The QB Race Decision

[TexasDomer]

Anyone else glad that home games will have Big East referees?

 

[IrishCalves]

Yikes. Oh well, he probably wouldn't have seen the field much as a freshman, anyway. I just hope he's active enough to develop as he'd like. Really tough for a kid to enroll early and then have this happen ...

Its not so much seeing the field, as pushing the guys in front of him. It sounds like he was the most physical corner in the few practices we saw, so guys would definitely not rest on their laurels. Not to mention, I think he could've made an impact as a special teamer. It just opens up an opportunity, particularly for Munir Prince perhaps. But this is a bit off topic.

So do we feel that Weis still doesn't know who is QB will be, or are there still cynics/conspiracy theorists thinking its part of an even more elaborate smokescreen, trying to deceive both the QB's involved as well as future opponents?

 

[GoIrish24]

Jeez first he breaks his arm and now this.......

 

[wheeler418]

wow, kinda sucks for Frazer being the only one left out

I agree with that. I was hoping Frazer was one of the two (three), but now what for him.

Nick, do you know would he be willing to look for a new position?

It appears that all three did well enough to get a try this coming season. It is nice to hear good things about those three as we have options at QB.

I hope Gray gets better soon and can see the field next season!!!

 

[Irishknight1023]

So what we're really going to have another constant QB rotation with 3 guys now this summer? Thats not good developing whoever will be the starting QB. Whoever it is going to be is going to need alot of snaps then that.

 

[Jason Pham]

Of course it's still way to early to make these kinds of predictions but just for the sake of entertainment and conversation, if what Weis said today remains true throughout summer training, I expect to see Evan starting for a few games and then seeing Clausen step in and finish up the season as he gets more experience. Jones may have the ability to make big plays but with the talent at runningback, I think Weis will be looking more for a smooth operation of the team which is, according to his presser, found most immediately in Sharpley but with hard work and a bit more experience I think Clausen can put himself in contention to start mid season.

 

[scooper]

Anyone else glad that home games will have Big East referees?

It's away games, isn't it? Travelling teams supply the refs in out of conference games. We recently used Big 10 refs on the road.

 

[irish0307]

I agree with that prediction Jason. When did Gary Gray injure his shoulder? I knew he broke his arm, but I never heard of this.

 

[EchoesMyEternity]

First of all, I feel kind of jipped that Weis narrowed it down to three, rather than two, but I guess it's just a testament to how close the race is.

I would say that, right now, out of the three contenders, Sharpley is probably in the lead spot. Weis says that he runs the operation the best, and that is probably what he's looking for in a quarterback -- to be able to run the operation and not make mistakes.

That being said, I think that Clausen is probably in the third spot right now. Weis says he throws the ball the best, which he does, but with inexperienced wide recievers and a young offensive line, how often are we going to be throwing the ball this season?

And, I think that Jones is probably caught somewhere in the middle of the two. What are your thoughts on the QB race based on what Weis said?

-Jon

 

[Irishknight1023]

I accually take Clausen throwing the ball the best puts him in the best position to start this season. You can't teach skill you can only help, Clausen is studying that playbook constantly and working on the calls constantly. By the end of the summer he should be in control of the offense and after that who will be above him? Sharpley can run the operation, but I think Clausen will be able to do that by the end of the summer. DJ I think has the legs and Vick ability(Vick sucks, but DJ can at least throw.) I don't think being able to make plays with his feet puts us in the best position to win.

 

[IrishCalves]

To me, the future looks to be with Clausen. Weis is always lauding an accurate QB, which Clausen definitely is. I just think there may be reservations about how prepared Clausen is for the speed of college athletics. I look at this as very similar to how Brady Quinn was as a frosh - the future of the program, but he just wasn't ready enough to get thrown into the fire week one.

From previous experiences of Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe, Weis knows he doesn't need a fleet footed QB to get "W"s. Not to say he'll eliminate Jones on that criteria, but a lot of times, guys will go with what is comfortable to them when the pressure is on, and pocket passers are most likely his comfort zone. Jones will have to prove to Weis he can be a trusted drop back passer, play in and play out. If he can, his athleticism would be the added bonus to push him over the top.

