Truth about Nico

[DaddyChad]

I think about a guy like Squirrel White. Bolts to FSU his senior year. Does our fanbase still embrace him? I dont know. He was here 3 years and had time to make contacts, but has he burned bridges for leaving us for another program?

Squirrel’s situation is much different imo. He’s looking at being out of football after this year, if he doesn’t have a very good year. He didn’t make much here and has a young family. He needed to make some money in his final year.

 

[DaddyChad]

Squirrel’s situation is much different imo. He’s looking at being out of football after this year, if he doesn’t have a very good year. He didn’t make much here and has a young family. He needed to make some money in his final year.

Also I should add Squirrel would give anything to have half the NIL opportunities Nico chose not to take advantage of. Spyre had several opportunities that were passed on, hundreds of thousands of dollars.

 

[theFallGuy]

Lol, couldn't agree mower. But look at you and me posting in heruh!?!

wrong thread

 

[sjt18]

Or Nico could have become the biggest bust in UT history. I'm not sure what everyone else thinks they saw. I saw a kid with a lot of physical talent who wasn't a very good QB. The silence concerning him being a team leader was telling.

At best, his grade is "incomplete".

 

[Behr]

wrong thread

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Or Nico could have become the biggest bust in UT history. I'm not sure what everyone else thinks they saw. I saw a kid with a lot of physical talent who wasn't a very good QB. The silence concerning him being a team leader was telling.

At best, his grade is "incomplete".

Would you be saying this if Nico hadn't pulled his crap and was still QB1 at UT? My guess is no. You'd be saying things like: I think Nico can improve on last year and we went to the CFP. With a running game AND better passing, we'll be improved.

That's what is so crazy about people trying to explain away the loss of Nico. If he'd not left many people would be saying how much they think he'll improve this year. With him gone, suddenly he was trash we didn't need.

 

[StuckInBamaVol]

Let the thread die

 

[sjt18]

Would you be saying this if Nico hadn't pulled his crap and was still QB1 at UT? My guess is no.

Pretty much did. So yes. I didn't write him off nor have I now. He may become a QB and fulfill the promise of his talent. But he wasn't very good at running the O. He made some individual plays but he very often missed open plays.

You'd be saying things like: I think Nico can improve on last year and we went to the CFP. With a running game AND better passing, we'll be improved.

Nope. In fact, I pushed back against those who blamed the OL. Again, talented guy. Maybe he develops. But the possibility existed that he would become a bust at UT. He had bad throws on "easy" plays that were costly. He missed wide open receivers. DCs figured out ways to confuse him with coverages that he never seemed to overcome.

I don't have anything in particular against him. I just wasn't convinced he was the messiah some of you were.

That's what is so crazy about people trying to explain away the loss of Nico. If he'd not left many people would be saying how much they think he'll improve this year. With him gone, suddenly he was trash we didn't need.

Didn't say he was trash. I said he was a talented guy who had not become a very good QB and was about as likely to become a bust ultimately as the great QB some assumed.

I think QB is a bigger question mark now than it was. I make absolutely no assumption that any of the guys there now will even be as good as Nico. I just didn't see anything that screamed "greatness" so far. I think the run game was an amazing asset last year that should have allowed him to develop and play without pressure.

If you were impressed then so be it. But just a few SEC stats that align with what I said- 7th in QBR (Sellers and Lagway as Fr were 2nd and 3rd), 10th in ypg, 7th in completion %, 8th in att/gm (they weren't asking him to do too much), etc.

He was mediocre. He was middling. He might have improved... but he made it obvious why he didn't start over Milton like so many here thought he should. There are some improvements that can be coached. There are some that are just a matter of innate ability. There are some that come from experience. He missed guys streaking open while locked in on particular receivers. He missed open throws. He couldn't throw the sideline screen with consistent effectiveness. We will never know whether that was a matter of ability or development.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Pretty much did. So yes. I didn't write him off nor have I now. He may become a QB and fulfill the promise of his talent. But he wasn't very good at running the O. He made some individual plays but he very often missed open plays.

Nope. In fact, I pushed back against those who blamed the OL. Again, talented guy. Maybe he develops. But the possibility existed that he would become a bust at UT. He had bad throws on "easy" plays that were costly. He missed wide open receivers. DCs figured out ways to confuse him with coverages that he never seemed to overcome.

I don't have anything in particular against him. I just wasn't convinced he was the messiah some of you were.

Didn't say he was trash. I said he was a talented guy who had not become a very good QB and was about as likely to become a bust ultimately as the great QB some assumed.

I think QB is a bigger question mark now than it was. I make absolutely no assumption that any of the guys there now will even be as good as Nico. I just didn't see anything that screamed "greatness" so far. I think the run game was an amazing asset last year that should have allowed him to develop and play without pressure.

If you were impressed then so be it. But just a few SEC stats that align with what I said- 7th in QBR (Sellers and Lagway as Fr were 2nd and 3rd), 10th in ypg, 7th in completion %, 8th in att/gm (they weren't asking him to do too much), etc.

