Highly anticipated SEC QB transfer Hilinski can't win starting job in Evanston

[swingman]

The most shocking information that was dropped during head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s Tuesday press conference was that Hunter Johnson, not Ryan Hilinski, will be the Wildcats’ week one starter when they kick off the season on September 3 against Michigan State.

Once the much anticipated starter for the 2019 season, Johnson had fallen out of favor and the starting role due to tumultuous circumstances both on and off the field. In 2020 he did not throw a single pass, spending the entire nine-game season on the bench behind Indiana transfer Peyton Ramsey.

It was expected by nearly everybody that he would see a similar fate in 2021 given the incoming arrival of Ryan Hilinski from South Carolina, as it’s generally understood that an accomplished starter such as he would only transfer to another school should they be given at least some gesture of assurance that that the starting job is their’s to lose.

He steps in to run what is now an offense full of uncertainties, fielding no receivers that caught even 10 passes last season while wearing Wildcat uniforms, and more importantly having just loss the bellwether back that was projected to bolster the offense as a whole. The offensive line should hold steady, but all in all, Johnson is going to need to put forth a better product on the field than he did back as a sophomore in 2019 for the ‘Cats to avoid another precipitous decline.

BREAKING: Hunter Johnson named Northwestern’s week one starter at quarterback

The former five-star recruit is getting another shot at QB for the ‘Cats.

www.insidenu.com

 

[fmlizard]

Guess he lost out to an even more highly touted transfer, though Hunter Johnson was pretty bad in 2019.

This dynamic will become even more common with NIL and easy transfers. Top QB recruits will cluster even more at the top few schools, then disperse to the Minnesotas and Northwesterns of the world as soon as they lose the starting job.

There's a pretty good chance that the successor to Tanner Morgan isn't Annexstad, Clark, Kalikmanis, or anyone else currently on Minnesota's roster. It could be one of the 2 5-stars that are going to transfer out of Ohio State in the next 12 months.

 

[Jordekorn]

Guess he lost out to an even more highly touted transfer, though Hunter Johnson was pretty bad in 2019.

This dynamic will become even more common with NIL and easy transfers. Top QB recruits will cluster even more at the top few schools, then disperse to the Minnesotas and Northwesterns of the world as soon as they lose the starting job.

There's a pretty good chance that the successor to Tanner Morgan isn't Annexstad, Clark, Kalikmanis, or anyone else currently on Minnesota's roster. It could be one of the 2 5-stars that are going to transfer out of Ohio State in the next 12 months.

Doesn't seem like pj's mo to me. He wants a leader at qb, not a quitter.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

Guess he lost out to an even more highly touted transfer, though Hunter Johnson was pretty bad in 2019.

This dynamic will become even more common with NIL and easy transfers. Top QB recruits will cluster even more at the top few schools, then disperse to the Minnesotas and Northwesterns of the world as soon as they lose the starting job.

There's a pretty good chance that the successor to Tanner Morgan isn't Annexstad, Clark, Kalikmanis, or anyone else currently on Minnesota's roster. It could be one of the 2 5-stars that are going to transfer out of Ohio State in the next 12 months.

You had me until you said there is a pretty good chance the successor isn’t one of the currently rostered QBs. That is a foolish take. You’re also assuming a highly rated QB who lost the job elsewhere is better than our guys.

 

[MplsGopher]

Why didn't Peyton Ramsey come back for 2021? I see no reason he couldn't have, must've elected not to?

In six games in 2019, Hunter Johnson went 50-108 (46.3%) 1td 4int 75.5rate. That's awful.


This is the best QB they have on the roster, this year??? I mean, I guess for them they think/hope he's taken a huge step forward, perhaps learned from Peyton, but jeeeeezzzzz....

 

[salzie]

Why didn't Peyton Ramsey come back for 2021? I see no reason he couldn't have, must've elected not to?

In six games in 2019, Hunter Johnson went 50-108 (46.3%) 1td 4int 75.5rate. That's awful.


This is the best QB they have on the roster, this year??? I mean, I guess for them they think/hope he's taken a huge step forward, perhaps learned from Peyton, but jeeeeezzzzz....

He didn't want to. Declared for draft, was ready to move in from college football.

