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Can someone give a QB roundup on Spring Game?

Played 4, Wilson, Hoak, Clark and Wood. All made good throws, all made poor throws, some victimized by drops(most of the drops, 4 or 5, by walk-ons). Nobody head and shoulders above others. Hoak/Wilson ahead. IMHO, it'll be hard to keep Wilson's speed off the field. Don't think any are SEC level at this time, need more work/polish. Battle continues.
 
I think Hoak will be the starter, but Wilson will have packages for him also.

As proven with his 54% comp percent in JUCO and his 10/24 1 INT yesterday, he isn't a very accurate passer (to be fair the receivers were dropping some balls).

Hoak gives us the better option in the passing game (though he isn't slow), and Wilson is the threat running the ball.
 
So far I've only watched the first half. Based on that I would make Hoak the leader. Wilson has a big arm and looked quick afoot on some keeps but, right now, I think Hoak the better passer. I think he "sees things" a little better and is more accurate.

In the big picture, I think the Cats need the QB who gives them the best passing game, not a runner who augments Snell and Rose (who looked great on a couple of runs). I just cannot see where another 60/40 run/pass offense will do any better this year than it did last year (#103 in YPG). FWIW, the spring game was the reverse (60/40 pass/run) but I'm not the least bit sure that reflects the offense.

However, if you are going to throw it, you need guys who get open and catch the ball. To that point, as a group, I thought the Cat's receivers looked pretty average. And, at least so far, Gran has done nothing to "feature" TE Conrad as a receiver.

In 2008 there were 35 teams that averaged 400 or more YPG. Last year there were 64 teams that did so. I think Gran will likely have his work cut out for him again.

Peace
 
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Just at a glance, no shocks. Wilson better athlete and faster afoot by a good bit, Hoak more accurate, more in sync with the offense.
Receivers had plenty of drops.
Agree that Gran has not shown great use of Conrad.....but not sure he hasn't had to use him to cover weakness at the Tackle. Then too, Conrad had a period of dropsies last year.
Concern with Rose from what I've read was not his running ability, but his INability in blocking.
Gonna be an interesting first three or four games.
 
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Just at a glance, no shocks. Wilson better athlete and faster afoot by a good bit, Hoak more accurate, more in sync with the offense.
Receivers had plenty of drops.
Agree that Gran has not shown great use of Conrad.....but not sure he hasn't had to use him to cover weakness at the Tackle. Then too, Conrad had a period of dropsies last year.
Concern with Rose from what I've read was not his running ability, but his INability in blocking.
Gonna be an interesting first three or four games.


Right, you don't block that often playing QB. But he is big enough (a LOT bigger than our previous #2, King, who was praised for his blocking) so it should be a skill that can be taught. Joker held 5.9 Matthews out of action for quite a bit until he learned to block at WR.
 
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Played 4, Wilson, Hoak, Clark and Wood. All made good throws, all made poor throws, some victimized by drops(most of the drops, 4 or 5, by walk-ons). Nobody head and shoulders above others. Hoak/Wilson ahead. IMHO, it'll be hard to keep Wilson's speed off the field. Don't think any are SEC level at this time, need more work/polish. Battle continues.
This is what I saw, too, and my exact sentiments. All need to improve.
 
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No matter how well Wilson runs the ball you have to be efficient throwing the ball. While a couple of passes looked OK, there were some that were not even close. I think Hoak starts and Wilson gets a few series to see if he can develop. I think Hoak is the safe pick Wilson has the most upside but he would be a roll of the dice.
 
All of them are better than Johnson - if Hoak can get protection CJ will thrive - Hoak is the man but both will play- Hoak should have been the QB last year - watch him shine
Do what?

That’s a bold statement that both are better than Stephen Johnson. I was disappointed in Stephen last three games but he was stone cold money in so many 4th quarters

Here is my issue with Gunnar....the read option run threat is gone as teams will play to Benny and limits a team strength. And as far as accuracy goes....Gunnar was pretty weak try first handful of series last night. He got it cranked up later against backups and was hitting short stuff. But when he needed to make a long third down or deep throws.....he didn’t show the ability to be accurate on those plays.

