What are our options at QB?

[LakevilleBro]

Our skill players are not very good. The RB's are fine, but I do not think our QB, TE, or WR's would start on many Big 10 teams.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Just curious, is there any criticism of anything related to this program that you don't have a rebuttal for?

I like your posts usually, but there are some things that are just bad, like AK8.

AK played 7 games total his Jr/Sr years in HS. He is a raw talent right now and has nobody on staff with any experience actually developing a QB. Wisc and the bowl game were a glimpse of what he can do when a competent OC/QB coach is in place. Plus this offensive gameplan they are running is ridiculously predictable and simplistic.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Options are playing for other teams because PJ was all in on AK8 and they left.

Which QBs are those?

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Our skill players are not very good. The RB's are fine, but I do not think our QB, TE, or WR's would start on many Big 10 teams.

It's nearly the same group of players, if not better, than we had last year when AK looked good against Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Syracuse.

 

[HoustonTXGopher]

Does AK not know the routes that all of his receivers are running on each play? There were guys open if he threw it where they were going to be rather than waiting for them to break. He stares down receivers worse than Morgan did. This entire year of Gopher football is a shit show, complete garbage. I really cant express just how bad this team is right now and it all starts from the top.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

It's nearly the same group of players, if not better, than we had last year when AK looked good against Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Syracuse.

I think you have to BE better to... be better.

There isn't a lot of better going on out there.

 

[Word]

So he didn't loo like a starting QB when we were all loving him at the end of last year? Im sure you were too. Just needs to get back to that? Maybe its pass protection that has digressed?

I would argue that our pass protection is better this year overall (yes it was bad against Michigan but was also bad against PSU and IL last year) and I was one of the few that were a bit more skeptical of his performance last year.

 

[Lou Brown]

The 2 previous games he was 28/35 299 yards, 4TD’s and 1 int. You could have had Tom Brady playing QB for the Gophers last night and we’d still have lost by 30.

Disagree - I think Brady plays the best game of his life against Michigan. TB12 Method of Achieving Life Long Peak Performance is real. And witchcraft.

 

[hungan1]

AK has the disadvantage of not having many game reps due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic in high school. Drew Viotto and Drake Lindsey both have many HS game reps.

He needs time to mature and develop at the cost of a dismal season. I don't think it is all about him. Coaching, the lackluster WR Room, and the OL all have to factor in.

Is Drew Viotto going to be ready? Will PJ Fleck jump and get an experienced QB in the portal?

Are the Gophers going to slide further in the Big Ten with AK at the helm?

PJ Fleck has some serious in-house management to do.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Does AK not know the routes that all of his receivers are running on each play? There were guys open if he threw it where they were going to be rather than waiting for them to break. He stares down receivers worse than Morgan did. This entire year of Gopher football is a shit show, complete garbage. I really cant express just how bad this team is right now and it all starts from the top.

Good lord man......we are 3-3 and a 4th quarter collapse from 4-2 with both loses coming against top 15 teams. There are definite issues with the team and this certainly has the looks of a season that is going to fall short of the past couple but some of you are acting like we are the worst team in the history of football.

 

[Gopherchase]

Cla

Which QBs are those?

Clark and Knuth. I have no idea if either are better than AK but I like our room a lot better with options. We don’t really have any now.

 

[walrus]

Through much of the season so far I would agree that they have been but they were horrific against Michigan.

If it were just the Michigan game, it could be forgiven. He played may be the worst quarterback game in recent memory against the fair to middling North Carolina defense. He seems to lack mental toughness and maturity. Some upperclassman or coach needs to tell him to keep the effing mouth guard in his mouth. He looks like a jack ass chewing it all game. I was as optimistic as anyone post Wisky last year, but he’s a train wreck.

you mean kind of like the kansas city qb {what’s his name}, the one who won the super bowl game… the guy who who was chomping on his mouth guard…he threw a td pass to #87…

that guy really chomps on his mouth guard. and he really chews it during games a lot and does that bother you as much as when the Gopher qb does it?

;0)

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Cla

Clark and Knuth. I have no idea if either are better than AK but I like our room a lot better with options. We don’t really have any now.

Clark is at FCS Missouri St and Knuth is a walk on at Kansas St because he couldn't get a scholarship from another FBS school. AK passed Clark when he came in and Knuth fell behind true freshman Viotto when he came in.

