Looking at this from my Iowa City Hawkeye perspective (hi again everyone) and hoping I have earned people's respect here previously with my Hawkeye knowledge and doing it with an objective perspective.
Overall, this is a real puzzling choice Duece made in deciding to walk-on at Kentucky.
I say this first and foremost because word from those in the know here question if he's a Power 5 QB or high DI QB for that matter. We mostly assumed he'd try finding his way back to Texas at a place like Abilene Christian or Texas-San Antonio or somewhere like that.
I put merit into the whispers from the Iowa camp about Duece's ability because Iowa had two QBs ahead of him this year who simply were NOT Power 5 QBs-- you saw one of them in Petras. Padilla his backup was not any better. To not earn time ahead of either, coupled with word Duece really struggled with the playbook, was not a great thing to hear. Additionally, Iowa had a true freshman QB this year (one year behind Hogan) in Labas who some said either did, or was on the verge, of passing Duece by on the depth chart.
Secondly, surprising in the fact he likely would have received scholarship offers from lower D1 schools to go there, but instead opted to pay his own way to Kentucky.
But give the kid kudos for having ultra confidence in trying the Baker Mayfield route of walking on at a Power 5 school and looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And from Kentucky's standpoint, he's not eating a scholarship-- you're getting him for free. After he signed and was still in high school, he did proclaim big things would happen from him at Iowa, and while they never did in two years in Iowa City= he had the confidence to shout it out.
Duece is a good kid by every account. He committed early to Iowa and very publicly recruited other recruits to join him at Iowa. You always love guys like that and really want things to work out for guys like that. He wore his black and gold on his sleeve in high school.
The incident involving the Kirk Ferentz public remarks the week of the Nebraska game about Duece were unfortunate-- stupid on Kirk's account. Uncharacteristic of Kirk and even though I truly know he didn't intentionally intend to hurt to the kid with his remarks. However, Duece's mother called KF out on it. Kirk admitted he made a mistake even though it was intended as a in a joke and regretted making the comment.
I wish Duece great success in Lexington. Hope it works out. I have no idea what your current QB room looks like, but you've just added another.
NOTE: Funny how Iowa got a basketball transfer several years ago from Kentucky by the same last name-- Hogan. Guard Ryan. Turned out to be nothing special at Iowa-- played for Steve Alford here.
Overall, this is a real puzzling choice Duece made in deciding to walk-on at Kentucky.
I say this first and foremost because word from those in the know here question if he's a Power 5 QB or high DI QB for that matter. We mostly assumed he'd try finding his way back to Texas at a place like Abilene Christian or Texas-San Antonio or somewhere like that.
I put merit into the whispers from the Iowa camp about Duece's ability because Iowa had two QBs ahead of him this year who simply were NOT Power 5 QBs-- you saw one of them in Petras. Padilla his backup was not any better. To not earn time ahead of either, coupled with word Duece really struggled with the playbook, was not a great thing to hear. Additionally, Iowa had a true freshman QB this year (one year behind Hogan) in Labas who some said either did, or was on the verge, of passing Duece by on the depth chart.
Secondly, surprising in the fact he likely would have received scholarship offers from lower D1 schools to go there, but instead opted to pay his own way to Kentucky.
But give the kid kudos for having ultra confidence in trying the Baker Mayfield route of walking on at a Power 5 school and looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And from Kentucky's standpoint, he's not eating a scholarship-- you're getting him for free. After he signed and was still in high school, he did proclaim big things would happen from him at Iowa, and while they never did in two years in Iowa City= he had the confidence to shout it out.
Duece is a good kid by every account. He committed early to Iowa and very publicly recruited other recruits to join him at Iowa. You always love guys like that and really want things to work out for guys like that. He wore his black and gold on his sleeve in high school.
The incident involving the Kirk Ferentz public remarks the week of the Nebraska game about Duece were unfortunate-- stupid on Kirk's account. Uncharacteristic of Kirk and even though I truly know he didn't intentionally intend to hurt to the kid with his remarks. However, Duece's mother called KF out on it. Kirk admitted he made a mistake even though it was intended as a in a joke and regretted making the comment.
I wish Duece great success in Lexington. Hope it works out. I have no idea what your current QB room looks like, but you've just added another.
NOTE: Funny how Iowa got a basketball transfer several years ago from Kentucky by the same last name-- Hogan. Guard Ryan. Turned out to be nothing special at Iowa-- played for Steve Alford here.
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