Quaterback Development

[ATL1]

I wondered with Tevin, Nesbit, and now with Vad why DON'T I see better development of the QB in the passing game. I know Tevin's passer effiency but I haven't seen anything good footwork and mechanics out of any of them.
I just think a dedicated QB should help it has too. Wasn't Paul Johnson a QB coach in Hawaii.

 

[OldJacketFan]

I wondered with Tevin, Nesbit, and now with Vad why DON'T I see better development of the QB in the passing game. I know Tevin's passer effiency but I haven't seen anything good footwork and mechanics out of any of them.
I just think a dedicated QB should help it has too. Wasn't Paul Johnson a QB coach in Hawaii.

No, he was the OC at Hawaii'. He's never had the title of QB coach.

 

[Boomergump]

It's the top issue, if you ask me. There has been a lot of talk about every aspect of the program after the bowl loss. From where I was sitting the game result was due to primarily two things: a phenomenal punt that totally flipped the field and killed our momentum in Q2, and one QB making really good reads and decisions running his team's offense and the other not.

ATL, you are asking the right question but it isn't just passing. It is the whole package. Sometimes it's knowing when not to throw and use your feet, or just protecting the football. There are a ton of QB execution problems at present, but I won't list them all now.

 

[southernhive]

I wondered with Tevin, Nesbit, and now with Vad why DON'T I see better development of the QB in the passing game. I know Tevin's passer effiency but I haven't seen anything good footwork and mechanics out of any of them.
I just think a dedicated QB should help it has too. Wasn't Paul Johnson a QB coach in Hawaii.

He was OC, but he may have pulled double-duty as QB coach as well. Overall I agree, not much development at the QB position, yet.

 

[ATL1]

Yeah @Boomergump I womdered this while Tevin was at Tech and now even more with Vad, who has the best physical tools of the previous two.

 

[GTFan62]

Didn't CPJ hire a QB coach from Cal Poly earlier this year?

 

[ATL1]

Didn't CPJ hire a QB coach from Cal Poly earlier this year?

In this offense the QB shares duty as the Bback coach. There is not a dedicated QB coach.

 

[LibertyTurns]

Vad went to that QB guru camp this year, didn't he?

By the way during VT game they talked about Logan Thomas lack of development, actually regressed. I'm guessing it's more on LT than Beamer & staff.

Like Tebow, at some point the individual just has to get it done. Sadly, some guys cannot.

 

[Eric]

Development in the passing game is not what worries me....it is the option aspect. We are not doing a good job of developing guys to run this offense.

 

[slugboy]

I realize that the reads you're making for the option are different reads than you're making in the passing game, but in both situations you have to look at what the defense is giving you, see through what they're disguising, and either make the correct decision or roll to the next one quickly. Vad's been making bad reads in both running and passing (although Monday looked as bad as I've seen him in the running game). CPJ has simplified, and that hasn't helped much. Maybe Vad's thinking too much--who knows. I've seen a lot of posts in other areas where people suggest focusing more on passing, and I've done it myself, but if you can't make the right reads in one area I'm not sure what spending more time in another is going to buy you.

 

[Mack]

No, he was the OC at Hawaii'. He's never had the title of QB coach.

Well one thing for sure........he flung the rock ! i was expecting same offense as Hawaii but he went to option and it is his strong point.June Jones should have rubbed off as far as footwork and passing since its clear our guys have arm strength but poor footwork.

 

[Mack]

Development in the passing game is not what worries me....it is the option aspect. We are not doing a good job of developing guys to run this offense.

Right on......if you cant run the option ...........you cant pass since foks will be on you like ants on a pierce of chocolate cake.Six years and we still need a total qb that can read the DE and throw.....maybe this is the yr ? who knows but the shadow !

