Starting QB speculation

[MWBATL]

Am I allowed to just be happy that we have a quality guy on the bench in James Graham? Every team is one play and one hard hit away from needing their backup to come in and step up!

 

[WreckinGT]

Why is it that every thread about players turns into an argument about which player is the biggest bum? We have good players in the QB position. Why can't the discussion be about how deep the position is, or which player we think is best? It is possible to state an opinion that Player A: can make certain throws, can make good reads, can run well, etc without making statements that Player B wouldn't be able to start on a rec league team.

Its going to take several years before we get out of the CGC vs CPJ mindset which is the key driver for most of these discussions.

 

[ChicagobasedJacket]

I never saw what y'all were so enamored with on Graham in the first place, so I'm fine with the growing pains we're going through right now.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Gleason at some point soon. Can't keep making mistakes and keep the job.

Lmao. I think the pay sites have made it clear that Yates is next in line. Has anyone seen Gleason with a helmet during either game so far?

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Lmao. I think the pay sites have made it clear that Yates is next in line. Has anyone seen Gleason with a helmet during either game so far?

If I had hair like Gleason, I wouldn’t wear my helmet either.

 

[MaconBacon IM88]

I think we all want the best for every S/A that comes to Tech...JG, JY, JS and TG. That QB room has some terrific athletes and I enjoy watching GT play much more this year (so far) than last year. The 3 and outs on O and a D getting gassed and gashed was not fun. This team feels like a big play is happening any second esp with the addition of some of these FR. Let's enjoy and have some fun! Hope all these guys get that coveted GT degree and feel they got a fair shot at next level. Football doesn't last for vast majority of us.

 

[ncjacket79]

I just checked Rivals, 247, and ESPN and none of them had him listed as a DB. I will say that other schools may have wanted him to be a WR or DB, but he didn't do any of that in HS, he was a dang good HS QB.

You are correct. They had him as an ATH not
a QB though. It’s pretty well known that VT wanted him to play DB. I think James is a great athlete and was our best option last year but has been beaten out. I hope he can transition to another position here at Tech ideally or find an opportunity that he feels is best for him.

 

[ibeattetris]

Its going to take several years before we get out of the CGC vs CPJ mindset which is the key driver for most of these discussions.

It took CPJ retiring for people to stop comparing CPJ to CCG. If you think several years will stop the CPJ/CGC talk, well, I'm sorry.

 

[LibertyTurns]

It took CPJ retiring for people to stop comparing CPJ to CCG. If you think several years will stop the CPJ/CGC talk, well, I'm sorry.

Hell we’re still comparing people to Boss Ross, O’Leary and Curry..... even Bobby Dodd

 

[WreckinGT]

It took CPJ retiring for people to stop comparing CPJ to CCG. If you think several years will stop the CPJ/CGC talk, well, I'm sorry.

We will always compare coaching records. Right now is a bit beyond that. In this thread alone we are bashing our own players basically just to support one coach or another. I was in another thread not too long ago where people were claiming we didn't have a QB last year that could start at the high school level. We have called our own players FCS level talent. That kind of thing will eventually go away. Well hopefully.

 

[takethepoints]

There were plenty of people here that were commenting last year about the numerous issues with our offense that went beyond the QB position and affected it. There was an absolute ton of forgiveness for nearly all of our players last year, especially on offense and that includes Graham. To act like that wasn't the case is ridiculous and overall, including your other posts, just paints you as someone who has a personal connection to one of the players and his upset he got beat out. That may or may not be the case, but it's how you are coming across, if you care.

The difference between Graham last year and Sims this year is which plays are the exception to the overall trend. Last year Graham showed flashed of ability. Enough to believe he could be the answer if the rest of the team around him improved. But those flashes were the exceptions. Overall it was pointing to a few plays and saying "this shows he has potential". With Sims, most of the plays are successful to some degree. That is apparent with how well we've moved the ball. The plays that are the exception are the ones he messes up. With him you point to a few plays and say "this is where he needs to improve to live up to his potential".

It isn't bias. Both Graham last year and Sims this year are playing in less than ideal situations, and have room for growth. Both got/are getting the same forgiveness. The difference is Graham needed that forgiveness much more often last year than Sims needs this year, and it's not all because of those around him.

I think the real differences between the two boil down to two things. First, there's OL play. We had so many sequential injuries there that it was hard for the blocking to meld. This is especially the case for pass blocking. But enough of that.

The second is that Graham was hurt most of the year. He didn't really get well until late in the six games he played. The last one of those where we played against a comparable unit (NCSU) was his best game of the year.

But Sims has looked better. No denying that; he may turn out to be a right good country QB with a little experience. Right now he reminds me a lot of Reg in his freshman year: good arm strength, sees his receivers well, runs well, and occasionally forces the ball. If the coaches can get him to stop the last and and not hurt his confidence like happened with Reg, we'll have something special. Oh, and it would help if the coaches could find another Calvin for him to throw to. No doubt that's on their list.

