QB Jacob Clark commits to Gophers!!

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MNVCGUY said:
It gets said in pretty much any thread involving QBs but man is it nice to have multiple options that don't scare the crap out of us. For all those years with Mitch it was hoping and praying the new QB or another one on the roster might finally beat him out for the starting job. Now we have a highly touted kid coming in but even if he takes a little time to adjust nobody should be all that worried since we have 2 very capable options on the roster. Such a nice change of pace.
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+100
 

swelna said:
Yeah, if Clark comes in and demonstrates talent/skill that might win us an extra game or two, then start him, otherwise redshirt him so we can have a redshirt junior (Morgan), redshirt sophmore/junior (annexstad), and redshirt freshman (Clark) in 2020 assuming no transfers.

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Has everyone given up on the Eden Prairie kid?


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Oregon Gopher said:
Has everyone given up on the Eden Prairie kid?


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I haven't. Kramer has a good arm and good mobility imo. Clark played in an RPO offensive scheme similar to ours whereas Kramer played in EP's offense. Both have that big jump from HS ball to college ball, I think Clark's experience in that offensive scheme will be beneficial early on. FWIW, I don't think it's very likely Clark wins the starting job in 2019 either.
 


Kramer has a nice arm but coming from Eden Prairie's run heavy offense, it seems unlikely he is the starter next season.

Of course, one year ago today I would have never predicted Annexstad to be the starter to open the season. So what do I know...
 

Oregon Gopher said:
Has everyone given up on the Eden Prairie kid?


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I wouldn't say i have "given up," anything can always happen in college football, the two star can always end up being better than the 4 star

But at this point, I think it's more likely that Clark becomes the QB of the future, then Kramer, if either one ever does become that.
 

WiddleWatkins said:
I haven't. Kramer has a good arm and good mobility imo. Clark played in an RPO offensive scheme similar to ours whereas Kramer played in EP's offense. Both have that big jump from HS ball to college ball, I think Clark's experience in that offensive scheme will be beneficial early on. FWIW, I don't think it's very likely Clark wins the starting job in 2019 either.
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I hear you and we're all welcome to our own opinions. I'm just looking at the past for comparison.

ZA was a high school senior this time last year. Came in early for spring camp and beat out a RS Freshman for the QB1 spot. Nothing about ZA's high school career really jumps off the page for me except he was at IMG. So, while at IMG he probably had the best Oline and top notch receivers and still threw for under 55%. That's concerning. Yeah, he beat out the other guy who ended up at Rutgers. Looking at this season, that wasn't much of a feat. During this season, ZA struggled with pocket presence. Instead of stepping up in the pocket, he would head for the corners and unless you have elite speed, that doesn't bode well for the QB and makes life difficult for the OLine. His deep passes are not very good...at all. They are grossly overthrown, underthrown, or thrown out of bounds. And he throws them entirely too high in the air. The RPO scheme seemed to have escaped him. But to his credit, we had an OLine issue that didn't get corrected until after his injury.

Morgan has stepped in nicely for the 2nd half of the season but would anyone accuse this offense of being even remotely explosive? Sure, there were a couple of nice deep passes during the year but they were too few and far between. Safeties could play up and support the run because there was little fear of getting beat deep. Morgan also throws the ball entirely too high on his deep passes. He gets his passes batted down far too often.

Both of the current QBs are "serviceable" without question. But can they, will they take this offense to another level? I really don't think so. With Clark, you have a strong and accurate arm that can deliver the ball to any level of the field. He makes smart throws. If you pay attention to his film you'll see he puts the ball in a spot so the receiver can use leverage/spacing. That's advanced for a HS QB. Clark also moves UP in the pocket to avoid the rush and seems to keep his eyes downfield. His pocket presence is very advanced. He has as much experience in the RPO system as any of the others. He's obviously a smart kid who can pick things up quickly.

I hope Fleck and Ciarrocha give Clark a chance to take the QB1 spot. I feel like that's our best chance to turn this offense loose next year and in the coming years.
 

