing basketball in a month

This WR corps does not exactly strike fear into most Defensive Coordinators in the BT

 

[Rescooter]

.....The REAL question I have right now is, for all the talent that has been brought in on defense (and I DO believe that there is a LOT of talent to work with on defense AND on the O-line), why aren't there any WR's to throw the ball to right now?

ONE legitimate WR threat to throw the ball to if Gray was behind QB? Really?

Weber has THIS to throw to right now:

> McKnight played one year of HS football at WR
> Gray NEVER played WR in his life
> Stoudermire was so talented at WR that they moved him to DB
> Bryant Allen will be playing basketball in a month

This WR corps does not exactly strike fear into most Defensive Coordinators in the BT

I agree mostly with what you said. I'm stating the obvious here; we're definitely not deep at WR.

That does not excuse the wide-open throws that go into the ground or miss by 5-10 yards. As much as I liked Decker, he wasn't a good receiver to develop a QB. You could badly miss a throw and somehow he'd make a great catch. Weber could also throw in 2-3 coverage and he'd still come out with the ball.

Add on top of that, the Jed Fisch throwing motion experiment and you've got the makings of a struggling QB. Weber could have been very good, but he has not gotten the right supporting cast to truly develop him as a passer.

 

[WHB Brewer]

The REAL question I have right now is, for all the talent that has been brought in on defense (and I DO believe that there is a LOT of talent to work with on defense AND on the O-line), why aren't there any WR's to throw the ball to right now?

ONE legitimate WR threat to throw the ball to if Gray was behind QB? Really?

Weber has THIS to throw to right now:

> McKnight played one year of HS football at WR
> Gray NEVER played WR in his life
> Stoudermire was so talented at WR that they moved him to DB
> Bryant Allen will be playing basketball in a month

This WR corps does not exactly strike fear into most Defensive Coordinators in the BT

This is the curtain being pulled back in the land of Oz......

Brew liked to tell us how great his recruits were, especially the exciting guys who were going to play the spread. I recall Heyo Carpenter, Harold Howel, Brandon Green just to name a few. Where are all these guys? Instead, we are told that if we dont play our backup QB at WR, there is nobody left. Maybe this is the reason we had to abandon the spread, since we have nobody left to catch the ball.

I understand the depth problem, and if that's why they stick with Weber as the starter, I am fine with that. But a series here and there with Gray at QB could provide a little bit of excitement for the fans to "imagine the possibility for next year" as well as to simply throw them a bone and get all the complainers to shut up. Heck, I'd be satisfied with a snap or two by Gray in wildcat formation like last year. What have we got to lose?

 

[RodentRampage]

It's a question of what gives us more, Alipate at QB and Gray at WR or Gray at QB and Alipate on the bench. I think that Gray at WR next year puts more talent on the field, unless Gray is really significantly better at QB than Alipate.

 

[scher215]

It's a question of what gives us more, Alipate at QB and Gray at WR or Gray at QB and Alipate on the bench. I think that Gray at WR next year puts more talent on the field, unless Gray is really significantly better at QB than Alipate.

I am fairly confident Gray will not play WR next year. He will transfer before that happens (IMO). I think he is fine playing WR this year because Weber is a senior, but next year I imagine he leaves if he doesn't. He has to be frustrated playing WR while watching the Auburn QB lead them to number 2 in the BCS ...

 

[50PoundHead]

There are three Big Ten QBs in the NCAA top ten in pass efficiency and three more in the top 25. Chapell is 33rd. Weber is 50th. He has been a .500 passer for two years - why didn't they recruit a juco a year ago? There is something wrong with these coaches!

Agreed. If Gray wasn't going to be the guy, why not go the JUCO route and at least red-shirt the guy (can you do that under NCAA rules?).

Two of Rivals Top 50 JUCOs are QBs who have yet to commit: #19 Zach Mettenberger of Butler County (KS) CC and #45 Zack Stoudt of Iowa Western CC. Both are pro-style QBs. Gophers aren't listed as giving any interest to either at this point, but maybe they will hold off until we name a coach before committing.

Interesting names on the Rivals Top 50 JUCO rankings, including a couple of guys the Gophers recruited out of high school in #3 DL Sheldon Richardson from the College of the Sequoias (played high school ball in St. Louis) and #36 WR Duron Carter (son of Chris and former Ohio State Player) who is at Coffeyville (KS) CC. Former Gopher recruit and Texas A&M player, DL Rod Davis was on the list a couple of weeks ago. Don't know what happened there. He is at Fort Scott (KS) CC. A target from last year, DB Malcolm Murray (#49), who committed to Oklahoma State after considering Minnesota, returned to Mt. San Antonio (CA), but doesn't have the Gophers listed as a school of interest for this round of recruiting.

Curious to see if new coach goes the JUCO route to fill out his first class.

