I like Sharpley but IMO he shouldn't start

[Axl Rose]

Nothing against Sharpley but I just feel like Jones or Clausen should get the nod. The next quarterback chosen is gonna be the guy that leads ND for the next 3 or 4 years, and even if Sharpley is the best QB right now I'm willing to bet that sooner or later Jimmy and Demetrious's talent will be to much and over take Evan. So why not start them from the beginning and and avoid the inevitable.

That being said I don't know why some think Sharpley should start because he has more experience and gives us the best chance to win. Yes hes been at ND longer then any other QB but hes only thrown 2 passes! Hes just as inexperienced as the other QB's. Also one of Coach Weis's most interesting quotes was how Jimmy threw the ball the best, Demetrious made the most plays, and Sharpley knew the system the best. To me you got to play the kids who have the most talent cause they have a better shot at developing into something great. I like Sharpley but hes just not the future.

Now what I think will happen is that Jimmy will start, I actually believe all this controversy about Jimmy is a rooze. I think Jimmy is fine and has been for a long time, why do I think this? Well for one he had this injury in the summer of 06 and was able to play several games with it. He had surgery on it earlier this year and from what I hear its not a serious procedure and he should have healed from it after two weeks. And about him only throwing short passes in practice, from what I hear most of the media only gets to see about 20 minutes of ND practices. So maybe Charlie is trying to make people think Clausen is too injured to play.

 

[johnnd05]

I think you make some good points. That said, Sharpley's experience doesn't come JUST from the time he's spent on the field, but also from having practiced more with the team, studied the offense more, etc. Plus he's two years older than DJ and Jimmy, which counts for quite a lot IMO.

Also, it's important not to underestimate the potential costs of throwing a kid to the wolves and having him get eaten up by GT, PSU, UM, et al. We have a WICKED schedule to start the year, with some REALLY good defenses, and we don't want to end up hurting a guy's confidence in a way that could cost us down the road.

Finally: remember that Charlie wants - or at least, SAYS he wants - to win NOW. So he's going to play the guy who gives us the best chance of winning NOW. Whoever that is, he's pretty clearly separated himself from the others over the last week or two, and that gives me some real confidence. And Charlie isn't going to play a guy just because he's the "QB of the future" and Sharpley is - probably, though presumably he COULD come back - in his last year.

Remember, Evan was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. That he spent three years sitting behind one of the best quarterbacks ND has ever known doesn't reflect at all negatively on what he brings to the table.

 

[Katzenboyer]

I think Sharpley's the guy.

If you look at Tom Brady's first year with the Patriots, he was pretty much exactly like Sharpley. Unheralded, minimized mistakes, made one or two big throws, and relied on his teammates to win the ballgames. He was much more of a "game manager" then than he is now.

Do I think Sharpley is the next Tom Brady? No, I don't. What I'm saying is that's what we should expect this year -- few mistakes, a pounding running game, very few long bombs, and a heavy reliance on the short to intermediate passing game.

That's how we're going to win the games. Sharpley is more familiar with the offense, is probably better at making the calls at the line and audibling out of certain formations, and has been playing against college defenders at practice longer than the other two have. DD and Clausen's day will come, but I think Sharpley gets the nod for now.

 

[purplewindex]

I think Sharpley's the guy.

If you look at Tom Brady's first year with the Patriots, he was pretty much exactly like Sharpley. Unheralded, minimized mistakes, made one or two big throws, and relied on his teammates to win the ballgames. He was much more of a "game manager" then than he is now.

Do I think Sharpley is the next Tom Brady? No, I don't. What I'm saying is that's what we should expect this year -- few mistakes, a pounding running game, very few long bombs, and a heavy reliance on the short to intermediate passing game.

That's how we're going to win the games. Sharpley is more familiar with the offense, is probably better at making the calls at the line and audibling out of certain formations, and has been playing against college defenders at practice longer than the other two have. DD and Clausen's day will come, but I think Sharpley gets the nod for now.

very few long bombs?? Not with Charlie at the helm

 

[johnnd05]

very few long bombs?? Not with Charlie at the helm

Well, that was pretty much what he did at New England. From what I recall we actually few far fewer genuine "long bombs" in the last two years then we did under Willingham - I can always remember, for instance, Brady airing it out long down the sidelines to Shelton (when we were down by a billion, of course). Under Weis, it seems to have generally been shorter routes that result in lots of RAC yardage.

Am I right in that perception?

