BTN: Fun Takes from UM practice
On the rise: Wilton Speight. The 6-6, 243 pound junior QB looked good for most of practice, showing just enough niftiness with his feet along with a strong arm.
Best drill: Wideouts were forced to sprint five yards, pickup a tennis ball, cut to the right and catch a ball. The ultimate test of dexterity and focus.
All eyes are on the QB spot, just like last season. There isn’t a lot of experience on the depth chart. But Houston transfer John O’Korn has starting experience. He is battling Wilton Speight and Shane Morris with O’Korn and Speight leading the way. In the end, I wouldn’t be shocked if Speight lands the job.
I also have a sneaky suspicion that Speight wins the job. I like O'Korn because he raises the ceiling of the offense but I just get a feeling Speight is the steady hand that'll win Harbaugh over.
August 16th, 2016 at 5:00 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 4:19 PM ^
This is like a sorority girl analyzing a few texts from a guy she went on a date with once.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:23 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 4:25 PM ^
that he picked the experienced guy in Rudock last year leads me to believe that if the two guys are close, he'll pick O'Korn. It's hard to beat 2 years of starting, especially for a guy like Speight who doesn't have a talent advantage (over O'Korn)..
I think Speight has to play WAY better than O'Korn to win the job.
Rob
August 16th, 2016 at 4:34 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 6:27 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^
between Rudock and Speight/Morris. I very much doubt that was the case.
August 16th, 2016 at 9:26 PM ^
I think it's the opposite. I think he's gonna go with Speight, even if O'Korn is more talented physically, because he'll take care of the ball. Make the right throws, not force it and not turn it over. With the defense they're gonna field all they need is a QB who can move the ball steadily downfield and not turn it over, they don't need some guy who's gonna air it out all game.
I think O'Korn is the one who'll have to play way way better to win the job.
August 17th, 2016 at 12:30 AM ^
Agreed. I think we have plenty of offensive weapons with Smith, Darbough, Chesson, Butt, etc as well as what looks to be a dominant defense. Shouldn't really need a qb to "create". Unless one guy is clearly superior? I say go with the safer "game manager". That sounds like Speight.
August 16th, 2016 at 5:15 PM ^
Only this feels even more pathetic. We'll know the starter in less than three weeks, and even then it's subject to change when the Quarterback Whisperer deems it appropriate.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:19 PM ^
Based on spring game, Speight's arm is considerably better. With the receiving corp we have the arm is more important than the legs imo. Got to get those guys the ball. We lose Chesson, Darboh, and Butt and the next guys up arent as good, maybe we go with Korn then. Or maybe I'm aover thinking it.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^
Speight's larger, but I'm not sure how anyone can say he has a bigger arm than O'Korn. The guy was known at Houston for his arm strength and put it on display regularly.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:31 PM ^
Bigger is not necessarily better ;)
There is a lot to be said for touch and accuracy when it comes to better.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:43 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 4:49 PM ^
you missed the attempt at humor
August 16th, 2016 at 5:10 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 8:42 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 6:35 PM ^
Wilton is 2" taller than JOK, so physically he might actcually have a slightly bigger arm. #Science
August 16th, 2016 at 7:21 PM ^
And they both have more than the average number of arms. #Statistics
August 17th, 2016 at 12:53 AM ^
I'm guessing there was a joke there...
August 17th, 2016 at 7:42 PM ^
Yes. I mean... oh, all right. The average number of arms is less than two. Most people think it's two. But if you're technical about it - technically correct is the best kind of correct, right? - then you find that, because some people have one or no arms, the average number of arms is less than two. Surprising, sort of.
August 16th, 2016 at 7:48 PM ^
It's funny, because based on the spring game it looked to me like Speight was getting a lot more velocity on his throws and O'Korn's throws were floating a little. My conclusion would have been that Speight had a slightly better arm. Even looking at the Houston highlights, I didn't see many laser throws or instances where he was able to put a lot of mustard on a throw without needing to take extra time to get his whole body into it.
However, many more educated insiders on various sites have said that O'Korn has better arm strength of the two. Shows what I know...
August 16th, 2016 at 4:34 PM ^
I've seen a few people say this now and I don't understand what they are looking at. JOK has the markedly bigger arm. Not as big as Shane's, but it is easily bigger than Speight's.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:42 PM ^
Well, I don't think I said he had a bigger arm. But in the spring game he missed on one throw out of bounds, otherwise he was perfect. It seems like he has great touch, accuracy, and a pretty big arm. O'korn I think completed half or less of his throws.
My point is our priority should be who can get the receivers the ball, and I think that person is Speight, based on spring game.
