Walking on Thin Ice

#26
#26
Two scholarship QB's. One is a 18 year-old kid with reportedly $8 Million in the bank. As an 18 year-old, how would you have handled it? Would you have been mature enough, disciplined enough, to put in the work to reach your potential? Would you coast knowing you've got it made for life? Would you party yourself out of football (like Manziel after he got paid)? If he does coast, what impact will that have on his teammates. What will the Vol program look like if Milton gets injured and Iamalaeva tanks? What if both get injured? What are the chances you get another highly-rated QB in the '24 class? Kind of a scary situation with not much room to navigate. How do you handle the situation if you're Heupel?

Well, Stetson Bennett was a former walk on, so I guess we would just win back to back national championships.
 
#27
#27
Two scholarship QB's. One is a 18 year-old kid with reportedly $8 Million in the bank. As an 18 year-old, how would you have handled it? Would you have been mature enough, disciplined enough, to put in the work to reach your potential? Would you coast knowing you've got it made for life? Would you party yourself out of football (like Manziel after he got paid)? If he does coast, what impact will that have on his teammates. What will the Vol program look like if Milton gets injured and Iamalaeva tanks? What if both get injured? What are the chances you get another highly-rated QB in the '24 class? Kind of a scary situation with not much room to navigate. How do you handle the situation if you're Heupel?
First thing I would have done would have been to get a shag haircut and buy a pair of Earth shoes. No....wait...I did that anyway.
 
#29
#29
Two scholarship QB's. One is a 18 year-old kid with reportedly $8 Million in the bank. As an 18 year-old, how would you have handled it? Would you have been mature enough, disciplined enough, to put in the work to reach your potential? Would you coast knowing you've got it made for life? Would you party yourself out of football (like Manziel after he got paid)? If he does coast, what impact will that have on his teammates. What will the Vol program look like if Milton gets injured and Iamalaeva tanks? What if both get injured? What are the chances you get another highly-rated QB in the '24 class? Kind of a scary situation with not much room to navigate. How do you handle the situation if you're Heupel?

I've been thinking the same thing. Even some coaches flame out after they get paid. I think stj18 was correct that the solution is unclear, but the unintended consequences of perverse incentives for a young kid are clear. We will just have to roll with it and see.
 
#31
#31
We basically went the entire season this year in the same exact situation. Remember, the same QB that transferred to Indiana missed almost the entire season this year with an injury. We did pretty well in my opinion.
 
#33
#33
It is what it is. You're not getting a solid qb to come in and sit to provide an insurance policy. It's Milton, Nico or bust next year. And any team going 3 deep for a qb is in deep doo doo.
In most cases, you are correct (one exception being the 49ers). But, you have to build depth at the QB position somehow. Alabama has a 5* red-shirt FR (Simpson) and three other 4* QB on their roster. UGA has one 5*, two 4* and a 3*. Ole Miss is returning their starter and signed two 4* QB transfers. LSU is in about the same position we are in. I suspect that Bazooka Joe won't be running the ball too much next season.
 
#36
#36
Gaston Moore is no slouch, and he has some live game experience.

Yeah, I remember when Robinson got hurt and some said we not gonna win another game with Daryl Dickey. The 85 season turned out to be one of the best ever. I think Moore is a good smart QB that knows Hueples system in & out and we are lucky to have him as a 3rd option considering the portal situation killing deep rosters.
 
#37
#37
I emailed back and forth with Spyre after hearing that Nico got 8mil and many other reasons.

It is a 4 year deal, so around 2mil per year.

He must participate in activities within the Spyre network (ie meet and greets, signings, etc), stay out of trouble, and stay in school to get all 8mil.

All deals are paid in installments and not lump sums. So if he gets 2 mil a year, he would essentially get $166,666.67 per month.
 
#39
#39
I emailed back and forth with Spyre after hearing that Nico got 8mil and many other reasons.

It is a 4 year deal, so around 2mil per year.

He must...stay in school to get all 8mil.

All deals are paid in installments and not lump sums. So if he gets 2 mil a year, he would essentially get $166,666.67 per month.
This is one of the up sides of NIL: not only does it relieve some of the financial pressure that sometimes pulls a college player into the NFL as soon as he can possibly get there, but it actively rewards him for staying another year.

Okay, $2M for his junior year and another $2M for his senior year aren't nearly as much as Nico could make if he went in the first round of the draft, even as a rookie (though his NIL deal is more than double the NFL rookie "minimum wage," which I find fascinating). The big $$$ will still pull at him.

But it's nice to know it makes the decision to stay another year, if the lad wants to, a bit easier.

break/break

There is nothing in this young man's character that says he will go the immature Manziel route. Just the opposite, in fact. He seems very mature for his age. I think he's gonna do just fine, whether we need him his freshman season or not.

Go Vols!
 
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#40
#40
Two scholarship QB's. One is a 18 year-old kid with reportedly $8 Million in the bank. As an 18 year-old, how would you have handled it? Would you have been mature enough, disciplined enough, to put in the work to reach your potential? Would you coast knowing you've got it made for life? Would you party yourself out of football (like Manziel after he got paid)? If he does coast, what impact will that have on his teammates. What will the Vol program look like if Milton gets injured and Iamalaeva tanks? What if both get injured? What are the chances you get another highly-rated QB in the '24 class? Kind of a scary situation with not much room to navigate. How do you handle the situation if you're Heupel?
Nico doesn't have $8M in the bank. The story was that his NIL was $350K up front with an opportunity to make $2M a year while he was in school and fulfilling his NIL commitments. We'll see how it all plays out but I believe Nico will not lay down because he's getting paid in college.
 
