Why Do We Still Not Know A QB? Concerning.

[MWAVolfan]

Nah, Milton is getting the snaps with the 1s, he's QB1 and has been probably since about the time Maurer disappeared from practice. That has become more clear with each practice.

The refusal to answer by Heupel is something else but the staff said all along they'd have a QB1, start getting them reps, yada yada...... and they did but they chose not to make it "press conference official." It's a curious way of handling things, that's all.

Ya, but simply "choosing a #1QB" for the sake of choosing one isn't the same thing as liking the guy you chose and having confidence that he will be your #1QB throughout the season. That's why they haven't made it public because if Milton goes out there and is a disaster then they can yank him and claim "well, we never said he was our #1QB, we were just trying him out"

 

[timbonow]

Maybe he's trying to help the fans get a grip on their expectations. If he named Milton the starter now, pre-season hype would grow and likely lead to greater disappointment, which manifests itself poorly on message boards, call-in shows, and social media.

We didn't have anything close to a proven QB when Heupel arrived. We took Milton because he was the best transfer we could get. I do think Milton will be a better quarterback here than he was at Michigan, but he's also going to face tougher defenses here than he did at Michigan. People started getting excited about him when they realized how big and physically gifted he is, but it takes more than big muscles and a strong arm to be a good QB.

Physically gifted??? Why does that matter? We need mentally gifted. Baily proved in the spring that he was a good quarterback. When they pick Milton to start, he is gone, gone.

 

[LowKey]

They are all so amazing that it is literally impossible to distinguish a favorite amongst them.

 

[timbonow]

It is Milton.

By by Baily.... I would enter the portal if that happened.

 

[rdk4121]

We might not have announced it, but one quarterback has taken the first team reps for at least a couple weeks now.

 

[TheBigOne10]

By by Baily.... I would enter the portal if that happened.

Who cares? Play the best man. Quit being attached to a player and root for the best player to take the field. And this is coming from a big Harrison Bailey fan.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Considering covid is still around, possible injuries, and that none of the three have played in Heupel's system in a live game; I think it would be smart to keep your options open. QB3 might be QB1 after their 1st game. I am glad that we have real options this year if QB1 doesn't work out.
Can you imagine what volnation would say about the team and coaching staff if QB1 was named a couple weeks go and that player got pulled at halftime????

We would've liked that last year, as I recall. I've been pretty high on Milton since he transferred but if he busts on the field...... I want him out.

The object is to win. I believe in Heupel, especially when it comes to QBs, and when he pulls a QB and starts someone else, I'll still believe in Heupel.

That's a big difference over last year.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Ya, but simply "choosing a #1QB" for the sake of choosing one isn't the same thing as liking the guy you chose and having confidence that he will be your #1QB throughout the season. That's why they haven't made it public because if Milton goes out there and is a disaster then they can yank him and claim "well, we never said he was our #1QB, we were just trying him out"

I hope we don't have a weaselly coaching staff like that. I'd rather hear: We picked him. We tried to get him adjusted and in the end we needed to make a change.

If they're not willing to man up and accept real responsibility for coaching decisions, we're screwed.

 

[508mikey]

Wait to be proven wrong. Okay? I hope you're still around in a few weeks. I will be and Heupel will be.

well yeah they wont fire him til he gets his 3 years in

 

[TheBigOne10]

a complicated offense got Fulmer fired in 08 - same thing will happen again soon - the SEC defenses are probably foaming at the mouth waiting for this Vols offense

This offense has very few plays. It’s all predicated on tempo and being multiple out of the same formations. Not sure how it’s “complicated” as you are portraying.

 

[sjt18]

Physically gifted??? Why does that matter? We need mentally gifted. Baily proved in the spring that he was a good quarterback. When they pick Milton to start, he is gone, gone.

Did he? FTR, Bailey is a "good" QB. Glad he's in the competition. Will be just as happy to pull for him as the other two.

All that said, Bailey beat up on the squad team guys in the spring game. He neither earned, not got, as many reps with the 1st Team as Hooker. The Spring reports pretty much universally supported the notion that Hooker was the best of the 3 across the whole of Spring ball... and Bailey in spite of a "good" O&W performance was 3rd even behind Maurer.

Bailey DID do a nice job over the summer of improving himself and being ready to compete this fall.


But the bottom line is that he can either beat the other two out or he can't. By every hint and piece of info we have, Milton has won the job so far. That means he's at least "mentally gifted" enough that Heupel, who was a VERY cerebral QB, believes in him.

I think Bailey is a starter quality QB. If he ends up 3rd then he probably should find a place with less competition and a more compatible system to his skill set.

 

[sjt18]

If it is Milton, it is a bad decision, one of the future litany of bad decisions. Baily should be the guy. If this kind of crap is what we have to look forward to, let's start looking for a new coach now.