I don't disagree with a lot of what you are saying. I think Clark will be the best of the bunch as well. I just think it'll be Morgan next year as he looked really solid in his RPO reads this year, and the speed of the game is going to be quite the jump for anybody, including Clark. Personally I think Morgan wins it this spring and Clark competes after a year learning the system.
 



btowngopher said:
I have after watching a little bit of the Eden Prairie vs Lakeville North game.
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Hard to judge anyone based on EPS offense

They run an offense that has no diversity due to the fact they typically don’t need to have it to win. If you don’t need to diversify, it is better to be really good at the simple things. EPS simplicity caught up with them this year, but not until the championship
 

It is great the we have three QBs at a minimum that that push the QB competition in the coming Spring and Fall. When was the last time that we've been in this situation?

If Jacob Clark shows he is way above Tanner Morgan and Zach Annexstad, I don't see PJ Fleck not giving him the nod. If not, red shirt him.

We are no where near Nebraska's Adrian Martinez talent level - a QB with the added dimension of being a good run threat. It will be an interesting battle this coming year. But, I'd expect to see PJ Fleck eventually being able to attract that talent level once he starts winning more games consistently.

The one thing that IMO is really important. Recruiting the next top OL classes. I am sure this is not lost on the coaching staff. They are focused on rebuilding the Defense right now. Defense is going to be key to the Gopher's success.
 
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If Clark gets the nod, we will have to hear the phrase "true freshman quarterback" in response to every question asked in post game pressers after losses.
 

I would say this: If Clark is hands-down the best QB on the roster, then start him.

But, if he is not clearly the best QB on the roster, then red-shirt him and let him develop for a year.

At some point, the Gophers have to develop not just depth, but experienced depth. They have to get to a point where the majority of the starters are JR's and SR's - not FR and SO.

So, maybe the team spends a year in a holding pattern with Morgan or Annexstad. But that year of development could pay off big-time if it means an older, stronger and more mature Clark takes over in 2020, and continues to develop to the point where he can legitimately be one of the better QB's in the conference as a JR and SR.
 



Having the 4th star looks good for bragging rights. He was able to produce in high school which is a good start.

I predict it will be a tough battle for QB1 the next couple years, and that doesn't include any other wunderkind PJ reels in during the next recruiting cycle. Morgan had a pretty good season for a first year starter coming off the bench, particularly after the gut punch of being passed over for the taller new kid. Over 60% completion vs Big Ten competition, a postive TD:INT ratio, 9.1 YPA, 143 rating is promising for better things to come. He may have the "IT" factor we've been looking for.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Having the 4th star looks good for bragging rights. He was able to produce in high school which is a good start.

I predict it will be a tough battle for QB1 the next couple years, and that doesn't include any other wunderkind PJ reels in during the next recruiting cycle. Morgan had a pretty good season for a first year starter coming off the bench, particularly after the gut punch of being passed over for the taller new kid. Over 60% completion vs Big Ten competition, a postive TD:INT ratio, 9.1 YPA, 143 rating is promising for better things to come. He may have the "IT" factor we've been looking for.
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Both Tanner Morgan and Zack Annexstad have grace, poise, and leadership. I hope none of them decide to transfer if Clark overtake them as a starter. We'd need those type of players who are selfless who put the team ahead of theire individual accomplishment.
 

I think if this was a couple years, Clark would come in, Redshirt year one, and play backup year two then start as a redshirt sophomore.

Times have changed however where QB's who aren't starting transfer immediately in some cases. Coaching staffs need to know their players well enough to know whether sitting a guy is going to cause him to leave your team or not, and decide if you are okay with that or if you will handle some other way.
 

Face The Facts said:
I think if this was a couple years, Clark would come in, Redshirt year one, and play backup year two then start as a redshirt sophomore.

Times have changed however where QB's who aren't starting transfer immediately in some cases. Coaching staffs need to know their players well enough to know whether sitting a guy is going to cause him to leave your team or not, and decide if you are okay with that or if you will handle some other way.
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It's a delicate balance. You also run the risk of a guy like Morgan bolting if Clark takes his job. Then you lose your QB depth if someone gets injured. It's a problem that all schools deal with though, so not much you can do about it other than try to find what works best for your team.
 