There's zero reason to believe they are better than the 3 options we currently have. They left because they weren't good enough to play at this level.

 

[bga1]

Is AK the best choice right now?

I’m usually very hesitant to change QBs but right now I don’t see AK getting better. He is staring down his receivers, even then he is at best a second or two late to choose to throw, and he is constantly inaccurate.

I can see at the games that there are WRs open at times, ball just isn’t getting to them.

Considering our secondary I’m guessing he looks ok in practices, but in gameday… I’m not even sure he is getting anything out of being out there.


How are Cole and the other guys? That inaccurate too?

AK is getting the field reduced to 10 yards up field by unimaginative play calling, a poor offensive line and receivers that can't separate. How often has he had a clean pocket with time to look at more than one guy?

 

[Gopherchase]

Clark is at FCS Missouri St and Knuth is a walk on at Kansas St because he couldn't get a scholarship from another FBS school. AK passed Clark when he came in and Knuth fell behind true freshman Viotto when he came in.

There's zero reason to believe they are better than the 3 options we currently have. They left because they weren't good enough to play at this level.

Knuth walked on because his dad has all kinds of money so didn’t need the scholarship. He had a KSU offer out of high school. PJ anointed AK and they left because they knew he was going to start And it wasn’t an open competition. Now we are all screwed because his chosen one doesn’t have it. Competition is a good thing complacency that you are the chosen one breeds what we’re seeing on the field right now.

 

[Dakota2]

I think we have to hit the portal unless Viotto or Lindsey are that good.

We should go after anybody at any position the coaches think can compete for a starting role. The more competition at QB the better. They cannot make decisions based on losing someone in the next portal because they didn’t play.

 

[Dakota2]

AK is getting the field reduced to 10 yards up field by unimaginative play calling, a poor offensive line and receivers that can't separate. How often has he had a clean pocket with time to look at more than one guy?

The last clean pocket he had was at the end of the first half Saturday. He threw a perfect ball to the end zone and Jackson made a great catch.

 

[Gopherchase]

2023

CMP	ATT	CMP%	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	LNG	RTG
66	105	62.9	1,018	9.7	10	2	51	171.9

Clarks stats on a bad team while fighting injury. PJ is full of it when he talks about there being competition for jobs every day he anoints kids either because of FAMILY or some other reason only he knows within his 17 ACT head but our QB room right now is pathetic; both because AK has under perform but also because he hasn’t been able to keep his recruits here. Or maybe if you guys are so quick to throw our prior-year recruits to the curb, then that’s PJ’s fault for not recruiting the right players.

 

[Jack jones]

Boe was the reason we lost last night?? Please.

The Center often doesn’t actually block someone directly/one-on-one. Unless it’s a true nose in a 30 front. Usually is double-team blocking with a guard.

Only if he has head up and eyes open. Which is not always the case. Head up and eyes open he can see the linebacker or safety blitz. And then slide and do the job. That what good centers do. Not sure he is coached to do this.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Knuth walked on because his dad has all kinds of money so didn’t need the scholarship. He had a KSU offer out of high school. PJ anointed AK and they left because they knew he was going to start And it wasn’t an open competition. Now we are all screwed because his chosen one doesn’t have it. Competition is a good thing complacency that you are the chosen one breeds what we’re seeing on the field right now.

Then why did Knuth take a scholarship here? Just because you have money doesn't mean you turn down scholarship offers if you have them. AK was on the roster when Knuth signed. Knuth couldn't beat out AK, Kramer, and got beat out this spring by Viotto. He was the 4th QB on the current roster. Thats why he left. It had nothing to do with anointing AK as the chosen one.

 

[PMWinSTP]

AK is getting the field reduced to 10 yards up field by unimaginative play calling, a poor offensive line and receivers that can't separate. How often has he had a clean pocket with time to look at more than one guy?

Most can be traced back to the basic level of the play calling. Move the pocket. Delay release the TE. Throw more to the RB. Make the defense guess. None of that is happening.

