2013 QB Situation

Submitted by sheepdog on

I read this article this morning talking about our QB situation for the 2012 season.  They are obviously trying to create buzz by the title, but the article basically says there is no QB controversy.  I agree.

Moving on to 2013 when we basically have:

Devin Gardner - 2 years elg. left (pending probable RS)

Shane Morris - True Freshman

Russell Bellomy -3 year elg. left (RS Sophomore)

What are the chances we see Sugar Shane starting in the 2013 season?  If not at the beginning, then at least by the end?  Obviously, this depends on the development of Devin this year, and how good Shane is when he hits campus.  But, I think pretty good.

The coaches are always saying the best 11 will play.  You also tend to see young QBs come in and play early when the system is changing or there is no real good upperclassmen options.  Example would be Chad Henne is 2004 or Braxton Miller last year.

So, if Shane can come in and compete better or as well as Devin, and Shane is presumably the future of the program, Shane should play - there is so much upside to this decision.  But, what happens to Devin?  Obviously, the kid is a freak athlete and can contribue, but if not at QB, where?

Just interested in the board's thoughts on a slow day awaiting Alex Kozan's decision.

JimLahey

February 6th, 2012 at 11:22 AM ^

If I was Devin Gardner I would be so insulted sometimes by reading this site. Typical recruiting-mania attitude, as soon as one class ends we forget about them and focus on the current batch of new 18 year olds.

Gardner is a 5 star QB with amazing size and will have 3 years in the system. If Shane Morris starts week 1 in 2013 (unless due to Devin injury) I promise I will eat a lemon on video for mgoblog.

m1817

February 6th, 2012 at 11:35 AM ^

This Gardner or Morris discussion is sounding a lot like 1998 when red-shirt junior Tom Brady was being challenged by freshman Drew Henson.  We all know how that turned out.

Morris may be the next freshman phenom but Gardner will have been in the program for three years and have practices/game experience that cannot be duplicated at the HS level. 

justingoblue

February 6th, 2012 at 11:48 AM ^

How good of a runner is Morris, anyway? It might be possible that the current scheme will stay in place until Gardner is gone, then going to whatever Borges actually wants to run. If that's the case, I think there is zero chance Morris can/will beat out Gardner, since the scheme with Gardner/Bellomy might be pretty different than with Morris/Gardner.

m1817

February 6th, 2012 at 12:24 PM ^

It's not just Gardner's skills that have to be taken into consideration.  Hoke is recruiting players that are suited for the West Coast offense.  Borges is not going to delay the transition when he has the players (big WR's, TE's and FB) to run the WC scheme.  He'll probably be moving away from the spread in 2012 as Denard and Gardner are more comfortable running the WC offense.

jka347

February 6th, 2012 at 12:34 PM ^

Given how highly touted of a recruit Gardner was, I really hope we give the guy a chance for at least a season.  With most other positions they would probably just let the players battle it out in practice, but with these 2 you almost have to pick ahead of time because you need to gear your whole system to their skill sets...

Seattle Maize

February 6th, 2012 at 12:57 PM ^

I wouldnt assume that Gardner will get the medical redshirt, I don't think it's a sure thing. Also, I wouldn't rule out Bellomy in 2013. Qb in the west coast system is heavily dependant on accuracy and decision making, which seem to be Bellomy's strengths . Hopefully we can develop Denard, Gardner and Bellomy for 2012 so that we can get some more consistent QB play

mackbru

February 6th, 2012 at 1:47 PM ^

Gardner, being a dual-threat QB who is more pass than run, stands to be an ideal bridge from Denard (more run than pass) to Shane (more pro-style); a straight jump from the former to the latter might not be as violent as the 2008 jump from pro-style to spread. But it would almost certainly be awkward and difficult. Better to transition the players and the scheme, rather than pull a 180. Also, the bridge year(s) will allow for the natural evolution of the entire roster: spread-friendly players smoothly ceding to pro-friendly ones. A year or two with Gardner at the helm could be just the ticket.