Sure, this program of boat rowers needs "selfless" quarterbacks...but even more importantly this program needs more "selfless" fans when it comes to opinions on quarterbacks. There are a lot of foolishly opinionated fans who think they know all there is to know about the young men coming in to qb the GOPHER Football Team. Just as with the head coaching position, Big Ten wins are the wins that define how competitive a Big Ten Football Team is within the conference. The quarterback is an important factor, but is really only as important as the REST of the supporting cast...offense and defense. For as much criticism as Mitch had, the GOPHER TEAM has won 10 Big Ten Football games in the last 26 Big Ten outings. Mitch & his team and coaches won 5 Big Ten games in his senior season. The quarterbacks in 2017 won 2 Big Ten games combined. The quarterbacks in 2018 won 3 Big Ten games combined. Show me the Big Ten wins and I will show you the Big Ten quarterback. It really is rather simple. Quarterback is one factor. It may...or may not be the most important factor. It is a team game, men and women. Good luck to all the quarterbacks...all the players...all the coaching staff and all the head coaches. They ALL need to be on the same team. Big Ten wins will tell the tale.

Beat the stinking badger and the stinking hawkeye, GOPHER! The "wildcat" is the quarterback's...the TEAMS'\Coaching Staff's BEST friend! Go GREEN when the going gets tough! Keep the chains moving and things will always be better!
 
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Walrus

imthewalrus said:
Sure, this program of boat rowers needs "selfless" quarterbacks...but even more importantly this program needs more "selfless" fans when it comes to opinions on quarterbacks. There are a lot of foolishly opinionated fans who think they know all there is to know about the young men coming in to qb the GOPHER Football Team. Just as with the head coaching position, Big Ten wins are the wins that define how competitive a Big Ten Football Team is within the conference. The quarterback is an important factor, but is really only as important as the REST of the supporting cast...offense and defense. For as much criticism as Mitch had, the GOPHER TEAM has won 10 Big Ten Football games in the last 26 Big Ten outings. Mitch & his team and coaches won 5 Big Ten games in his senior season. The quarterbacks in 2017 won 2 Big Ten games combined. The quarterbacks in 2018 won 3 Big Ten games combined. Show me the Big Ten wins and I will show you the Big Ten quarterback. It really is rather simple. Quarterback is one factor. It may...or may not be the most important factor. It is a team game, men and women. Good luck to all the quarterbacks...all the players...all the coaching staff and all the head coaches. They ALL need to be on the same team. Big Ten wins will tell the tale.

Beat the stinking badger and the stinking hawkeye, GOPHER! The "wildcat" is the quarterback's...the TEAMS'\Coaching Staff's BEST friend! Go GREEN when the going gets tough! Keep the chains moving and things will always be better!
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As usual Walrus, I admire your passion for the Gopher team. We could use about another 100,000 Gopher fans just like you!

I feel a lot better about the Gopher QB's going into 2019 than I have the last couple years and it should be an interesting battle to see who emerges as the starter. I would be fine with Morgan starting and I hope he can build on the positives from this year. If Annexstad or one of the freshmen can beat him out that would be fine, too because they would have to be better than what we had this year. If you can surround him with better OL, WR'S and RB'S that helps an awful lot and I think that should be the case next year.

I think that Mitch Leidner was one of the best running QB's and undoubtedly one of the toughest kids we have ever had here. He did win a bunch of games here and that will always be a part of his legacy here. If I were to meet him I would shake his hand and tell him that and I would thank him for giving everything he had for this team!
 

Word said:
It's a delicate balance. You also run the risk of a guy like Morgan bolting if Clark takes his job. Then you lose your QB depth if someone gets injured. It's a problem that all schools deal with though, so not much you can do about it other than try to find what works best for your team.
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Start Morgan, if Clark is as good as advertised and we’ve got a good third stringer (or recruit) then don’t award Annexstad a scholarship. Use it elsewhere. He likely won’t transfer during the season.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
If Clark gets the nod, we will have to hear the phrase "true freshman quarterback" in response to every question asked in post game pressers after losses.
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You just can't help yourself can you? Your feelings on the coaching staff are very very very very well documented.

If Clark is good enough to beat out Annexstad and Morgan then he will be really good and we won't have to worry about hearing youth used an excuse for his play on the field.
 