My fear with Gunnar teams are going to load up in Benny and take some of our run game away. Secondly I don’t think Gunnar can make plays on downs longer than 10’yards
 
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So far I've only watched the first half. Based on that I would make Hoak the leader. Wilson has a big arm and looked quick afoot on some keeps but, right now, I think Hoak the better passer. I think he "sees things" a little better and is more accurate.

In the big picture, I think the Cats need the QB who gives them the best passing game, not a runner who augments Snell and Rose (who looked great on a couple of runs). I just cannot see where another 60/40 run/pass offense will do any better this year than it did last year (#103 in YPG). FWIW, the spring game was the reverse (60/40 pass/run) but I'm not the least bit sure that reflects the offense.

However, if you are going to throw it, you need guys who get open and catch the ball. To that point, as a group, I thought the Cat's receivers looked pretty average. And, at least so far, Gran has done nothing to "feature" TE Conrad as a receiver.

In 2008 there were 35 teams that averaged 400 or more YPG. Last year there were 64 teams that did so. I think Gran will likely have his work cut out for him again.

Peace
It's 2018 WC...offense is the name of the game.
 
No matter how well Wilson runs the ball you have to be efficient throwing the ball. While a couple of passes looked OK, there were some that were not even close. I think Hoak starts and Wilson gets a few series to see if he can develop. I think Hoak is the safe pick Wilson has the most upside but he would be a roll of the dice.


Fortunately I think we do have a pretty good QB coach, may take some time though. I think both play a lot.
 
Do what?

That’s a bold statement that both are better than Stephen Johnson. I was disappointed in Stephen last three games but he was stone cold money in so many 4th quarters

Here is my issue with Gunnar....the read option run threat is gone as teams will play to Benny and limits a team strength. And as far as accuracy goes....Gunnar was pretty weak try first handful of series last night. He got it cranked up later against backups and was hitting short stuff. But when he needed to make a long third down or deep throws.....he didn’t show the ability to be accurate on those plays.

My fear with Gunnar teams are going to load up in Benny and take some of our run game away. Secondly I don’t think Gunnar can make plays on downs longer than 10’yards


Oh no, not another Hartline.

Lots of long time posters on here claimed he couldn't throw the ball over ten yards.

And it took them a long time to get over it-----I don't think some of them ever did.
 
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I think Hoak will be the starter, but Wilson will have packages for him also.

As proven with his 54% comp percent in JUCO and his 10/24 1 INT yesterday, he isn't a very accurate passer (to be fair the receivers were dropping some balls).

Hoak gives us the better option in the passing game (though he isn't slow), and Wilson is the threat running the ball.

Agree with this — I was there and thought Hoak looked poised and knew where he was going with the ball. He was accurate. Thought on a couple plays he was a Little slow to tuck it and run when big plays would’ve bee there if he had. I think with experience he can remedy that. He looks to be a good runner and I love the ball he throws that appears very catchable!
 
Oh no, not another Hartline.

Lots of long time posters on here claimed he couldn't throw the ball over ten yards.

And it took them a long time to get over it-----I don't think some of them ever did.
That is a valid post on Hartline. But Gran likes to read option and guys like Hartline don’t seem to excel in our current system is my only concern with Hoak.
 
I have not seen anyone mention that it was quite windy at the stadium, that didn't help any of the QBs with their long throws. My two cents, we didn't really see Hoak or Wilson either one separate from the other but just my hunch is that Hoak starts. Reason that he seems to have very good field vision plus maybe pretty accurate as well. Wilson displayed some great talent at times though, he made one very nice throw for completion while running hard to his right. Recievers didn't help QBs much if any, we need Baker, Conrad, Hart, and King back and catching balls before we will know what we are gonna have as far as a passing game.
 
I'm not sold on Hoak.

I like Wilson (potential threat)

I liked Clark's pocket presence and confidence. I would have liked to see him more.


Totally agree on Clark... maybe my expectations were just lower for him, but I was pleasantly surprised.
 
Hoak - Was the better passer on the night. Could’ve had another 100 yds and a TD if it weren’t for a few bad drops. Of course, he coulda gave up an INT too. He had the best throw of the night. He used his body language to move the LB then anticipated a TD throw behind him. That’s impressive...even for a Spring game. There are NFL guys who struggle to do that. Has a very quick release and light touch. Was really accurate on the short stuff and accurate enough on the long stuff. He throws well on the move and is mobile enough to scramble for yds as needed.