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#41
#41
Two scholarship QB's. One is a 18 year-old kid with reportedly $8 Million in the bank. As an 18 year-old, how would you have handled it? Would you have been mature enough, disciplined enough, to put in the work to reach your potential? Would you coast knowing you've got it made for life? Would you party yourself out of football (like Manziel after he got paid)? If he does coast, what impact will that have on his teammates. What will the Vol program look like if Milton gets injured and Iamalaeva tanks? What if both get injured? What are the chances you get another highly-rated QB in the '24 class? Kind of a scary situation with not much room to navigate. How do you handle the situation if you're Heupel?

What if lighting strikes the quarterback huddle the first day of practice, what if there is a rollover accident on campus and Milton and Nico are both injured not permanently, but knocking them out of playing this coming season, what if UT engineering developed a cape that allowed the bearer - either Milton or Nico to sense oncoming rushers and fly over tacklers if they got close to them - would the NCAA outlaw this enhancement to their uniforms - all legitimate questions worth pondering on in January. - but not really.
 
#43
#43
I can’t think of any top team that has a solid #3 QB option. All the good ones transfer nowadays if they don’t get the chance to start. It is what it is. Maybe they find someone in the portal who has experience but it’s not going to be starter material.
 
#44
#44
Two scholarship QB's. One is a 18 year-old kid with reportedly $8 Million in the bank. As an 18 year-old, how would you have handled it? Would you have been mature enough, disciplined enough, to put in the work to reach your potential? Would you coast knowing you've got it made for life? Would you party yourself out of football (like Manziel after he got paid)? If he does coast, what impact will that have on his teammates. What will the Vol program look like if Milton gets injured and Iamalaeva tanks? What if both get injured? What are the chances you get another highly-rated QB in the '24 class? Kind of a scary situation with not much room to navigate. How do you handle the situation if you're Heupel?
Damn, your perception is missing A LOT of pertinent information.

- He does not have 8 million upfront.
- AFTER he signed Nico went out to prove that not only was he the best QB, but the best player period according to On3 rankings. The kid took his game to a whole new level after the UT commitment. As a recruiter and player. Basically you don't know Jack about him at all to ask stupid questions like that...
- of course they will get a QB in 2024. Nico wasn't going to Redshirt regardless of Tayven Jackson being here or not. Thats why Tayven transferred! That means Nico will be a sophomore in 2024 and 2 more years. The next guy up will be starting by RSSophomore year, or Junior year.
- we have Moore from UCF who was a D1 QB prospect that knows the system as our 3rd.
 
#45
#45
Two scholarship QB's. One is a 18 year-old kid with reportedly $8 Million in the bank. As an 18 year-old, how would you have handled it? Would you have been mature enough, disciplined enough, to put in the work to reach your potential? Would you coast knowing you've got it made for life? Would you party yourself out of football (like Manziel after he got paid)? If he does coast, what impact will that have on his teammates. What will the Vol program look like if Milton gets injured and Iamalaeva tanks? What if both get injured? What are the chances you get another highly-rated QB in the '24 class? Kind of a scary situation with not much room to navigate. How do you handle the situation if you're Heupel?

Glad you’re concerned with losing a QB that had 15 yards rushing and 37 yards passing on the year. Going to be darn right impossible to replace that kind of production.
 
#47
#47
The days of programs (even Ohio State and Bama) stockpiling 5 star QBs (and them staying) are coming to a close if not completely dead imo. That gets tested after Spring when 1-3 5 stars with 2 NC rings contemplate life after the winner of the post-Stetson derby. In our case, one can’t deny the appeal of being one play away from starting on a team that plays an exciting brand of football. Prolly not a top 5 Nico type, but I could see that Texas Tech commit signing on. Then a generational type every other class. That’s sustainable and realistic with the product in Knoxville.
 
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#49
#49
The days of programs (even Ohio State and Bama) stockpiling 5 star QBs (and them staying) are coming to a close if not completely dead imo. That gets tested after Spring when 1-3 5 stars with 2 NC rings contemplate life after the winner of the post-Stetson derby. In our case, one can’t deny the appeal of being one play away from starting on a team that plays an exciting brand of football. Prolly not a top 5 Nico type, but I could see that Texas Tech commit signing on. Then a generational type every other class. That’s sustainable and realistic with the product in Knoxville.
Hell 3*s aren't staying anymore lol.
 
#50
#50
Yep - nobody gonna have a stud third string qb that isn’t a freshman …..
Exactly...gonna be like NFL, where you're lucky if you have a competent back up QB...knowing you can go out in free agency (portal), and get a new one. Look at Florida. They were in serious trouble w/ one QB declaring and highly touted QB backing out...then all the sudden they're "good"...at least on paper. Hey, at least we've got a Shuler legacy on the sidelines, and that can't be all bad if pressed into emergency duty.
 
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