stevo
Full Member
Posts: 735
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Post by stevo on Dec 28, 2023 15:47:00 GMT -6
Alight, time for us to get into the portal and snag up some talent, so far silence. Who would you recommend us going after? I would take a look at Jeff Sims GT/Nebraska if he wants to come in to compete for a starting position. We have been successful in the portal and need to continue to utilize its resources
Have you watched him play?
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Post by Whup Em All on Dec 28, 2023 16:20:50 GMT -6
Our QB room is looking really strong and experienced now. I don't think we go after another 3-star-caliber QB, unless he's a proven winner at the FBS level.
Logan Smothers was a spark to the offense in New Orleans, until he hurt his shoulder. (And he hurt that shoulder giving 110% on that TD play.) He won't be the same deer-in-the-headlights starter we saw at the beginning of the year. This guy knows the offense now, and has earned the team's trust and respect.
Ashton Frye and Te'Sean Smoot are also each a year older and wiser. Frye took the lead this season, but that doesn't mean Smoot's out of the running. And both of these guys are still just kids.
And of course, Zevi Eckhaus gives us an experienced passing threat. If he can run the Hot Rod offense well, and show just a LITTLE mobility, he could sneak into the starting job.
What we need from the Portal, more than anything, are linemen (for depth as much as anything), linebackers, and DBs.
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Post by brother on Dec 28, 2023 19:26:52 GMT -6
We have been wanting a more accurate passer and Zevi seems to fit the bill. A running QB is a must in this offense also. He doesn't run often in the Bryant offense, but when he does you can tell that he is not slow.
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Post by ksig2014 on Dec 28, 2023 19:31:57 GMT -6
Let’s be realistic, the QB was the weakest part of our team this year. It saved us in a couple of games but if we had better QB play we would have had 1-2 L’s. Bryant kid is a smart.
Smothers can’t stay healthy the rest are too green right now.
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Post by gemofthehills on Dec 29, 2023 7:34:37 GMT -6
With the portal, every starting QB in the nation will get in the portal looking for a new opportunity. The position, appears, will turn into a revolving door.
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Post by brother on Dec 29, 2023 9:37:23 GMT -6
Kamari Stephens is listed by On3 as being in the portal and committed to Arizona State. He is not listed on Arizona State’s page though so don’t know if that’s true. He is no longer listed on our roster though so I assume he is gone.
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Post by Whup Em All on Dec 29, 2023 12:15:38 GMT -6
In 2021, this QB appeared in 5 games, going 87-for-162 for 939 yards. He finished the season with 4 TDs against a whopping 7 INTs. This was his 4th year in the program, after being redshirted his first year along with a COVID year. He was clearly not getting it done at QB.
Another QB spent two seasons in a backup role, during which he went 34-for-60 for 338 yards. He entered his third year with 6 TDs and 3 INTs. The scouting report on him read that he was a dangerous runner, but couldn't be counted on as a passer.
The next QB was actually a starter during his first three seasons, one of which was shortened to only 4 games by COVID. He was an effective passer and runner, but had major accuracy issues, throwing for as many INTs (10) as TDs during his junior season.
Which of these guys would you want starting for your team in 2024?
Here are their names, along with their 2023 stats (so far):
Michael Penix, Jr. - 307-for-466 for 4,218 yards and 33 TDs against 9 INTs; Maxwell Award
Jalen Milroe - 171-for-261 with 23 TDs and 6 INTs; rushed 140 times for 468 yards and 12 TDs; SEC CG MVP
Jayden Daniels - 236-for-327 for 3,812 yards and 40 TDs against 4 INTs; rushed 135 times for 1,134 yards and 10 TDs; Davey O’Brien Award; Walter Camp PoY; AP PoY; Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award; Heisman Trophy
I'm not saying any of the kids in our QB room are going to become superstars at this level. For some, being a contributor on the scout team is as good as it's gonna get. What I *am* saying is that great players don't always look that way in their first season or three of college.
Logan Smothers started a couple games at Nebraska, but only because of injury. He was firmly in a backup role there, and honestly did not have much experience at all when he came to Jax State. When he moved briefly into a starting role for the Gamecocks this season, he was effective, but unspectacular. He only threw 3 INTs all season, but didn't exactly light up the scoreboard with his arm either (only 6 passing TDs). The biggest issue with him behind center was that the offense didn't seem to have the same punch it had with Zion. He appeared to be *thinking* instead of *reacting*, and that millisecond delay in decision making was resulting in too many 3-and-outs. As the season went on, though, despite no longer starting, he appeared to grasp the offense more and more. His couple of drives in New Orleans are why I feel pretty good about the prospect of him possibly being our starter in 2024.