He was mediocre. He was middling. He might have improved... but he made it obvious why he didn't start over Milton like so many here thought he should. There are some improvements that can be coached. There are some that are just a matter of innate ability. There are some that come from experience. He missed guys streaking open while locked in on particular receivers. He missed open throws. He couldn't throw the sideline screen with consistent effectiveness. We will never know whether that was a matter of ability or development.

The reality is, or seems to be, that Nico WAS mediocre but he was likely to be the starter at UT this season. Merk nor G-Mac were likely to win the job from him...... and he was mediocre.

Joey Aguilar was doing well, but not incredibly well, in the SunBelt Conference and had zero chance, apparently, of challenging Nico for the starting job either after Nico signed at UCLA.

So that's where we are: two guys Heupel was able to compare directly against Nico and who he felt weren't going to be better than him this year + one guy who, without even waiting around to compete with Nico for a starting job, left apparently knowing he couldn't beat him out for QB1.

And Nico was mediocre. No argument from me there but that means by Coach Heupel's assessment and by Joey Aguilar's assessment we've lost ground at the QB1 position from mediocre.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

The reality is, or seems to be, that Nico WAS mediocre but he was likely to be the starter at UT this season. Merk nor G-Mac were likely to win the job from him...... and he was mediocre.

Joey Aguilar was doing well, but not incredibly well, in the SunBelt Conference and had zero chance, apparently, of challenging Nico for the starting job either after Nico signed at UCLA.

So that's where we are: two guys Heupel was able to compare directly against Nico and who he felt weren't going to be better than him this year + one guy who, without even waiting around to compete with Nico for a starting job, left apparently knowing he couldn't beat him out for QB1.

And Nico was mediocre. No argument from me there but that means by Coach Heupel's assessment and by Joey Aguilar's assessment we've lost ground at the QB1 position from mediocre.

I am in the camp Nico was mediocre and we would not have seen a huge jump this season but would have won 8+ games. I think what answers your question if we would be better off with Nico than not is: did he have the team behind him or not. And I am speaking up thru spring practice before the extortion attempt was public.

If he did then we would be better with him, if not then it was better that he left even if there are no real proven QB's. Now whoever wins the job should have the team I believe. Just some thoughts on this.

 

[Franklin_Vol09]

Nico is 6th or 7th rd currently. I don’t think he moves up from there. Would take a miracle.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I am in the camp Nico was mediocre and we would not have seen a huge jump this season but would have won 8+ games. I think what answers your question if we would be better off with Nico than not is: did he have the team behind him or not. And I am speaking up thru spring practice before the extortion attempt was public.

If he did then we would be better with him, if not then it was better that he left even if there are no real proven QB's. Now whoever wins the job should have the team I believe. Just some thoughts on this.

I agree that if Nico had been subversive in the locker room, he needed to go. If he'd been talking up putting the screws to UT, he wasn't going to be welcome anyway.

I hope most players don't view the situation with UT as completely "us vs them" and would see that there's negotiation and there's extortion. At least I HOPE there's still some sense of unity between the players and the school in purpose and everything isn't "every man for himself."

Going strictly on perceived talent, though, UT was hurt by the loss of Nico by the default logic I pointed out before: Merk and G-Mac weren't going to beat him out in Heupel's eyes and Joey Aguilar didn't even try or was told flat out by UCLA that he had no chance to beat him out. That's not good.

Getting back to "did Nico have support in the locker room," we have no way of knowing if Joey gets the starting job if we will see resentment because Merk has put in the time and Joey is the new guy with zero SEC game experience and only a few months in the system. If Heupel really did bring Joey Aguilar in as "the starter to beat," that may not go over well.

 

[Danl]

......



Going strictly on perceived talent, though, UT was hurt by the loss of Nico by the default logic I pointed out before: Merk and G-Mac weren't going to beat him out in Heupel's eyes and Joey Aguilar didn't even try or was told flat out by UCLA that he had no chance to beat him out. That's not good.

Or, part of the negotiations between Nico's parents and UCLA specified that Nico absolutely had to be designated the starter from the get go. I personally believe that is probably the case.

That's different from "he had no chance to beat him out" in a fair and open competition.

I know you're trying to highlight the comparative talent ratings of Nico vs Aguilar, but what difference does that make at this point? Nico had been perceived as having elite 5 star talent since high school. Did he live up to that billing? No. So far, Nico was mediocre, full stop.

Aguilar has never been evaluated as highly as Nico was. Full stop.

But again, so what?

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Or, part of the negotiations between Nico's parents and UCLA specified that Nico absolutely had to be designated the starter from the get go. I personally believe that is probably the case.

That's different from "he had no chance to beat him out" in a fair and open competition.

I know you're trying to highlight the comparative talent ratings of Nico vs Aguilar, but what difference does that make at this point? Nico had been perceived as having elite 5 star talent since high school. Did he live up to that billing? No. So far, Nico was mediocre, full stop.

Aguilar has never been evaluated as highly as Nico was. Full stop.

But again, so what?

Well, the what is our upcoming season. Trading down in talent is never good, even if the talent you started with was mediocre.