With that in mind, I tend to believe that Sharpley is the front runner for the moment. With an offense that has to replace 3 OL, 2 WR, and has familiar faces that are still new starters at RB and FB, a familiar, veteran face looks to be our safest bet when we're going up against the heaviest part of our schedule, early on. We need a guy who knows not only what he is doing, but what everyone else is doing, and I'm not sure the other guys can offer that at this juncture.

I think its critical that our QB doesn't make foolish mental errors. Mistakes are always bad, but they will MURDER this team, particularly with the kind of offense we're looking to establish, and a defense in transition. Can you imagine how crushing would be to have the Irish slug it out on a 10-12 play drive, get into the red zone, only to see our QB try to make a play with a defender on his heels, and throw a wounded duck INT in the end zone? Our team isn't built to score in bunches right now, and our QB needs to accept that, and reflect that in his style of play, IMO.

So, my vote is Sharpley game 1, Clausen game 12. But this thing is NOT over. Camp will be a determining factor, definitely. Clausen could show greater command, Jones could show better mechanics/consistency, etc. I just see Jones getting squeezed ultimately.

 

[rockne19]

Gary Gray's shoulder surgery seemed to come from nowhere!I knew about the broken arm,but I wasn't aware of a shoulder injury?

 

[Katzenboyer]

I really don't see how Frazer stays, regardless of what Nick's told us.

This has to have him feeling pretty bad -- I feel bad for the kid and wouldn't blame him if he looked elsewhere.

 

[PADOMERNUT]

I would not blame him at all either. he seems like a good kid and i wish him luck in whatever he decides.

 

[brecht]

so, i guess the only thing we learned today is that weis is trying to decide between a pro-style attack or the dual-threat (i'm lumping clausen and sharpley into one cybermammal). as some people have already said, it's hard to imagine weis going away from the pro-style.

as for clausen v. sharpley. someone metioned the the speed of the game. i'd say that clausen is probably more prepared than sharpley. only for the fact that sharpley hasn't played in a full-speed game (excluding mop-up duties) in how many years? eventhough clausen will have to make a transition to the college game for sure, i don't think sharpley has much of an advantage in this case (especially since most of his experience is against minter-led defenses). yes, sharpley's been around the program longer, and i'm sure that confers an advantage of familiarity with the offense, but i have doubts how important that is in the present situation. afterall, we saw weis simplify the offense first year with quinn, and then try to make it more complex in quinn's second year (with debatable results). however, this year, with the offense being so young across the board, how complex do you think weis will make it? i'd say not very complex.

in my eyes, that puts clausen and sharpley on a level playing field, and i think weis goes with clausen over sharpley.

 

[johnnd05]

so, i guess the only thing we learned today is that weis is trying to decide between a pro-style attack or the dual-threat (i'm lumping clausen and sharpley into one cybermammal). as some people have already said, it's hard to imagine weis going away from the pro-style.

I don't think this has ANYTHING to do with "Dual Threat vs. Pro-Style". ND's is a pro-style offense, period, and there's no reason why a guy with speed can't play in the pocket (see: Steve Young, John Elway, Donovan McNabb). The only reason DJ is in the running (as it were) is that Weis thinks he has a chance to be the best at running OUR offense, not that he's thinking about building a new offense around him.

 

[Hejduk23]

Here's my 2 cents. Based on today's announcement, I would say that it is only a matter of time before this is Jimmy's team. Evan isn't going to throw better than Jimmy. Jimmy WILL learn the system and that will help him run the team like Evan. I just think that in Charlie's system the best passer has to be number one. And that is Jimmy. As has been said already...he may not start the season but will probably finish it. I can already hear the roar of the crowd. Evan is struggling and the offense is not moving. We are behind. And un-announced, Jimmy trots out onto the field for the second half...the crowd will go bananas!!!!!

 

[Sureal]

Here's my 2 cents. Based on today's announcement, I would say that it is only a matter of time before this is Jimmy's team. Evan isn't going to throw better than Jimmy. Jimmy WILL learn the system and that will help him run the team like Evan. I just think that in Charlie's system the best passer has to be number one. And that is Jimmy. As has been said already...he may not start the season but will probably finish it. I can already hear the roar of the crowd. Evan is struggling and the offense is not moving. We are behind. And un-announced, Jimmy trots out onto the field for the second half...the crowd will go bananas!!!!!

