'26 NC QB Faizon Brandon (Tennessee commit)

[volKano]

Nico isn’t to blame for the tempo. Heupel is doing way more checks this year. He’s also slowed it down more, probably due to improved defense.

You can’t run tempo without moving the ball down field. We can’t put 3 clean plays together. It’s either incomplete, penalty or hurt player every drive. Some of the misses are definitely on him but we have had a ton of dropped balls. I’m sure CJH has slowed the tempo down some because the team isn’t getting it done on offense and you have to give the D some rest time if you aren’t scoring.

 

[marcusluvsvols]

It’s pretty simple to see, the offense at its top potential is the 2022 version. Anything short of that is because of shortfalls. Nico has a full season under his belt and hopefully he takes this spring and summer in full control.

In my opinion, Nico wasnt the issue this year. He is quick making reads and has a cannon. Seems to be pretty smart too. By far the best performance vs OSU on the team too.

Our Oline sucked at pass blocking and our WRs were the worst they have been under CJH. By a good margin. This offense wont be held back by QB play any time soon IMO. Thats the 1 position where we are as good as anyone in the country. Our Oline and WR rooms need talent.

 

[cncchris33]

In my opinion, Nico wasnt the issue this year. He is quick making reads and has a cannon. Seems to be pretty smart too. By far the best performance vs OSU on the team too.

Our Oline sucked at pass blocking and our WRs were the worst they have been under CJH. By a good margin. This offense wont be held back by QB play any time soon IMO. Thats the 1 position where we are as good as anyone in the country. Our Oline and WR rooms need talent.

He is definitely not quick making reads. Yes, the WRs struggle to get open, and yes, the OL doesn't always give him time to make the reads and release the ball, but he definitely holds the ball on a lot of his dropbacks. He has to improve in that area along with the WRs and OL.

 

[PYSCHO]

He is definitely not quick making reads. Yes, the WRs struggle to get open, and yes, the OL doesn't always give him time to make the reads and release the ball, but he definitely holds the ball on a lot of his dropbacks. He has to improve in that area along with the WRs and OL.

He is getting through his progression but no one is open for the routes they are running

 

[cncchris33]

He is getting through his progression but no one is open for the routes they are running

Many times, yes. Watching the All-22, I've seen several instances of guys open that he doesn't recognize, or recognize fast enough before the separation closes. He definitely can improve on that, so hopefully the game slows down for him even further.

 

[bpalmer28]

He is getting through his progression but no one is open for the routes they are running

 

[allvolrecruiting]

The 2022 WRs were vastly better than anything we have now.

so was the OL

 

[allvolrecruiting]

He is getting through his progression but no one is open for the routes they are running

I think it's both. and like @cncchris33 said, he hasn't looked comfortable fitting it into super tight windows if he isn't locked in on them. That goal line pass to Bru should've been a TD, but Nico waited until it was far too late for Bru to make a play allowing the DB that was way out of position to recover. Instead settled for 3 down 21-0

 

[FBtime]

He is getting through his progression but no one is open for the routes they are running

 

[Orange.]

so was the OL

Will Anderson Jr was a complete non-factor when pushed around by Darnell Wright all day. Zero sacks.

 

[Vol423]

In my opinion, Nico wasnt the issue this year. He is quick making reads and has a cannon. Seems to be pretty smart too. By far the best performance vs OSU on the team too.

Our Oline sucked at pass blocking and our WRs were the worst they have been under CJH. By a good margin. This offense wont be held back by QB play any time soon IMO. Thats the 1 position where we are as good as anyone in the country. Our Oline and WR rooms need talent.

As good as anyone in the country? That's preposterous. Nico was average, at best, this year. He needs to step up his game in a big way next year.

 

[therickbol]

In my opinion, Nico wasnt the issue this year. He is quick making reads and has a cannon. Seems to be pretty smart too. By far the best performance vs OSU on the team too.

Our Oline sucked at pass blocking and our WRs were the worst they have been under CJH. By a good margin. This offense wont be held back by QB play any time soon IMO. Thats the 1 position where we are as good as anyone in the country. Our Oline and WR rooms need talent.

I am not anti-Nico. At all. But that bold statement immediately strikes me as "Tell me you don't watch the games without telling me you don't watch the games."

 

[volfan411]

I am not anti-Nico. At all. But that bold statement immediately strikes me as "Tell me you don't watch the games without telling me you don't watch the games."