Ashton Frye was a RS freshman this season, and got meaningful playing time for the very first time in emergency relief of the injured Webb and Smothers against a moderately decent opponent on Oct. 10. OK, it was Liberty, who was bringing pressure against our QBs all game long, stacking the running lanes and daring us to throw. How did the kid respond? He went 5-for-11 for 51 yards. No TDs. No INTs. He added another 23 yards on the ground. Not exactly a breakout performance, but he did OK for his first time out. He didn't do much again until junk time against La Tech, so his season stats aren't exactly impressive. But he can run well (deceptively so, with his long strides) and reports suggest he may have the best arm of any of the 2023 QBs. He may be destined for a scout team role, but his upside is way, way up there. Whether he earns the starting role or remains "just" a backup, he's a QB I feel we can count on.
Te'Sean Smoot was also a RS freshman, though unlike Frye, he got a couple snaps in during the 2022 season. In his brief career, he's gone 1-for-2 for 8 yards passing, with another 40 yards and a TD on the ground. He lost his No. 3 spot to Frye, but reports suggest it was only Frye's stronger arm that separated the two. Both of these guys are learning the system and are ready to go when they get the call. And both will only be RS sophomores in 2024. Kids. Fresh out of diapers.
Earl Woods III was a true freshman this year. He only appeared in 3 games, preserving his redshirt year. He's Zion's equal (or better) when it comes to running the ball. He's so good at running, in fact, that the staff moved him to RB for the La Tech game, just so he could get some meaningful playing time. He responded with 24 yards on 4 carries (6.0 ypc), with a long of 17. He's behind both Frye and Smoot on the depth chart, but again, this was his first year in the program. Like those two, he will only get better as he grows older.
Carter Lambert is another youngster who has impressed coaches in practice. He now has two full seasons behind him. Like Frye and Smoot, he'll be a RS sophomore in 2024. If he doesn't make a move up the depth chart this offseason, a position switch could be imminent. He's too good an athlete not to be on the field.
Caden Creel was a true freshman this season, and did not see the field. He's yet another skilled runner with a solid arm. If he's going to make a run up the depth chart, we'll start to hear his name more this spring.
We've added transfer QB Zevi Eckhaus to the mix. He's not a big guy (6-1, 205) but he has one of the best arms we've seen in Jacksonville since Zerrick Cooper. In three years at Bryant, he went 724-for-1166 for 8,527 yards and 75 TDs, against 25 INTs. (Fifteen of those INTs came during his sophomore season.) While he's not known for his legs, he's carried the ball 221 times for 760 yards and 5 TDs.
So how has he done against FBS competition?
Against UNLV in September, he went 19-for-29 for 239 yards with an INT, adding 89 more yards on the ground.
Against FIU in 2022, he went 18-for-22 for 243 yards and a TD, with 36 yards and another TD rushing.
As a true freshman against the Akron Zips in 2021, he went 15-for-22 for 110 yards and a TD.
Bottom line? Even against the presumably better defenses from the MWC, MAC, and CUSA, he's remained effective at moving the ball down the field, with a few TDs and only one INT over three games. So the only question with Eckhaus is, how well can he run the Hot Rod? Will his decisions be automatic like Zion, or will he need to "think" about it like Logan earlier in the year? The quicker he picks up the offense, the more likely he is to make the two-deep. He comes into the QB room with far more actual on-field time than any other QB, including Smothers. What that means for the starting job is anyone's guess at this point.
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Post by King_Gamecock on Dec 30, 2023 9:28:13 GMT -6
We had two almost identical threads so I merged them. Tip of the hat to Brother for noticing. I am still in Thailand and only lurking a bit.
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Post by Cleburneslim on Dec 30, 2023 20:52:17 GMT -6
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Post by pascal on Dec 30, 2023 23:58:31 GMT -6
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Post by gemofthehills on Dec 31, 2023 7:19:11 GMT -6
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Post by sprout203 on Dec 31, 2023 9:28:14 GMT -6
Our QB room is looking really strong and experienced now. I don't think we go after another 3-star-caliber QB, unless he's a proven winner at the FBS level. Logan Smothers was a spark to the offense in New Orleans, until he hurt his shoulder. (And he hurt that shoulder giving 110% on that TD play.) He won't be the same deer-in-the-headlights starter we saw at the beginning of the year. This guy knows the offense now, and has earned the team's trust and respect. Ashton Frye and Te'Sean Smoot are also each a year older and wiser. Frye took the lead this season, but that doesn't mean Smoot's out of the running. And both of these guys are still just kids. And of course, Zevi Eckhaus gives us an experienced passing threat. If he can run the Hot Rod offense well, and show just a LITTLE mobility, he could sneak into the starting job. What we need from the Portal, more than anything, are linemen (for depth as much as anything), linebackers, and DBs. I am not sure, of his injuries but Smothers had a torn Labrium.last year. I am confident CRR has that in mind.
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Post by brother on Dec 31, 2023 11:50:56 GMT -6
On3 is reporting that Xavier Bausley is committed to Kentucky, so I guess we know now who was tampering.
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Post by Whup Em All on Jan 2, 2024 11:55:12 GMT -6
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Post by cockygolfer on Jan 4, 2024 10:31:01 GMT -6
So far, where have our "former" players landed through the portal?
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