I'm not sure after UT let him walk and Oregon and others told Nico "thanks, but no thanks" that he had the clout to tell UCLA "I start or else." As you point out, he has proven mediocre AND he just tried to extort his old team and failed, so he wasn't carrying a heckuva lot of clout around while he was looking for a new team. I just don't see him having "I start or else" power.

 

[Danl]

Well, the what is our upcoming season. Trading down in talent is never good, even if the talent you started with was mediocre.

I'm not sure after UT let him walk and Oregon and others told Nico "thanks, but no thanks" that he had the clout to tell UCLA "I start or else." As you point out, he has proven mediocre AND he just tried to extort his old team and failed, so he wasn't carrying a heckuva lot of clout around while he was looking for a new team. I just don't see him having "I start or else" power.

I wouldn't characterize what happened as "trading". I don't think Heupel called UCLA and offered to trade QBs. Huepel absolutely, positively had to show Nico the door after he tried to blackmail UT. There can be no question about that.

Given that circumstance, we had to add a QB and I'm not sure we could find a better QB at that time than Aguilar. The QB room is what it is. We will have to wait and see if its good enough to get us in the playoffs.

I disagree that Nico did not have enough clout to demand being the starter. UCLA sucked big time and Nico is a hometown hero in LA. We will probably never know one way or the other.

 

[sjt18]

The reality is, or seems to be, that Nico WAS mediocre but he was likely to be the starter at UT this season. Merk nor G-Mac were likely to win the job from him...... and he was mediocre.

Joey Aguilar was doing well, but not incredibly well, in the SunBelt Conference and had zero chance, apparently, of challenging Nico for the starting job either after Nico signed at UCLA.

So that's where we are: two guys Heupel was able to compare directly against Nico and who he felt weren't going to be better than him this year + one guy who, without even waiting around to compete with Nico for a starting job, left apparently knowing he couldn't beat him out for QB1.

And Nico was mediocre. No argument from me there but that means by Coach Heupel's assessment and by Joey Aguilar's assessment we've lost ground at the QB1 position from mediocre.

Quibbling but CFB has become a little more like the NFL than we'd like. Sometimes a guy in the NFL is "signed" to be the starter. His contract says so. There's not much choice. Maybe the pressure wasn't exactly like that on Heupel... but there were definitely pressures to give Nico the last inch of rope before giving anyone else a shot. Same applies at UCLA.

And I am NOT predicting anything regarding the three remaining guys. I hope by this time next year everyone is wringing their hands over trying to pay the new star QB enough...

Guys like Nico and Milton are hard to beat out in part because they look so good "on the hoof". Are there two more physically gifted guys than them? But somehow Heupel needs to start seeing through that to find the "Hookers" of the world. Maybe a step down in talent... but the instincts and all the things that make a good one great were there.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I wouldn't characterize what happened as "trading". I don't think Heupel called UCLA and offered to trade QBs. Huepel absolutely, positively had to show Nico the door after he tried to blackmail UT. There can be no question about that.

Given that circumstance, we had to add a QB and I'm not sure we could find a better QB at that time than Aguilar. The QB room is what it is. We will have to wait and see if its good enough to get us in the playoffs.

I disagree that Nico did not have enough clout to demand being the starter. UCLA sucked big time and Nico is a hometown hero in LA. We will probably never know one way or the other.

UCLA had already gotten a QB from the portal, Joey Aguilar, so they weren't in a position to be leveraged unless Nico is viewed as a "head and shoulders over Joey Aguilar get."

If that's how they saw him, that's not good for us because we've seen Nico and they'd seen Aguilar in Spring practice AND Nico comes with the very public baggage of having treated his last team like crap.

 

[Danl]

Would San Diego State pay Nico a million bucks and promise him the starting job? Of course they would. So would a lot of D1 schools.

UCLA was set to pay Aguilar about $1 mil. If they could get a higher rated, well-known, hometown hero for less than an additional $1 mil, and all they have to do is name him the starting QB, I bet that they would do that in a heartbeat. And it wouldn't matter if Nico was head and shoulders better or not.

 

[Delmar]

UCLA had already gotten a QB from the portal, Joey Aguilar, so they weren't in a position to be leveraged unless Nico is viewed as a "head and shoulders over Joey Aguilar get."

If that's how they saw him, that's not good for us because we've seen Nico and they'd seen Aguilar in Spring practice AND Nico comes with the very public baggage of having treated his last team like crap.

In my view, UCLA took Nico on potential and not on anything he has proven. Aguilar (and the other QB) knew Nico was going to get preference and headed out of town. Nobody knows what either one is going to do with their new team until fall practice starts. I’m betting though that Aguilar (or Merk) will have a better supporting cast and coach than Nico is going to have at UCLA and that will be a big advantage.

 

[TNTUBA]

Nico is not an NFL talent.

He never had the makings of a varsity athlete.

 

[B81]

In my view, UCLA took Nico on potential and not on anything he has proven. Aguilar (and the other QB) knew Nico was going to get preference and headed out of town. Nobody knows what either one is going to do with their new team until fall practice starts. I’m betting though that Aguilar (or Merk) will have a better supporting cast and coach than Nico is going to have at UCLA and that will be a big advantage.

If UCLA gets to a bowl I will be surprised