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MNVCGUY said:
+1 Last time gopherhole annointed a QB before he even set foot on campus was Nelson and we all know how well that one worked out. Not saying Croft won't turn out to be great but as with Nelson would love to see people actually give him a chance to get on campus and prove what he can do before leaping to conclusions that it is for sure going to be his job to lose.
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I'm certainly not "anointing" him yet but if I had to put money on who starts at QB in 2017, my money would be on Croft.
 

tjgopher said:
He was probably talking about Maxx Williams, who lined up as a WR in roughly half of his plays in the second half of the season.
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I knew that. I was just testing everyone else to see if they were paying attention.
 

My guess a few weeks ago was DRM. With that in mind, I felt even more confident in that guess at the bowl game when he had a UMN bucket hat on and couldn't have looked more disengaged. I wasn't impressed with his h.s. film either (didn't only complete 50% of his passes in h.s.?), and after seeing him at the signing social last year - and how thick he is - I figured he would be moving to either RB or DB eventually.

CK doesn't surprise me either. As others have mentioned, the staff hasn't mentioned him in months. And if anyone checked out his Tweets, practically EVERYTHING is about Ohio stuff. If not homesick, he certainly didn't seem all that interested in anything even related to the UMN.

I wish these kids luck! I hate seeing attrition for our squad, but everything happens for a reason and life will go on for all parties.
 

PhillyGopher said:
Per Joe C

Jerry Kill's staff has a good relationship with Rion Rhoades' staff at Hutch, so it's possible the Gophers helped arrange this with the understanding that Roden-McKinzy could get playing time and possibly return to Minnesota. Classes at Hutchinson started on Monday, and Roden-McKinzy is currently listed as a provisional student
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There is no way joe c has two legit sources on this one.

The media is embarrassing
 

Lordshawesome said:
I wonder what Mr. Streveler has to say, about it being Crofts team after Leidner graduates? I'm not saying Croft won't win the job. But there will definitely be an interesting competition(with more possible attrition?...I hope not). There is also Perras' impressive upward trajectory... Not to mention (the wild card) our 2017 QB signings.The year after Leidner will be interesting indeed. But I wouldn't anoint Demery Croft yet.
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I just hope they actually let Strev play in the NC season and let him actually throw the ball when we get up in some games so we can see what we have in him in some actual, meaningful live reps rather than just using him to run the ball 60 times in a game between him and our RBs.
 




upnorthkid said:
I just hope they actually let Strev play in the NC season and let him actually throw the ball when we get up in some games so we can see what we have in him in some actual, meaningful live reps rather than just using him to run the ball 60 times in a game between him and our RBs.
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I'd like the 2nd team QB to get some reps in NC, whoever it is.
 




John Galt said:
McKinzy was our 5th string QB. He was passed on the depth chart by a freshman PWO. He was going to be our 6th string QB in 3 weeks. My only question is whether we had an interest in a position change to safety for him.
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And if we add a walkon he would of been 7th. It's a good thing. He evidently didn't want to switch positions. I sure don't see him as a QB.
 

Ekpe is doing just OK but talk about a crap D-line class for 2013. Hinojosa, Salzwedel and now Peppers all out.
 

die hard gopher said:
Ekpe is doing just OK but talk about a crap D-line class for 2013. Hinojosa, Salzwedel and now Peppers all out.
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Can look at it two ways I guess- I prefer that we had a potentially excellent class of 2014 and the majority of kids from '13 saw they were going to be relegated to mop-up time so hit the road
 

Oregon Gopher said:
Can look at it two ways I guess- I prefer that we had a potentially excellent class of 2014 and the majority of kids from '13 saw they were going to be relegated to mop-up time so hit the road
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I can buy this mindset, but we need to pick up 2 more stud D-Line in this class to maintain depth.
 



Did Krizancic at least get a look at QB? Or was that not even considered? Regardless, I wish these guys well, I'm glad they gave it a go.
 


Oregon Gopher said:
Can look at it two ways I guess- I prefer that we had a potentially excellent class of 2014 and the majority of kids from '13 saw they were going to be relegated to mop-up time so hit the road
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Even though 2 of them left before the 2014 class of two star recruits even saw the field?
 

