Outside of the hit Vad Lee took at UNC in 2013, I've yet to see any of our QBs take a pounding on an OPTION play. Even then, it seemed like he jus flat out didn't see the LB. The hardest hit I saw JeT take was in 2013 against Miami when he was dropping back to pass (it knocked him out of the game). I'd say 95%+ of the time, the tackler never gets a square hit on our QB. The worst injuries I've seen during an option play were dirty...Nesbitt against UGA when the tackler rolled his knee on purpose, and JeT against Duke when the DB twisted his ankle.
For the most part, if the QB plays smart (see Russell Wilson), the physical toll on running the option is over exaggerated. QBs running the option can protect themselves, or minimize the hit. Dropback passers in pro system take the worst hit at QB that I've ever seen because they can't protect themselves.
Tebow would have been a great QB in our offense. He wasn't fast, but he was quick in short spaces...quick enough to make the first guy miss and get 5-10+ yards after the read. We don't run sophisticated route combos, therefore is hesitation getting the ball out would have been minimized. Oh, it also helps that he was like 230-240 lbs at 6'3.
Cam is probably the prototype for QBs if this offense was run in the NFL. Size, speed, passing ability, toughness...I shudder to think what CPJ could do with a QB like Cam Newton. Hopefully we see it with Lucas Johnson.