He signed as udfa.

He went to college for 5 years.

 

[hungan1]

Nothing surprises anymore. In the NIL Era, reality bites players flocking to A-List football schools.

They strived to get to their ball of gold dream schools only to realize when they got there that it is a ball of clay ala Stephen Crane. Some will come down to earth and transfer to another school. They see a ball of gold elsewhere. The only difference is that the dream school they just left now looks like a ball of clay. The sad reality is, some of them may not be as advertised in their high school star ratings.

 

[MplsGopher]

He signed as udfa.

You'd think trying to help NW win the West again would be more fun and you'd see a lot more action than as an UDFA cube in the NFL, maybe making a practice squad. I guess that's just me.

 

[salzie]

You'd think trying to help NW win the West again would be more fun and you'd see a lot more action than as an UDFA cube in the NFL, maybe making a practice squad. I guess that's just me.

I mean even the practice squad is about 150k/year

 

[MplsGopher]

I mean even the practice squad is about 150k/year

And last for a couple years maybe? Isn't there a limit on how long you're allowed to be in the NFL(PA) if you don't make a roster? Like three years tops, or something (I could be dreaming this).

He could do that starting in 2022 just as easily. Well, like I said, my opinion.

 

[minnyrules11]

And last for a couple years maybe? Isn't there a limit on how long you're allowed to be in the NFL(PA) if you don't make a roster? Like three years tops, or something (I could be dreaming this).

He could do that starting in 2022 just as easily. Well, like I said, my opinion.

Yes but after 5 years some kids want to move on and not be a 24 year old college student. $142k for 17 weeks in the prime of your life with the best players in the world. Sign me up.

 

[hungan1]

Yes but after 5 years some kids want to move on and not be a 24 year old college student. $142k for 17 weeks in the prime of your life with the best players in the world. Sign me up.

A graduate degree from NW would be worth a great deal of money long term.

 

[hungan1]

Doesn't seem like pj's mo to me. He wants a leader at qb, not a qui

Doesn't seem like pj's mo to me. He wants a leader at qb, not a quitter.

If it was a Justin Fields (3.9 GPA) type of QB, maybe.

Let's say hypothetically that PJ Fleck has all the pieces to win the Big Ten title, but he does not have that next-level QB. If a legitimate proven 5-Star Dual Threat QB like Justin Fields wants to play for the Gophers, then why not?

The down side is the risk of losing his best roster QB(s) that developed in the system. I don't see that happening. Those QBs would rather go to other P5 schools or enter the NFL Draft.

He did say that he is constantly out recruiting his players.

He has proven that he is willing to use the Transfer Portal to fill positions of need, and to elevate talent level within reason.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

...
He steps in to run what is now an offense full of uncertainties, fielding no receivers that caught even 10 passes last season while wearing Wildcat uniforms, and more importantly having just loss the bellwether back that was projected to bolster the offense as a whole. The offensive line should hold steady, but all in all, Johnson is going to need to put forth a better product on the field than he did back as a sophomore in 2019 for the ‘Cats to avoid another precipitous decline.

BREAKING: Hunter Johnson named Northwestern’s week one starter at quarterback

The former five-star recruit is getting another shot at QB for the ‘Cats.

www.insidenu.com

After all of that, let's still rank them 3rd in the B1G West...ahead of Minnesota.

 

[minnyrules11]

A graduate degree from NW would be worth a great deal of money long term.

And was a grad student at Northwestern last year. If he didn’t finish it is probably pretty close. Take the $142k for a year or two and call it a day.

 

[MplsGopher]

And was a grad student at Northwestern last year. If he didn’t finish it is probably pretty close. Take the $142k for a year or two and call it a day.

or:

- try to have a great 2021 season, win the West again, give OSU hell again in the champ game
- finish the grad degree
- then take the $142k for a year or two and call it a day

?

 

[hungan1]

And was a grad student at Northwestern last year. If he didn’t finish it is probably pretty close. Take the $142k for a year or two and call it a day.

It could be like Rashod Bateman's case. Get a jump ahead of the large group of Pandemic extra year logjam in next year's draft. With an UFDA, he will have an extra year on the practice squad to convince a team he is worth keeping around.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

A graduate degree from NW would be worth a great deal of money long term.