MaxyJR1 said:
R-McKinzy is going to a JC and possibly with the help of the coaching staff. Wonder if staff wanted him to get on the field to play and possibly come back. Interesting move. I assume he will play and maybe get an opportunity elsewhere.
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Perhaps he needs to work on grades at JC
 

die hard gopher said:
I'm certainly not "anointing" him yet but if I had to put money on who starts at QB in 2017, my money would be on Croft.
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This. If Streveler doesn't bump Leidner some how....I just don't see the coaching staff giving Streveler the job for one year, when they could start the redshirt freshman era of a Demry Croft. That is, if Croft shows he can be a leader and passer. I know people are very high on Perra, but he has exactly as many snaps as Croft does in game play..who knows.
 

With as high as people are about Croft and his potential doesn't it seem odd that we are his only power 5 offer and that most of his other offers came from MAC level schools? I know there is far more to it then just what the recruiting services say but it really does seem strange that he isn't getting more attention
 

Gopher028 said:
This. If Streveler doesn't bump Leidner some how....I just don't see the coaching staff giving Streveler the job for one year, when they could start the redshirt freshman era of a Demry Croft. That is, if Croft shows he can be a leader and passer. I know people are very high on Perra, but he has exactly as many snaps as Croft does in game play..who knows.
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That'd be a lot for a RS FR to have proven at that point and I could easily see them letting Strev start for one year. You get Croft all the mop up duty you can and he starts for 3 consecutive years and hopefully you avoid that deer in the headlights time period for him. If Strev has earned and is the better player at that time period, I don't see a real reason to name Croft the starter. But obviously it's a long time away so who's to say at this point.
 

I hope we get to a point where we have a continuous succession plan of a JR/RS JR taking the reigns after our SR QB graduates. Sure, it would be great to have a highly talented FR QB come in and take over for 3-4 years, but that is very uncommon to have that young of a QB play at a high level right away.

We've gotten into a terrible pattern lately where our QB's have been thrust into action far too early, and they've struggled. Leidner is continuing to improve, and it would be great for the program if he continues to do so and maintains the starting role for 2 more years. That allows Perra or Streveler to continue to develop and fully understand the offense while getting mop up or spot series PT to get some game experience.

Ideally, Leidner holds down the starting role the next two years while continually improving. If Perra/Streveler surpass him, fine. Once Mitch leaves, Streveler wins the job for a year, or Perra takes it for two years. That gives Croft (who looks pretty raw at QB) a couple years to develop and then take over when he's a JR. That's how you build depth and develop a mature program that sets you up for success for the long-term.

If a kid is special, play him early. However, odds are a couple years to build strength and master the system would be highly beneficial!
 

upnorthkid said:
That'd be a lot for a RS FR to have proven at that point and I could easily see them letting Strev start for one year. You get Croft all the mop up duty you can and he starts for 3 consecutive years and hopefully you avoid that deer in the headlights time period for him. If Strev has earned and is the better player at that time period, I don't see a real reason to name Croft the starter. But obviously it's a long time away so who's to say at this point.
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Just so we are clear, do you guys have Croft beating out Leidner as a RS FR or are you slightly mistaken on the timing? Croft will be a RS SO the first year that Leidner is out of the program (assuming all goes as planned).
 

I think we put too much stock in the age and experience of quarterbacks. There are plenty of quarterbacks around the country who play well as FR/RS FR/SO/RS SO type players, and there are also plenty of quarterbacks who play well in their first season of meaningful playing time when it comes later on in their careers. This year, we will have a very experienced quarterback in Leidner (4th year in system, 3rd year of substantial and meaningful playing time, 2nd year as full time starter). Two years down the road, when Leidner graduates (and I'm a believer that anyone should have an opportunity to beat anyone else out at any time if they play the best, even if it is a true freshman, a walkon, whatever) I hope our decision is based on whether Streveler or Croft (or whoever else) is going to play better quarterback that season. Too many things can go wrong in this line of work (injuries, transfers, suspensions, etc.) to be too worried about keeping your powder dry.
 