Wilson - clearly the Ferrari of our QBs. Deep balls were accurate. Lacked touch (tended to strong arm it) and accuracy with the shorter stuff. With him behind center you saw a shift in play calling. More RPO and deep routes. It appears clear that he doesn’t grasp the playbook like Hoak. But his athleticism and running ability is scary. He made a couple good throws on the run. Was more inconsistent though the game of the 2.


Bottomline - it’s a Spring game so the ability to make good decions go right out the window. But....I expect Hoak to start the yr. However, unless he plays amazingly well I could see Wilson coming in to run RPO......or surpassing Hoak altogether.

With the WR’s, Rose, a returning OL, I expect the offense will be better than last yr. And I do think QB play in general will be better than SJ. However, SJ’s leadership and toughness brought everyone up a notch. Hopefully someone replaces this attribute.
 
I have not seen anyone mention that it was quite windy at the stadium, that didn't help any of the QBs with their long throws. My two cents, we didn't really see Hoak or Wilson either one separate from the other but just my hunch is that Hoak starts. Reason that he seems to have very good field vision plus maybe pretty accurate as well. Wilson displayed some great talent at times though, he made one very nice throw for completion while running hard to his right. Recievers didn't help QBs much if any, we need Baker, Conrad, Hart, and King back and catching balls before we will know what we are gonna have as far as a passing game.
Hart was a senior last year.
 
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All of them are better than Johnson - if Hoak can get protection CJ will thrive - Hoak is the man but both will play- Hoak should have been the QB last year - watch him shine
Maybe better skill sets. Don't know yet about the size of their hearts.
 
Thanks in advance.
You will see different narratives about our quarterbacks. Some are media driven, some just reflect peoples' expectations based on star ratings and that kind of thing. I attended the Blue White Game, so I am glad to share my own observations. Hoak began the game with a case of the jitters. But once he settled down, Gunnar was the best quarterback in the game. Gunnar executes the offense and makes accurate throws with timing and rhythm. What Gunnar has going for him right now is pace and leadership. He looks the most confortable, and he isn't hesitating. He finds his receiver on the right pace and gets the ball out of his hand on time with good accuracy. On the negative side, Gunnar didn't quite show me all the zip I would like to see on his deeper seam throws. But he is our best quarterback right now, and he looks in command. If the season started tomorrow, Gunnar would be our starting quarterback. Terry Wilson showed me about what I expected. Wilson is thinking too much, rather than playing instinctively. Although the 1 interception was not Terry's fault, most of his throws were not accurate. But when Terry takes off and breaks the pocket, you can see why he was signed. Terry will be dangerous when he runs with the football in space. But, of course, running isn't primarily what we want our quarterback to do. We need a passing game to balance what Benny does. So, in order for Terry to win the starting job, he needs to make a lot of progress, not only with throwing accuracy, but also with improving his timing and recognition of routes. But I didn't expect Terry to be any farther along at this point, after only a month in Coach Gran's offense. Nobody should be surprised. Terry has a lot of upside, but he is still a long way from reaching it. Danny Clark was 1 of the biggest positive surprises of the evening. When Danny played in the BWG a year ago, he was lost in Coach Gran's offense, and he overthrew every single pass. But this time, Danny was 1 of the most improved players on the field. The improvement in 1 year is impressive, and shows a lot of commitment. Danny is comfortable in our offense now. He played with pace. He showed good route recognition, and his throws were generally accurate. The ball was coming out of Danny's hand on time, with certainty and zip. Although it's obvious that Coach Gran is primarily looking at Hoak and Wilson, Clark's performance tells me that this ought to be a 3-quarterback race. If Danny keeps improving at this rate, he will get onto the field at some point. I didn't expect to see Walker Wood, because guys usually don't recover this quickly from shoulder surgery. Walker sure has a motor on him. His TD pass was a bad call by the stripes, as the receiver was clearly OOB. There is no way Walker could beat out the 1st 3 quarterbacks. But if there are transfers or injuries, Walker is the kind of guy who would make the most of his opportunities.
 
Another thing that has not been mentioned..... We really need another running threat. Speed to go along with Snell's power game. If Rose can supply that, then Hoak has the better chance. If not, then Wilson can and will.