Word said:
It's a delicate balance. You also run the risk of a guy like Morgan bolting if Clark takes his job. Then you lose your QB depth if someone gets injured. It's a problem that all schools deal with though, so not much you can do about it other than try to find what works best for your team.
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2018/08/28/messy-qb-transfers-the-new-normal-in-college-football/37639833/

Interesting writeup about QBs moving. If Clark were to win the job for next season I could see someone like Morgan or Annexstad deciding to look at other options. It would seem far less likely that Clark would transfer out if he doesn't win the job right away.
 

God said:
Start Morgan, if Clark is as good as advertised and we’ve got a good third stringer (or recruit) then don’t award Annexstad a scholarship. Use it elsewhere. He likely won’t transfer during the season.
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This makes sense to me. Obviously the coaches will start whoever gives them the chance to winthe most. For me, that is Morgan. I’ve never seen Clark throw a pass so maybe I’m way off but until he does it during practices and scrimmages here, I don’t want to speculate.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
This makes sense to me. Obviously the coaches will start whoever gives them the chance to winthe most. For me, that is Morgan. I’ve never seen Clark throw a pass so maybe I’m way off but until he does it during practices and scrimmages here, I don’t want to speculate.
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Its tough to compare Morgan and Zach this year, since Zach was hurt for so much of the time he played. From what I remember about the early season, I think I liked Tanner's game better (obviously dismantling Wisconsin goes a long way for me). I agree with you on waiting and seeing with the freshman until we see them in college action. I seem to remember a lot of people wondering why we were sticking with Leidner despite having Croft on the roster when they thought Croft was obviously a better option. When Croft got the keys, was saw how that worked out.

At the end of the day, Morgan showed us he could play well enough to win, and he should take a step forward with another year of experience, so I'd be comfortable if we rode into next season with him at the number 1 spot.
 

God said:
Start Morgan, if Clark is as good as advertised and we’ve got a good third stringer (or recruit) then don’t award Annexstad a scholarship. Use it elsewhere. He likely won’t transfer during the season.
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This is a side note. Sorry to distract, but since Annexstad is not on scholarship, can he transfer and play immediately somewhere else?
 

You should always recruit and sign at least 2 QB every class. You cannot have too many on the roster. Think back four months. Most kids don't quit because they don't start. Most.
 
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bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Its tough to compare Morgan and Zach this year, since Zach was hurt for so much of the time he played. From what I remember about the early season, I think I liked Tanner's game better (obviously dismantling Wisconsin goes a long way for me). I agree with you on waiting and seeing with the freshman until we see them in college action. I seem to remember a lot of people wondering why we were sticking with Leidner despite having Croft on the roster when they thought Croft was obviously a better option. When Croft got the keys, was saw how that worked out.

At the end of the day, Morgan showed us he could play well enough to win, and he should take a step forward with another year of experience, so I'd be comfortable if we rode into next season with him at the number 1 spot.
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Well, in his Sr year vs Big Ten competition ML7 threw 11 interceptions vs 3 TDs. That might have something to do with it. Like everybody else I admire his toughness and great attituude but I don’t like romanticizing history. Over his career ML7 threw 24 interceptions vs 21 TDs in the Big Ten. It’s pretty natural to wonder if someone can do better. And to be fair to Croft, he had a much worse pass catching corps and his line was as much as a sieve as it was in the early going this season. He has some skills, but it wasn’t going to happen under PJ.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Well, in his Sr year vs Big Ten competition ML7 threw 11 interceptions vs 3 TDs. That might have something to do with it. Like everybody else I admire his toughness and great attituude but I don’t like romanticizing history. Over his career ML7 threw 24 interceptions vs 21 TDs in the Big Ten. It’s pretty natural to wonder if someone can do better. And to be fair to Croft, he had a much worse pass catching corps and his line was as much as a sieve as it was in the early going this season. He has some skills, but it wasn’t going to happen under PJ.
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I am not sure if bleedsmaroonandgold's post is as much romanticizing Leidner as it is condemning Croft's play.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I am not sure if bleedsmaroonandgold's post is as much romanticizing Leidner as it is condemning Croft's play.
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And, both have been subject to revisionist history. It’s fine, I’m happier with Morgan going forward than either.
 

highwayman said:
You should always recruit and sign at least 2 QB every class. You cannot have too many on the roster. Think back four months. Most kids don't quit because they don't start. Most.
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Wrong. Having 8 scholarship quarterbacks would be way too many. No team does this.
 

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