WHB Brewer said:
Perhaps he needs to work on grades at JC
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I believe he was an early enrollee last signing class and because of that, he'll probably have no trouble getting his Associates Degree in one year at Hutchinson, which would give him three years of eligibility when he goes back to a four-year school. Boddy-Calhoun and Campbell are examples of that route. It could be grades, but if I were to venture a guess, it's probably that he wants three years of eligibility at a four-year school. Makes him a much more attractive prospect, especially if he stays at QB.
 

Until a player performs in practice, I rarely expect much out of them and that's how I feel with Croft. He's got the tools, but he's raw and a project. My money is on a tandem approach with Streveler/Perra both playing a lot in 2017. Then in 2018 Perra/Croft doing the tandem thing.
 

MNVCGUY said:
With as high as people are about Croft and his potential doesn't it seem odd that we are his only power 5 offer and that most of his other offers came from MAC level schools? I know there is far more to it then just what the recruiting services say but it really does seem strange that he isn't getting more attention
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Penn State went after him late. I don't think a offer was ever extended, because Croft told them no thanks, he was comitted to the Gophers. You never know how many offers some of the early commits could have gotten.
 

If Leidner can learn to hold on to the ball and pass it even somewhat like he did in the bowl game then we should all be delighted to have him be our QB for the next two years if that's how it shakes out he'll be an average B1G QB and we'll be successful. Ball security and consistency in the passing game are his keys, he has a ways to go and those are two big ifs. I hope all our QBs ride right up his rear end pushing him for the job the next six months. Steveler is probably a career back up, and that's OK it happens at the position. Perra is the wild card he has the best arm and the best feel for the passing game but he may not run quite well enough to be a threat in our zone read packages although another year in our conditioning program won't hurt and if he's good enough we can certainly mitigate how much zone read we run. Croft comes into the mix in '16 and he looks the part so to me our best hope to really get things humming is if he's so good Kill can't keep him off the field as a RS frosh. Regardless, assuming we get Croft across the finish line and signed, we're better off at QB now than at any time since Kill has been here.
 

Gopherlovin said:
I hope we get to a point where we have a continuous succession plan of a JR/RS JR taking the reigns after our SR QB graduates. Sure, it would be great to have a highly talented FR QB come in and take over for 3-4 years, but that is very uncommon to have that young of a QB play at a high level right away.
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I would argue that most teams don't follow your succession planning and go with a talented guy that can play for more than 2 years as the starter. It's hard for a guy to sit for 3 years and practice and not see the field and then be expected to start. Practicing for three year likely set you back at the QB position.

A HS example would be Mankato West. I assume it is by design, but they tab the back-up to the starter at a young age and develop them. Nelson was back-up as a 9th grader and started for 3 years and when he was a senior, they had Schlichte as a 9th grader. Schlichte's back-up this year was a 9th grader expected to start the next three years.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
I would argue that most teams don't follow your succession planning and go with a talented guy that can play for more than 2 years as the starter. It's hard for a guy to sit for 3 years and practice and not see the field and then be expected to start. Practicing for three year likely set you back at the QB position.

A HS example would be Mankato West. I assume it is by design, but they tab the back-up to the starter at a young age and develop them. Nelson was back-up as a 9th grader and started for 3 years and when he was a senior, they had Schlichte as a 9th grader. Schlichte's back-up this year was a 9th grader expected to start the next three years.
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Starting freshman at QB is a fairly new phenomenon in college. During FSU's dynasty days throughout the 90s they never started underclassmen at QB. I think the high school football and coaching is more advanced in this day and age though, which makes it possible for some of these young QBs to be ready sometimes.
 

dlw4gophers said:
Penn State went after him late. I don't think a offer was ever extended, because Croft told them no thanks, he was comitted to the Gophers. You never know how many offers some of the early commits could have gotten.
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This, Croft committed pretty early and has been strictly committed to us only. A lot of teams
didn't have an opportunity to offer and likely deemed it pointless to do so.
 

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