 

[RonJohn]

We will always compare coaching records. Right now is a bit beyond that. In this thread alone we are bashing our own players basically just to support one coach or another. I was in another thread not too long ago where people were claiming we didn't have a QB last year that could start at the high school level. We have called our own players FCS level talent. That kind of thing will eventually go away. Well hopefully.

Maybe I let some of the other threads affect the way I have read some comments in this thread. No matter if you like/hate CPJ or like/hate CGC, when a student-athlete was recruited or who he was recruited by doesn't make him any more/less valuable. CGC said in the press conference this week:

They play for Georgia Tech. The guys that play here right now; whether they were recruited since we've been here, whether they were recruited and enrolled before, whether they played before we got here; Those are Georgia Tech football players

I don't remember "FCS level talent" in this thread, but I have felt close to it. I don't think someone has to berate Graham to say that they believe Sims is a better choice, and one doesn't have to speak derisively about Sims to say they believe Graham deserves a shot in game. If a person doesn't know how to communicate civilly in public, then maybe they should refrain from expressing opinions publicly.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Hell we’re still comparing people to Boss Ross, O’Leary and Curry..... even Bobby Dodd

... and Heisman.

 

[85Escape]

JG is a nice kid but you're deluding yourself if you think the results would be the same. No chance. I think people just want to second guess the staff

Well, truth be told most of on here could get a job as a P5 OC if we didn't already have a better gig.

 

[ncjacket79]

Maybe I let some of the other threads affect the way I have read some comments in this thread. No matter if you like/hate CPJ or like/hate CGC, when a student-athlete was recruited or who he was recruited by doesn't make him any more/less valuable. CGC said in the press conference this week:I don't remember "FCS level talent" in this thread, but I have felt close to it. I don't think someone has to berate Graham to say that they believe Sims is a better choice, and one doesn't have to speak derisively about Sims to say they believe Graham deserves a shot in game. If a person doesn't know how to communicate civilly in public, then maybe they should refrain from expressing opinions publicly.

Who has berated Graham? It’s not berating a player to suggest he could be better at another position. He has been beaten out at QB and has a decision to make at some point about his future.

 

[85Escape]

Yep. Peyton Manning threw 30 Interceptions his first year in the league. It’s about continuous improvement for all positions.

Pfft. That scrub? Never amounted to anything.

 

[smokey_wasp]

Who has berated Graham? It’s not berating a player to suggest he could be better at another position. He has been beaten out at QB and has a decision to make at some point about his future.

I don't think anyone was trashing Graham. Actually, for the last few pages, nobody was talking about him at all. Somebody got sensitive about something, obviously.

 

[Skeptic]

I heard Kelly Quinlan interviewed on some radio show last week. He said he figured James Graham to be QB4 at the moment.

According to him, having seen them play a little, Sims was the best dual-threat and Gleason was the best pocket passer (I think he used the term "coach on the field").

I know a lot of posters here seem to think Graham will start again the Noles, because of experience. Any reason to expect something else at this point? Part of me would love to use the "free" season to develop one of the true freshmen, and we could have a 5-year starter on our hands.

When you have three starting QBs you don't have a starting QB. It is a point Collins seems slow to grasp. Hand the ball to the best guy and coach him up.

 

[danny daniel]

We really talking about the QB? These are the same people who said we should pick one and stick with him.


As much as I want to see Gleason or Yates, I don't think it's a bad idea to keep Jeff Sims in there. Yes he's played a bad game and made mistakes, but I believe the purpose of leaving him in the game is to get him those valuable reps so he can learn.

The flips are: The coaches think we have the best QB based on practice but the others have not had a chance to show anything in games. (One of them may have much better skills in the red zone.) Also the way Sims takes big hits we would be better off to have a backup with at least some game experience. The last 5 minutes of the last game was an excellent opportunity to look at another QB.

 

[JacketOff]

When you have three starting QBs you don't have a starting QB. It is a point Collins seems slow to grasp. Hand the ball to the best guy and coach him up.

..... huh.......? You realize we’re not in 2019, right? Although, whatever you did to travel back in time, I’d like some of it.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

I don’t fault Graham. It’s coaching. Of all 4 QB’s, Graham is hampered by his high school coaching. I’m a South Georgia guy so I was always rooting for Graham. But the Coaching the other 3 received during their high school careers is far superior to what Fitzgerald offered. There’s a reason down here that players families will move to towns like Moultrie, Valdosta, and Lee County. It’s all about finding good coaching and not the good ole boy coaching. I see it every Friday night. Coaches who do whatever it takes to win and never developing players. It’s not their fault it’s just what they know. Graham is a stud athlete who could tuck it and score at will so progressions weren’t needed.