Did it seem to you that as the season went along when flushed out of the pocket Nico didn’t look to pass?? At the games it is hard to keep up but it seemed to me that once he pulled the ball down he was going to run and not keeping his eyes down field for open receivers.

 

[therickbol]

Did it seem to you that as the season went along when flushed out of the pocket Nico didn’t look to pass?? At the games it is hard to keep up but it seemed to me that once he pulled the ball down he was going to run and not keeping his eyes down field for open receivers.

He rarely ever got flushed out of the pocket and refocused down the field to complete a pass. But he is still young.

 

[DaddyChad]

He rarely ever got flushed out of the pocket and refocused down the field to complete a pass. But he is still young.

To be fair our WRs rarely ever got opened for him to be able to in those situations

 

[Illinoisvolfan2]

WRs don’t get open. It was a problem last year and it’s no better or even worse this year.

 

[Carp]

I think it's both. and like @cncchris33 said, he hasn't looked comfortable fitting it into super tight windows if he isn't locked in on them. That goal line pass to Bru should've been a TD, but Nico waited until it was far too late for Bru to make a play allowing the DB that was way out of position to recover. Instead settled for 3 down 21-0

That was also a massive DPI that wasn't called. The DB never turned around to look for the ball and was drapped all over Bru.

 

[WebbCobb]

He is definitely not quick making reads. Yes, the WRs struggle to get open, and yes, the OL doesn't always give him time to make the reads and release the ball, but he definitely holds the ball on a lot of his dropbacks. He has to improve in that area along with the WRs and OL.

Completely agree. He typically locks on to a target and you can literally watch him struggle to get off that man

 

[VolGee4]

In my opinion, Nico wasnt the issue this year. He is quick making reads and has a cannon. Seems to be pretty smart too. By far the best performance vs OSU on the team too.

Our Oline sucked at pass blocking and our WRs were the worst they have been under CJH. By a good margin. This offense wont be held back by QB play any time soon IMO. Thats the 1 position where we are as good as anyone in the country. Our Oline and WR rooms need talent.

It’s a little bit of everything. Early in the year, the OL had trouble blocking. Nico got antsy and started running. The OL got better as the year went on.

The WR’s weren’t as dynamic, but there were plays to be made if you pay attention to the back camera angle. Nico had guys open at certain times. Everyone has to be better.

 

[VolGee4]

To be fair our WRs rarely ever got opened for him to be able to in those situations

I just don’t agree with this. There were times when receivers had a step or two, and Nico bailed out of the pocket or didn’t keep his head up.

I know it wasn’t easy, but Nico had Sampson on the last play at Arkansas. There wasn’t anyone within 15 yards of him. There were other plays against Arkansas that had guys with a step. Kitselman had some times where he was open.

 

[Vawlk Tuah]

If Nico was basically as good as Milton as a redshirt freshman and got nearly the same production I'm happy with that. Even if he takes a marginal step forward he will be one of the best quarterbacks in the country next year. It being a money year for Nico I would imagine he will work that much more and it won't be marginal improvement

 

[hillsborovol]

As good as anyone in the country? That's preposterous. Nico was average, at best, this year. He needs to step up his game in a big way next year.

Agree 100%. If he changed "anyone" to "any freshman", maybe it would be debatable.

 

[KnoxtotheBoro20]

The offense as a whole struggled because of a terrible combination of lack of experience, talent, and coaching. There were so many plays this year that Nico didn’t see someone right down the middle cuz he felt pressure. There were several over throws that could have changed a game early. Any time this year that the opposing D-line had a pulse, our O-line got whooped. The scheme overall was boring and non creative, and we had a combination of lack of talent and poor usage of the talent at the skill positions compared to the elite teams. Considering the ineptitude around Nico, I thought he played pretty well this year. However, if Nico doesn’t progress, Halzle gotta go

 

[INDEFENSE]

I personally was not impressed with either QB play or WR play as well as lack of scheming for the TE's. Been saying all year we never run slants, RB screens and seem routes. One other thing I never want to see more than 1 WR screen a game, we can't keep running the same plays again and again and again. Definitely need outside influences to come in and meld with CJH's scheme same as Golash, everyone wanting to run the same exact thing is too limiting but we never seemed to have outlets when pressured. Just never understood the scheme, thought last year QB was limiting the play calling but in retrospect it may be the other way around.

 

[Jamesvol]

Quit complaining look at 4 years ago we could not beat ga state now we played in the first ever playoff game enjoy and nil transfer portal if not changed will be the death of college football kids don’t play for the team no more its all about the money