I agree with you Hejduk. I expect Jimmy to be starting by the end of the season. Jimmy may struggle in the beginning but that is to be expected due to the higher level of skill he will be facing.

 

[Newc]

Sharpely will start the season till Weis is fully prepared to throw Jimmy into the mix. He won't want Jimmy to feel overwhelmed to the point where it could become debilitating, but I can't imagine Weis getting his prototypical QB enrolled early and learning the system to have him sit out a year.

 

[notredomer23]

heres what i think and i very well can be wrong but here it is. I always thought JC was going to be the started from the very beginning and I still do. DD will be the back up

 

[Junkhead]

Sucks for Frazer, I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to transfer. That said, only so many can get on the field, whoever plays the best.....

 

[GoIrish24]

Sucks for Frazer, I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to transfer. That said, only so many can get on the field, whoever plays the best.....

Although he doesn't want to transfer, and I know he probably will not.

 

[Clausen2Kamara]

Interesting that Weis keep it an open race like this. I guess he thought if he eliminated DD it would bring on a lot of controversey considering the recent developments. I think Sharpley will start the season and play teams like Mich, Penn St and he will struggle. Weis will then bring out the freshman, JC to take on the rest of the "easier" schedule and give him valuable experience for next season. Cuz even Weis himself will admit that this is a development year and the only way for a legit run at a national title the next few years is to give JC some valuable experience and move forward.

 

[IrishCalves]

I should also be clear about something.

I see Clausen starting the final game of the year, but it isn't because I see Weis setting Sharpley up to fail. I truly believe he's going to pick the guy that gives him the best chance to win, week in and week out. That could easily change if a guy like Clausen shows an accelerated learning curve, and surpasses the incumbent starter in practice. So... I don't want this to sound like, "Weis'll go with X, throw him to the wolves, and let the golden boy JC ride up on his horse to the rescue." Thats not my impression of this at all.

And honestly, its still just about the same crap stir we saw a week ago. Its all "educated guesses" at this point.

 

[benneboy]

IMO it is probably not a good sign that he only cut it down to three. in the words of lou holtz, if you can't decide on a starter for a position, you have a couple of backups on your hands or in this case three. I guess this is to be expected with the lack of experience at the position and the younger guys having more talent, but this has definitely cooled my expectations for the season.

 

[irishunclebill]

Here's a wild scenario for you. What if Sharpley starts against GT and turns out to be the second coming of Brady Quinn. I know that based on his first two years that I did not have exceedingly high expectations for Quinn in his Junior Year, then he just blew us all away. Was it the CW factor, the game plan, Quinn's pure talent, or just the accumulation of 2 years game experience, that turned him into a great QB in his Junior Year. It was probably a combination of all 4 factors, 2 of which, talent and experience, Sharpley can not match. However, if the CW factor and the game plan were the major reasons for Quinn's improvement (and I am not saying they were, just hypothesizing here) then Sharpley might surprise us if he is indeed the starter against GT. Again, I'm not saying he will surprise us, but what if he does. Something to think about.

 

[GoIrish24]

Well what we do know is that CW will pick the best quarterback of the bunch and mentor him throughout the season. IMO, it'll be JC.

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

I would go with the best arm. Nothing says touchdown better than a perfectly thrown pass.

 

[sportallyr]

Alright, here is what I am envisioning. I think that Clausen (or possibly Sharpley) will start, but I see Demetrious Jones having an impact in every game. I don't think that CW would have recruited Jones if he didn't want to try and run a non pro-style offense. I think that he has an idea of how to use Jones similarly to the way that Florida got Tim Tebow into games last year (I hate giving them credit, but they got a lot out of the kid last season). I think that CW will use the pro-style QB the most, but will bring in Jones for a few series in every game to shake things up. I can think of nothing better to screw up an opposing defense more than completely changing the style of offense in the middle of the game...and I don't think there is a better offense mind in the game to do this than CW.

 

[goldenlid]

I don't know if anyone has said this, but it might have been DD and the golden boy but with what has happened to DD may have turned it into what it is know.