 

[Katzenboyer]

Well, that was pretty much what he did at New England. From what I recall we actually few far fewer genuine "long bombs" in the last two years then we did under Willingham - I can always remember, for instance, Brady airing it out long down the sidelines to Shelton (when we were down by a billion, of course). Under Weis, it seems to have generally been shorter routes that result in lots of RAC yardage.

Am I right in that perception?

Absolutely. Weis, in New England, very rarely took down the field shots. Even when Brady had emerged at a superstar, it was one or two every few games.

The offensive philosophy we've seen the past few years, IMHO, is a step away from how Charlie likes to play offense. He had a veteran QB and tall WRs to work with, and he used it to his ability. But I promise you, guys like Golden Tate, West, and Grimes will be very, very proficient in this offense, because it's how Weis has always been.

This year I believe you'll see the more grind it out, "we want to have lots of third and shorts" type of offense that he's always run.

There's a great segment on Weis when he first came to ND, and Brady Quinn is just starting to learn the offense. On one particular play, Quinn went for a 60 yard bomb instead of something underneath, and it was intercepted by the practice defense, and Weis exploded, saying something to the extent of "that's a throw a guy with a 40% completion percentage throws!"

Weis likes the short hitches, outs, and slants, with a running game that can control the clock. His offenses can score lots of points, but I don't think we'll see the offense we've seen the last two years anymore.

 

[portlaNDgal]

Nothing against Sharpley but I just feel like Jones or Clausen should get the nod. The next quarterback chosen is gonna be the guy that leads ND for the next 3 or 4 years, and even if Sharpley is the best QB right now I'm willing to bet that sooner or later Jimmy and Demetrious's talent will be to much and over take Evan. So why not start them from the beginning and and avoid the inevitable.

That being said I don't know why some think Sharpley should start because he has more experience and gives us the best chance to win. Yes hes been at ND longer then any other QB but hes only thrown 2 passes! Hes just as inexperienced as the other QB's. Also one of Coach Weis's most interesting quotes was how Jimmy threw the ball the best, Demetrious made the most plays, and Sharpley knew the system the best. To me you got to play the kids who have the most talent cause they have a better shot at developing into something great. I like Sharpley but hes just not the future.

Now what I think will happen is that Jimmy will start, I actually believe all this controversy about Jimmy is a rooze. I think Jimmy is fine and has been for a long time, why do I think this? Well for one he had this injury in the summer of 06 and was able to play several games with it. He had surgery on it earlier this year and from what I hear its not a serious procedure and he should have healed from it after two weeks. And about him only throwing short passes in practice, from what I hear most of the media only gets to see about 20 minutes of ND practices. So maybe Charlie is trying to make people think Clausen is too injured to play.

I don't think Weis is the type of coach to throw a freshman to the wolves to "develop" him for the future, which is what he might do if he were in "rebuilding" mode. We know what he has to say about rebuilding.

I know Clausen is mad talented, and we know that talent gets you farther in the long run than just experience. But Sharpley's experience can't be discounted. He worked alongside the best player in college football and was tutored by Weis and Peter Vaas. Sharpley might not be the starting QB for the rest of his time at ND, but I think he's the best bet for the present.

But hey, Weis is being so secretive, who knows what he's really thinking.

 

[ColonialHead]

I'm hoping Demetrius Jones is the starter when the team runs out of the tunnel next week. I like his mobility, I think he gives us a dimension that the others don't. I was a kid during the Tony Rice era, and Jones really just reminds me of a poor man's version of Rice... (I know that comment is going to get blown up on here) but it's how I feel.

I have always been a proponent of mobile quarterbacks... that's not to say that every successful QB has to be able to run like Mike Vick, but it is nice to have a guy that can option and who opponents have to gameplan for both on the ground and through the air.

I keep hearing people say that Jones does't have an arm to go with his legs and that he should be made a WR or TB or something... I guess I just don't see that. I know that Jones has said several times that he is not willing to do anything other than QB, and I think that speaks volumes about his confidence that he can get the job done at that position.

Jones has been taking the majority of the first team snaps in practice, and Weis said today that the guy who he has chosen should know who he is or he's not very bright... that would lead me to believe it's Jones. And I believe that's who it should be. But hey, what do I know. That's just my opinion.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

I want the best guy each year...I don't care if it's Sullivan throwing...I just want the guy who will win the most games.

 

[ant80]

Why isn't this a v-bet?

 

[IrishRamMan10]

I would prefer Clausen or Jones before him becusee of their futures with the program.. But i guess i jsut want the QB taht gives ND the W... that simple