Missouri Quarterback up Next

[troopervol]

The problem is: we need a QB, apparently a starting QB from the guys Josh is looking at, and pickin's are slim as Mom used to say.

If G-Mac isn't ready to start, there's not a lot of great talent out there in the portal which closes in 6 days.

I'm sure we have "sent out feelers" (don't call it tampering) to guys not in the portal but unless those guys are still in the playoffs, we have 6 days to see someone jump in who you DO want.

JH knew the QB situation way before that crappy MCB, so as they say "No Excuse Sir!"

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

JH knew the QB situation way before that crappy MCB, so as they say "No Excuse Sir!"

I'm sure Josh knew Merk was gone or at least 3/4 gone before the bowl but he continued to give him most of the available backup snaps.

I don't know if there was a "pro Jake" locker room or worse an "anti G-Mac" locker room or just a lack of wanting to confront the reality of Jake leaving and moving him down the depth chart or if G-Mac just isn't ready or the thought is to "keep him healthy no matter what and that's more important than game experience."

I just don't know why G-Mac didn't take more snaps. I trust Josh to know better than me what he needs but most of the time coaches, including Josh, try to get next years QB some game snaps. G-Mac got very few snaps.

 

[AlsaceFreak]

Heupel invited Pribula hoping he would run into Lane at the airport. Pure genius

 

[ftsandersvol]

If he takes this guy over G-Mac, then G-Mac ain't ever starting for UT.

Now that the only transfer portal window for the year is winding down (which is being legally challenged as too restrictive), this really puts Gmac is a tough position. Does he risk another year of sitting on the bench in lieu of getting playing time to hone his skills, or does he now enter the portal in its last 6 days with the possibility of going somewhere where he could possibly start, i.e., a G5 school, knowing that if he has a good year there is a high probability that he could reenter the portal in 2027 and get picked up by a P4 team?

 

[rocketskates]

They have a 3rd QB on the roster already.

Yeah. He’s a walk on. You need 3 scholarship qbs.

 

[ftsandersvol]

I think the biggest issue is out of the portal is, the top QBs are not wanting to come to Tennessee.

Unless we are just not willing to pony up the money their agents are asking for (most likely), this is very concerning. If Tennessee was willing to pony up $4M-$5M for a QB, we would probably already have a transfer QB.

Of course, the other side of that coin is maybe the transfer QBs simply don’t see us as a true playoff contender anytime soon given our defensive struggles last year regardless of how much money we are offering them.

 

[DaddyChad]

You never know. Merk is already familiar with the system. If he don't get picked up, in the portal, who knows, he could be your next Hooker. It's called maturity. Something all these athletes have no patience for, with the pressures of NIL.

Merk isn’t playing here for Tennessee, ever. He’s not anything in the same universe as Hooker. He won’t start at any major program.

 

[Batman1948]

Still available

So far, only 6 of our transfers have landed somewhere else

 

[rocketskates]

JH knew the QB situation way before that crappy MCB, so as they say "No Excuse Sir!"

Cool dogs in the AV. I had a fawn and a black one exactly like that pair. Both lived to the ripe age of 16.

 

[Sarms58]

What is it with looking at these QBs coming off injuries.
First Leavitt and now Pribula

Also, that's a wide gap between those two.
Pribula was 6-1 when he got injured, but yikes something like 16 TDs to 10 or 12 INTs.

He had 11 TDs and 7 INTs before being hurt in the Vandy game. He finished the season with 11 TDs and 9 INTs…Joey finished the year with 24 TDS and 10 INTs…

The high number of INTs relative to TDs is concerning…but Heupel has done well recycling QBs

 

[10seV4L]

The problem is: we need a QB, apparently a starting QB from the guys Josh is looking at, and pickin's are slim as Mom used to say.

If G-Mac isn't ready to start, there's not a lot of great talent out there in the portal which closes in 6 days.

I'm sure we have "sent out feelers" (don't call it tampering) to guys not in the portal but unless those guys are still in the playoffs, we have 6 days to see someone jump in who you DO want.

The portal ONLY CLOSES for NEW ENTRANTS, ladies and gents.
The players in the portal by the deadline can hang out in the portal indefinitely, until they find a new team, go back to their old team, or get left standing when the music stops.
*I repeat-- Tennessee is not on the clock to close with their selections from the portal by the close of the portal.
**It took me a min to get that through my thick skull too

 

[IndianaVol]

He had 11 TDs and 7 INTs before being hurt in the Vandy game. He finished the season with 11 TDs and 9 INTs…Joey finished the year with 24 TDS and 10 INTs…

The high number of INTs relative to TDs is concerning…but Heupel has done well recycling QBs

Thanks was trying to recall numbers from an article I read a day or two ago.

Seeing what he did with Hooker, Milton, and Aguilar, I too will trust Heupel here.

Only concern is the injury status and with all the churn, seems like Pribula is the more sound choice over Leavitt in that area.

 

[Volnanza]

Ya'll do realize we are getting a third QB regardless of whether it is Sam Leavitt or another int throwing guy that we've never heard of. Entering the season with a QB room made up of 2 guys would be ridiculous.