 

[Buck the Fadgers]

Agreed. If Gray wasn't going to be the guy, why not go the JUCO route and at least red-shirt the guy (can you do that under NCAA rules?).

Two of Rivals Top 50 JUCOs are QBs who have yet to commit: #19 Zach Mettenberger of Butler County (KS) CC and #45 Zack Stoudt of Iowa Western CC. Both are pro-style QBs. Gophers aren't listed as giving any interest to either at this point, but maybe they will hold off until we name a coach before committing.

Interesting names on the Rivals Top 50 JUCO rankings, including a couple of guys the Gophers recruited out of high school in #3 DL Sheldon Richardson from the College of the Sequoias (played high school ball in St. Louis) and #36 WR Duron Carter (son of Chris and former Ohio State Player) who is at Coffeyville (KS) CC. Former Gopher recruit and Texas A&M player, DL Rod Davis was on the list a couple of weeks ago. Don't know what happened there. He is at Fort Scott (KS) CC. A target from last year, DB Malcolm Murray (#49), who committed to Oklahoma State after considering Minnesota, returned to Mt. San Antonio (CA), but doesn't have the Gophers listed as a school of interest for this round of recruiting.

Curious to see if new coach goes the JUCO route to fill out his first class.

No way Gray would take a redshirt, he would transfer for sure because either way he would have to sit out a year. I'm pretty sure Mettenberger is being recruited by LSU, Alabama, and other powers so there is no chance on him, and Stoudt is a mystery.

 

[Silvio]

Agreed. If Gray wasn't going to be the guy, why not go the JUCO route and at least red-shirt the guy (can you do that under NCAA rules?).

Two of Rivals Top 50 JUCOs are QBs who have yet to commit: #19 Zach Mettenberger of Butler County (KS) CC and #45 Zack Stoudt of Iowa Western CC. Both are pro-style QBs. Gophers aren't listed as giving any interest to either at this point, but maybe they will hold off until we name a coach before committing.

Interesting names on the Rivals Top 50 JUCO rankings, including a couple of guys the Gophers recruited out of high school in #3 DL Sheldon Richardson from the College of the Sequoias (played high school ball in St. Louis) and #36 WR Duron Carter (son of Chris and former Ohio State Player) who is at Coffeyville (KS) CC. Former Gopher recruit and Texas A&M player, DL Rod Davis was on the list a couple of weeks ago. Don't know what happened there. He is at Fort Scott (KS) CC. A target from last year, DB Malcolm Murray (#49), who committed to Oklahoma State after considering Minnesota, returned to Mt. San Antonio (CA), but doesn't have the Gophers listed as a school of interest for this round of recruiting.

Curious to see if new coach goes the JUCO route to fill out his first class.

I hope the coach doesn't go the JUCO route. We are seeing the result of that this fall on defense. Brew got himself in a position partially through the use of JUCO's were the vast majority of the defense graduated at the same time. It also creates a recruiting 2-deep hole that you can only fill by getting more JUCO's.

 

[50PoundHead]

No way Gray would take a redshirt, he would transfer for sure because either way he would have to sit out a year. I'm pretty sure Mettenberger is being recruited by LSU, Alabama, and other powers so there is no chance on him, and Stoudt is a mystery.

I see my sentence structure was misleading. I wasn't suggesting the red-shirt Gray. There must be a reason Gray is staying at WR and I doubt it is because Weber has Polaroids of Brewster and Horton playing shower games in the coach's locker room.

Maybe Gray wants to play QB, but he's a first-round pick if he stays at WR.

I was suggesting red-shirting the JUCO QB unless he is a December grad.

Mettenberger is getting big-time attention, so it is unlikely that he'd end up here.

 

[Too Long in the Wasteland]

I hope the coach doesn't go the JUCO route. We are seeing the result of that this fall on defense. Brew got himself in a position partially through the use of JUCO's were the vast majority of the defense graduated at the same time. It also creates a recruiting 2-deep hole that you can only fill by getting more JUCO's.

I agree with you that Brewster relied waaay too much on JUCO's, particularly on D. Also, these kids usually go the JUCO route because they are at risk academically, which can also bite you. But JUCO's are sometimes a good choice when faced with a critical hole in your roster. Which seems to be the case for us at QB.

Ironic that we're talking about a desperate stopgap measure the same day the Vikes cut #84. In some ways that was like a JUCO signing. Didn't work out too well, though, apparently. I'm sure we'll be reminded of that next April when the Patriots use Minnesota's 3rd round draft choice.

 

[acemac]

keep Gray happy by keeping him at the spot that he is most likley to play in the NFL.... Its WR not QB

 

[Rosemountian]

I'd assume they'd bring in a QB or two regardless of who the coach was or what system they are running.

Qb's next year

Gray
Alipate
Parish? Is Parish or Pride the QB?
Incoming Freshman
Incoming Juco

5QBs is not too much.