But, if you can have Wilson and Rose supply that speed, those safety's are going to have to play a little deeper. Can't risk a big run being broken on you. Then the TE's can come into play underneath.

Anyway, personally, I can't image that Wilson's speed and explosiveness will just stand on the sideline all year.
 
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You will see different narratives about our quarterbacks. Some are media driven, some just reflect peoples' expectations based on star ratings and that kind of thing. I attended the Blue White Game, so I am glad to share my own observations. Hoak began the game with a case of the jitters. But once he settled down, Gunnar was the best quarterback in the game. Gunnar executes the offense and makes accurate throws with timing and rhythm. What Gunnar has going for him right now is pace and leadership. He looks the most confortable, and he isn't hesitating. He finds his receiver on the right pace and gets the ball out of his hand on time with good accuracy. On the negative side, Gunnar didn't quite show me all the zip I would like to see on his deeper seam throws. But he is our best quarterback right now, and he looks in command. If the season started tomorrow, Gunnar would be our starting quarterback. Terry Wilson showed me about what I expected. Wilson is thinking too much, rather than playing instinctively. Although the 1 interception was not Terry's fault, most of his throws were not accurate. But when Terry takes off and breaks the pocket, you can see why he was signed. Terry will be dangerous when he runs with the football in space. But, of course, running isn't primarily what we want our quarterback to do. We need a passing game to balance what Benny does. So, in order for Terry to win the starting job, he needs to make a lot of progress, not only with throwing accuracy, but also with improving his timing and recognition of routes. But I didn't expect Terry to be any farther along at this point, after only a month in Coach Gran's offense. Nobody should be surprised. Terry has a lot of upside, but he is still a long way from reaching it. Danny Clark was 1 of the biggest positive surprises of the evening. When Danny played in the BWG a year ago, he was lost in Coach Gran's offense, and he overthrew every single pass. But this time, Danny was 1 of the most improved players on the field. The improvement in 1 year is impressive, and shows a lot of commitment. Danny is comfortable in our offense now. He played with pace. He showed good route recognition, and his throws were generally accurate. The ball was coming out of Danny's hand on time, with certainty and zip. Although it's obvious that Coach Gran is primarily looking at Hoak and Wilson, Clark's performance tells me that this ought to be a 3-quarterback race. If Danny keeps improving at this rate, he will get onto the field at some point. I didn't expect to see Walker Wood, because guys usually don't recover this quickly from shoulder surgery. Walker sure has a motor on him. His TD pass was a bad call by the stripes, as the receiver was clearly OOB. There is no way Walker could beat out the 1st 3 quarterbacks. But if there are transfers or injuries, Walker is the kind of guy who would make the most of his opportunities.
Thought Wood's injury was knee.
 
Oh no, not another Hartline.

Lots of long time posters on here claimed he couldn't throw the ball over ten yards.

And it took them a long time to get over it-----I don't think some of them ever did.
I've said it before and will again. Hartline was one of the most, if not the most underappreciated UK football QB or player in my lifetime. Still to this day it makes me mad at all the crap he got.
 
Another thing that has not been mentioned..... We really need another running threat. Speed to go along with Snell's power game. If Rose can supply that.
We need more offensive balance and depth. I was very happy (although not necessarily surprised) to see how well AJ Rose played on Friday. But OTOH, I remain concerned about our receivers. While Bowden had a strong game, and while Hughes and Epps were pleasant surprises for sure, the offense might struggle if Dorian Baker isn't 100% in the fall.
 
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Anyway, personally, I can't image that Wilson's speed and explosiveness will just stand on the sideline all year.
That's exactly what will happen if Wilson can't make positive plays with his arm, or if he turns the ball over. But I think it's still too early to draw very many conclusions. Terry just got here.
 
After watching the replay this morning, I think the QB decision is an easy one. Terry Wilson has by far the most upside of any of his competitors. He is an elite athlete on an offense that desperately needs players with game breaking potential. Our defense couldn't come close to stopping him...great acceleration and quickness. Gunnar is a marginally better passer at this point, but he doesn't blow me away with his arm strength. He's also not very elusive in the pocket and is a poor fit for the RPO. We can beat the Central Michigan's of the world with a guy like Hoak, but Wilson gives us a better chance to pull and upset or two against the top half of the SEC.
 
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