 

[Dakota2]

2023

CMP	ATT	CMP%	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	LNG	RTG
66	105	62.9	1,018	9.7	10	2	51	171.9

Clarks stats on a bad team while fighting injury. PJ is full of it when he talks about there being competition for jobs every day he anoints kids either because of FAMILY or some other reason only he knows within his 17 ACT head but our QB room right now is pathetic; both because AK has under perform but also because he hasn’t been able to keep his recruits here. Or maybe if you guys are so quick to throw our prior-year recruits to the curb, then that’s PJ’s fault for not recruiting the right players.

Someone posted there were 320 QBs in the portal last spring. Free transfer means a lot of players will be moving for their own various reasons. Mostly they think they will play sooner somewhere else.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Someone posted there were 320 QBs in the portal last spring. Free transfer means a lot of players will be moving for their own various reasons. Mostly they think they will play sooner somewhere else.

Also heard the take rate out of the portal is around 50% who enter are not landing anywhere.

 

[LakevilleBro]

It's nearly the same group of players, if not better, than we had last year when AK looked good against Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Syracuse.

Morgan was better than AK, MO was better than any RB we have now. Our TE production is poor.
Just because a player is a year older, does not mean that he will show improvement.

 

[Tommyboy]

2023

CMP	ATT	CMP%	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	LNG	RTG
66	105	62.9	1,018	9.7	10	2	51	171.9

Clarks stats on a bad team while fighting injury. PJ is full of it when he talks about there being competition for jobs every day he anoints kids either because of FAMILY or some other reason only he knows within his 17 ACT head but our QB room right now is pathetic; both because AK has under perform but also because he hasn’t been able to keep his recruits here. Or maybe if you guys are so quick to throw our prior-year recruits to the curb, then that’s PJ’s fault for not recruiting the right players.

 

[Tommyboy]

2023

CMP	ATT	CMP%	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	LNG	RTG
66	105	62.9	1,018	9.7	10	2	51	171.9

Clarks stats on a bad team while fighting injury. PJ is full of it when he talks about there being competition for jobs every day he anoints kids either because of FAMILY or some other reason only he knows within his 17 ACT head but our QB room right now is pathetic; both because AK has under perform but also because he hasn’t been able to keep his recruits here. Or maybe if you guys are so quick to throw our prior-year recruits to the curb, then that’s PJ’s fault for not recruiting the right players.

A talented coach is innovative, recognizes talent, and then develops the talent. Most of these coaches have a type they are recruiting and live and die by their decision. They do not want to be proven wrong. Most of these football programs are coached by guys with 17 ACT, they run their programs like the Gomer Pile show. The kids end up being the fader, many move on, get hurt or quit.

 

[PMWinSTP]

We should go after anybody at any position the coaches think can compete for a starting role. The more competition at QB the better. They cannot make decisions based on losing someone in the next portal because they didn’t play.

It would be nice to have coaches who actually have had experience identifying, evaluating and develping successful QBs.

 

[Word]

We should go after anybody at any position the coaches think can compete for a starting role. The more competition at QB the better. They cannot make decisions based on losing someone in the next portal because they didn’t play.

Agree 100 percent.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Morgan was better than AK, MO was better than any RB we have now. Our TE production is poor.
Just because a player is a year older, does not mean that he will show improvement.

Morgan was good to start the season but he fell apart during the Purdue game and never recovered. They don't beat Nebraska if Morgan doesn't get injured and AK doesn't come in. Crooms is a better 2nd WR than anyone we had last year. It's the same TE as last year. Mo is a major difference but Taylor has been pretty good when he's played. They also won 9 games without Mo 2 years ago.

I get that player progression isn't always linear. Neither is coach progression. But I also don't believe it's a purely talent issue. We've seen a lot of the same players be much better than they are now. Is it Kirk C? He hasn't had a lot of success outside of working for PJ. Was JMS just that good? Was it the other OL we lost? Is it player leadership missing guys like Morgan, Sori Marin, and Howden?

Something is missing as a whole this season and it was noticeable game 1. I don't think it's just AK, or the skill position players, or just the coaches, or just a talent issue. There isn't the cohesion we've seen in the past on either side of the ball.

 

[hello-world]

AK will not be replaced. He has time to improve. Cole is not a starting QB.

What makes you think this? The only time I’ve seen them head-to-head Cole was the better QB. He had a much better throwing motion. I don’t think it’s fair to compare a dude that gets one wildcat play a game to a player who has had 1.5 years of development and if anything is getting worse each week.