August 16th, 2016 at 5:01 PM ^
1) Decision making
2) Throwing Accuracy
3) Ability to move in the pocket to keep a play alive
4) Ability to make pre-snap adjustments/audibles
5) Arm strength
6) Pure ballcarrying/running ability
Unless a guy has a noodle arm, having the strongest arm on the planet is way down the list IMO in terms of what I am looking for our of our starting QB.
August 16th, 2016 at 6:55 PM ^
Nobody would claim that Ruddock had an above average arm. He managed to get the job done.
August 16th, 2016 at 5:03 PM ^
Different receivers. Can't compare Speight and O'Korn in the spring game.
August 16th, 2016 at 9:12 PM ^
Whoever comes out will be good. Believe dat!
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August 16th, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
O'Korn had the best throw of the day to Harris in traffic...and the other receivers were people who will not see the field. Speight had a super easy TD to Butt. Not to say one is clearly superior to the other, but a case has not been made.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:51 PM ^
"to physically measure each QBs throwing arms to determine which one is bigger".
If only there were a Dr. around . . .
August 16th, 2016 at 6:43 PM ^
so will feel like an upgrade from there.
August 16th, 2016 at 6:56 PM ^
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August 16th, 2016 at 5:43 PM ^
I agree with you. In the limited action I've seen of Speight's, not only did I think his arm was not as good as JOK's or Shane's, but also that he didn't have the the arm strength to carry a team to a championship--his repertoir too limited, can't make all the throws. I hope I'm wrong, of course, and I too have seen several others comment about his arm-strength so maybe he's improved. Or, maybe I just don't know what I'm looking at -- a real possibility. Regardless, go Speight go!
August 16th, 2016 at 4:23 PM ^
I still remember sitting in the stands before the Miami (NTM) opener in 2004 when a rumor started floating through the stadium that something bad had happened to Matt Gutierez in practice that week and he wasnt going to start as expected. We all assumed (this was pre blog days) that Richard Clayton would be the replacement and I distinctly remember the roar of the crowd when true Freshman Chad Henne was announced instead.
It's kinda fun to not know. In a way I hope we dont know the answer until the Hawaii game and then I hope there's never a doubt the rest of the season it was the right choice - just as it was back 2004.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:24 PM ^
...I'm still happy as hell that Ben Roethlisberger left school early and went pro.
August 16th, 2016 at 5:37 PM ^
I remember being there watching him in his first start in 2001. He spent all day getting crushed by our defense, made some dumb freshman mistakes, but we came away with the thought that he'd probably be very good given his arm and his toughness. Not that we knew he'd be as good as he turned out, but you could tell right away he was different. Very few guys could take the pounding he did that day and still be playing (I think he missed a series, but came back) and standing in there to the end, still trying to make plays.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:27 PM ^
I think Richard Clayton played in a golf threesome with Lafferty Daniel and Gilmore Happy.
August 16th, 2016 at 11:15 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 4:29 PM ^
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August 16th, 2016 at 4:31 PM ^
I miss those days too. :-)
August 16th, 2016 at 4:42 PM ^
That was a bizarre day. I remember first hearing the chatter from some people who were listening to the radio in pregame, I think, around the end of our tailgate. We had been expecting Guttierez for a solid year, so it was quite a surprise.
We never really saw Gutierez play, ever, so I have no idea what his ceiling was. I suppose a different QB could have won the Notre Dame game that year, but otherwise I don't think anyone else could have produced anything that Henne did not that year. I actually think that was one of Lloyd's better seasons of performance relative to the experience level and talent on the team.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:56 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 5:10 PM ^
We started to hear some rumblings at our tailgate but it was all rumor and inuendo so nobody paid any attention to it. We'd been waiting for Guiterrez and I was very excited to see a non John Navarre QB (sorry guys - wasnt a big fan of big John). Inside the stadium that's all everybody was talking about and I dont honestly dont remember EVER paying as much attention to the player announcments before or after that game as I did that day.
And yes, Mr Henne worked out pretty damn good outside of OSU.
August 16th, 2016 at 5:17 PM ^
Richard Clayton....lmao
August 16th, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^
Relief pitcher for the SD Padres.
August 16th, 2016 at 5:52 PM ^
Agreed completely.
August 16th, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^
the running game needs more juice as no single runner has reached 1000 yards in a season. I am perfectly fine with a three headed monster of Smith, Issac and Johnson running for a combined 2000 yards then worrying about one player getting all the carries and yards.
QB competition I think will remain tight for a couple of more weeks. Will be interesting if Speight holds on to the starting job, if so he will have come a long ways in the last few years.