I personally don't see why everyone has the hots for Leavitt. No doubt CJH would help him improve but with his penchant for turnovers and his current injury, it is difficult to believe he is they guy.

Taking Pribula at a discounted rate and spending that money on DT's and LB's will get us more wins, IMO. He can battle it out with the two currently on campus and let the best man win,.

all for getting more big uglies.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

The portal ONLY CLOSES for NEW ENTRANTS, ladies and gents.
The players in the portal by the deadline can hang out in the portal indefinitely, until they find a new team, go back to their old team, or get left standing when the music stops.
*I repeat-- Tennessee is not on the clock to close with their selections from the portal by the close of the portal.
**It took me a min to get that through my thick skull too

I'm aware but the quality QBs in the portal are few and far between so if one doesn't jump in, we're stuck with the guys in there now.

That was my point. We're not on the clock to make pick in the next few days but there's not a bunch of guys in there we'd want now.

 

[Woodworker]

There is nothing for him to spin, you only have practices to go by, everyone who was at the practices said Milton was better.
I remember that O&W game and people weren't praising Hooker after it was over or saying he was the guy.

People don't realize that Milton was Josh's guy he brought in Hooker was Pruitt's.
It has been stated many places before your guy will get all the opportunities until they have no choice.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

People don't realize that Milton was Josh's guy he brought in Hooker was Pruitt's.
It has been stated many places before your guy will get all the opportunities until they have no choice.

It's also possible Josh was right overall in his QB evaluation but not his "who can run my offense" evaluation.

Hooker is either QB3 at the Jets or on the practice squad, it's hard to tell.

Milton is QB2 for the Cowboys.

 

[Grudenator]

This should tell everyone about Josh's confidence in G-Mac for next year.

It's obvious G-Mac isn't ready in Coach Heupel's mind and he's had a much better look at G-Mac than any of us.

Did you watch him in high school? Looked like a low 3 star and if he was 3 inches shorter unranked

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Did you watch him in high school? Looked like a low 3 star and if he was 3 inches shorter unranked

I didn't and I tend, for better or worse, to discount HS results. While G-Mac played for a "serious HS," there are just too many differences between the expectations in HS and the SEC.

It's a bit like college vs pro in that the "straining process" tends to discard a lot of players so I'm not sure of the competition you played that made you a 5* or whatever. I want to see results where you are now, not where you were.

G-Mac has "done it right" in college. He's worked, he's kept his head down and grinded away, he's stayed out of trouble, he's waited his turn. He's just not taken many snaps at the college level.

I don't mean like Nico only had a few snaps behind Milton but I mean almost none, less than Gaston Moore got by far, less than Merk, less than most QBs we'd consider starting.

That troubles me. A lot. If Merk is leaving and G-Mac is staying, why was Merk still getting the low quality, but formative game time?

No amount of film will help me see why Heupel kept calling Merk's number and not G-Mac's number to sub in. It's troubling.

 

[Volinnooga]

As usual, JH simply waits, then reacts. I see nothing proactive in anything he does, including the portal. Other teams snatch players up the moment they hit, indicating to me that they have worked the kid into the portal and then grab who they have selected. We wait....and wait....and wait, THEN react and grab what's left.

Glad we waited for Lee, Gilliam and Campbell.

 

[VolInNW]

Glad we waited for Lee, Gilliam and Campbell.

Campbell is a good 'get' to be sure, but it doesn't change the fact that JH always appears to have no concise plan for most things.

Knowles needs more than a couple of good players. That defense needs a complete overhaul. 2 signees, no matter how good, does not an overhaul make.

Time will tell, of course, but I see nothing to indicate to me that CJH has approached portal silly season with the planning of a Cignetti, or even lesser coaches.

Have a good weekend, brother. It's nice to debate this w/o the ad hominems. Thank you!

 

[Vato]

What is it with looking at these QBs coming off injuries.
First Leavitt and now Pribula

Also, that's a wide gap between those two.
Pribula was 6-1 when he got injured, but yikes something like 16 TDs to 10 or 12 INTs.

And everyone said Aguliar was int prone. How about we trust the coaches

 

[RockiesTop22]

I think our best bet is to get a division 2 guy with experience - let all 3 battle it out. Spend money elsewhere- we see if GMac can gain some weight and win the competition.

 

[RockyTop603]

IMO, I just wish they’d stop wasting time with damaged goods like Leavitt and Pribula and if no JA, go after a legit dual-threat Group of 5 QB. Enough projects and rehab flyers. Get someone who’s proven, can move, and can come in ready to compete right away.

 

[Bledsoevol]

IMO, I just wish they’d stop wasting time with damaged goods like Leavitt and Pribula and if no JA, go after a legit dual-threat Group of 5 QB. Enough projects and rehab flyers. Get someone who’s proven, can move, and can come in ready to compete right away.

They are all gone nobody left

 

[Vol8188]

Josh is reaching now

You bring in more players than you need.