 

[BainbridgeJacket]

Tevin improved so vastly in his time at Tech that I think he disproves your theory. If you had seen him in practice his redshirt year, you would never think he would play a snap at qb. His footwork improved every year in the option AND passing game, as well as his ability to make reads. I thought JN improved as well. The results remain to be seen for our new QB coach, but it doesn't look promising at the moment. Vad's qb coach in the off-season has a strong emphasis on drills to feel pressure and flush to your throwing lanes. His accuracy rolling out has demonstrated some other aspects focused on by that camp. I'm not convinced it's the best use of his time, though, considering our pocket feels different than typical and the option game is more important. Vad could also stand to spend more time on conditioning as I think playing a full 60 minutes in this offense caused him to not run full tilt at times.

 

[LibertyTurns]

I'm not sure what changed but I used to be able to call 90% of our plays pre-snap. I almost always knew where Nesbitt was going. Tevin not quite as much but still a fairly high percentage I'd get it right. With Vad it's random chance. Not sure what the difference is. Either the defenses have changed massively in the last 12 months or something's being lost in translation.

Remember the last time a GT Head Football Coach hitched his wagon to the wrong horse? It didn't end up pretty.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Well one thing for sure........he flung the rock ! i was expecting same offense as Hawaii but he went to option and it is his strong point.June Jones should have rubbed off as far as footwork and passing since its clear our guys have arm strength but poor footwork.

Actually, Mack, Hawaii's offense when CPJ was there was run heavy. Passing per season for his time there 2052 yards versus 3028 rushing for a 60/40 split toward the rush offense. There were years where the numbers leaned toward more passing but the overall numbers favor his run game. We still haven't seen Tech approach the passing averages of his Hawaii' teams though

 

[Midlands Jacket]

Development or lack of is spot on. When Johnson arrived, he was very fortunate to have Josh Nesbit. Every QB is going to be compared to him and what he was able to accomplish. Nesbit did a lot of his damage on just being a hell of a athlete. He was also fortunate to be the first QB because none to the defenses they were going to face had any idea what to expect. Nesbit and crew spoiled us and we may never see that kind of success again. As of today, Tech's offense is behind the defense as far as unit quality goes.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Let me say first that I loved JN as a Tech Qb and have nothing but admiration for his and what he accomplished at Tech. but when you compare JN's numers to VL's number in their first year as the starting QB the number show that VL performed better.

JN 2008 172 carries for 693 yards and 7 TDs, 54 completions in 123 attempts 808 yards 38.5% completion average 2 TDs
VL 2012 182 carries for 513 yards and 8 TDs, 82 completion in 18o attempts 1561 yards 45.6% completion average 11 TDs

We all saw the improvement in JN from '08 to '09, lets wait and see what happens with VL from '13-'14

 

[CrackerJacket]

Let me say first that I loved JN as a Tech Qb and have nothing but admiration for his and what he accomplished at Tech. but when you compare JN's numers to VL's number in their first year as the starting QB the number show that VL performed better.

JN 2008 172 carries for 693 yards and 7 TDs, 54 completions in 123 attempts 808 yards 38.5% completion average 5 TDs
VL 2012 182 carries for 513 yards and 8 TDs, 82 completion in 18o attempts 1561 yards 45.6% completion average 11 TDs

We all saw the improvement in JN from '08 to '09, lets wait and see what happens with VL from '13-'14

Interesting post, OJF. To me the 2008 Nesbitt showed a lot more poise than did VL this year. Nesbitt was tough on short yardage plays from day one. VL looks out of place in this offense, as other posters have pointed out. I hope your optimism is justified, but I'm not betting the farm on it.

 

[Rodney Kent]

Nesbit had instinct for the position and was a man playing a boy's game.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Interesting post, OJF. To me the 2008 Nesbitt showed a lot more poise than did VL this year. Nesbitt was tough on short yardage plays from day one. VL looks out of place in this offense, as other posters have pointed out. I hope your optimism is justified, but I'm not betting the farm on it.

I don't disagree JN was better in short yardage but remember he was built like a LB and VL is more like a greyhound. As to poise, remember the spring game CPJ's 1st year? How many times did JN lay it on the ground?