Maybe... I wonder about that.

Lotta industries out there where nobody cares what name is on the diploma.

I think a lot of the outcomes are also self fulfilling. Dudes work their butt off to go to a good school and graduate ... just gonna also gonna work hard later and earn more, but maybe that's because they're good workers, not the name on the paper as much...

Also depending on the athlete, I'm not sure the diploma gets them much. North Carolina is supposedly good ... those guys who took those fake classes and the papers that got leaked. Not great traditional employment for them I don't think

 

[hungan1]

Maybe... I wonder about that.

Lotta industries out there where nobody cares what name is on the diploma. I think a lot of that is self fulfilling. Dudes work their butt off to go to a good school and graduate ... just gonna also gonna work hard later and earn more, but maybe that's because they're good workers, not the name on the paper as much...

Also depending on the athlete, I'm not sure the diploma gets them much. North Carolina is supposedly good ... those guys who took those fake classes and the papers that got leaked. Not great traditional employment for them I don't think

On second thought, there is a lot to be said about legitimately earned diplomas and practical knowledge. Some are not worth the ink printed on their diplomas. I am not necessarily talking about athletes with basket-weaving degrees.

I once worked with a PhD-degreed engineer who supposedly graduated second in his class at MIT. He was dumber than a doorknob when it comes to practical knowledge. He was a professional student all his life. He can ace an exam, but he lacks creativity and innovation. He lasted two months at a great recruiting loss to our team. On the other hand, we had an Iowa farm boy come to intern with our team one summer. We knew he had real good problem-solving skills and common sense from the first week. The company ended up picking up his graduate education tab.

The same can be said about student-athletes. Justin Fields has a legitimate 3.9 GPA while at tOSU. There are players endowed with talent that employers covet depending on the type of industry. You can probably find very many examples in the Gopher Football program. Many players actually develop qualities that employers want.

 

[MplsGopher_fan]

And last for a couple years maybe? Isn't there a limit on how long you're allowed to be in the NFL(PA) if you don't make a roster? Like three years tops, or something (I could be dreaming this).

I'm pretty sure you can only be on the practice squad in your first two years in the league.

 

[PMWinSTP]

I mean even the practice squad is about 150k/year

Yeah, at a minimum.

 

[hungan1]

Guess he lost out to an even more highly touted transfer, though Hunter Johnson was pretty bad in 2019.

This dynamic will become even more common with NIL and easy transfers. Top QB recruits will cluster even more at the top few schools, then disperse to the Minnesotas and Northwesterns of the world as soon as they lose the starting job.

There's a pretty good chance that the successor to Tanner Morgan isn't Annexstad, Clark, Kalikmanis, or anyone else currently on Minnesota's roster. It could be one of the 2 5-stars that are going to transfer out of Ohio State in the next 12 months.

Hunter Johnson had legitimate reasons for his lack of productivity. He was suffering from a knee injury. More importantly, his mom has breast cancer.

 

[salzie]

I'm pretty sure you can only be on the practice squad in your first two years in the league.

I know NFL opened it up last year due to Covid, i wonder if that'll remain, Josh McCown was a practice squad player for Eagles

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

If it was a Justin Fields (3.9 GPA) type of QB, maybe.

Let's say hypothetically that PJ Fleck has all the pieces to win the Big Ten title, but he does not have that next-level QB. If a legitimate proven 5-Star Dual Threat QB like Justin Fields wants to play for the Gophers, then why not?

The down side is the risk of losing his best roster QB(s) that developed in the system. I don't see that happening. Those QBs would rather go to other P5 schools or enter the NFL Draft.

He did say that he is constantly out recruiting his players.

He has proven that he is willing to use the Transfer Portal to fill positions of need, and to elevate talent level within reason.

There are those other guys who were OK QBs too. . . Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, and Baker Mayfield.

 

[hungan1]

There are those other guys who were OK QBs too. . . Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, and Baker Mayfield.

One must evaluate carefully, and weigh the risks. Some risks are worth taking. If you guess wrong, it can set your program back. Players are bound to transfer out. In the last transfers, IMHO the Gophers are 5+ in terms of talent gain or loss.