And you "know" that Bailey has won the competition, how? He should not "be the guy" unless he can beat the others out. Apparently... he hasn't.

IF a coach starts a QB for any other reason than he proves he's the best option... then he should be fired. We've already had 4 years of that with JG. Not interested in a coach "locking in" on the idea that one QB is "the guy" in spite of what they do.

 

[508mikey]

Did he? FTR, Bailey is a "good" QB. Glad he's in the competition. Will be just as happy to pull for him as the other two.

All that said, Bailey beat up on the squad team guys in the spring game. He neither earned, not got, as many reps with the 1st Team as Hooker. The Spring reports pretty much universally supported the notion that Hooker was the best of the 3 across the whole of Spring ball... and Bailey in spite of a "good" O&W performance was 3rd even behind Maurer.

Bailey DID do a nice job over the summer of improving himself and being ready to compete this fall.


But the bottom line is that he can either beat the other two out or he can't. By every hint and piece of info we have, Milton has won the job so far. That means he's at least "mentally gifted" enough that Heupel, who was a VERY cerebral QB, believes in him.

I think Bailey is a starter quality QB. If he ends up 3rd then he probably should find a place with less competition and a more compatible system to his skill set.

Its going to be a horserace if this 'system' fails and the next coach has a complete rebuild - this system left the SEC when Meyer did because it was being mimicked by a few others ( See Auburn -- where is Gus Now ?)

 

[BigALWiLson]

Most successful coaches take about 2 years.....3 is a waste. If they are going to be good, we will get to 10 wins in 2 years.

I agree with some of what you have said. But the truth right now is we don't know what Milton can do. I also don't think he lit up the Big10 either. He basically ran here once McNamara was the clear #1. Yes he beat Minnesota and got ass waxed by Wisconsin. I'm not sold but we better hope its the right decision because Bailey will likely transfer if he doesn't get a shot. I am hesistant to say Milton was promised, I think he is gifted physically just not sure if he has the other attributes a qb needs. So I truly hope it was a conpetition. Because Bailey at UGA/FLA/Bama will kick our teeth out. IMO I wouldn't bet that Milton is the starting QB all season.

 

[sjt18]

Less competition?? LOL. He was recruited by everyone. Milton and Hooker were not.

And? They're apparently beating him out. If Bailey does not win this job then he should find a program without 3 starter quality talents in the QB room. Why would he want to risk being beaten out again?

 

[508mikey]

sad - what could have been

 

[sjt18]

Less competition?? LOL. He was recruited by everyone. Milton and Hooker were not.

It is pretty apparent that facts don't mean a ton to you... but Hooker was recruited by Oregon, Va Tech, Clemson, Auburn, Notre Dame, UT, and others. Milton's offer list is every bit as long and impressive as Bailey's.

 

[sjt18]

Its going to be a horserace if this 'system' fails and the next coach has a complete rebuild - this system left the SEC when Meyer did because it was being mimicked by a few others ( See Auburn -- where is Gus Now ?)

Not too different from what Bama and LSU road to the NC game.

Heupel does take over with UT at a crossroads though. This coming class and the last one will either be a bridge or a chasm. I don't think that's lost on him.

 

[508mikey]

Not too different from what Bama and LSU road to the NC game.

Heupel does take over with UT at a crossroads though. This coming class and the last one will either be a bridge or a chasm. I don't think that's lost on him.

Bama and LSU are mostly Pro style offense QBs

 

[508mikey]

It is pretty apparent that facts don't mean a ton to you... but Hooker was recruited by Oregon, Va Tech, Clemson, Auburn, Notre Dame, UT, and others. Milton's offer list is every bit as long and impressive as Bailey's.

Thats why no other takers in the portal ?

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

That's why Bailey won't be in much. He can't execute the offense Heupel wants to run. It's EXACTLY why Maurer is leaving...... not because Maurer sucks as a QB but because he's not a good fit for this offense.

Joe Burrow didn't leave tOSU because he sucked but because Haskins was better at executing the offense at tOSU.

The coach determines the offense, perhaps, based upon the skillset of QB1 but it's lunacy to have one offense for QB1 and a radically different offense for QB2. There's a lot of guys BESIDES a QB out there. They need consistency so a coach has an offense....... a QB executes that offense.

There isnt likely to be a radically different playbook. However different sections the playbook will be utilized based on the qb.

So if Bailey is qb1, option plays are not likely to be on the table thus Pitt would not spend time repping their defense to stop the option nor spend all game week preaching discipline to their ends and backers.

If Hooker is QB1...you better believe they will have to spend some of the weeks prep on defending the option.


If Milton is qb1...the defense will likely spend more time focusing on keeping plays in front of them than they would if it were the other two guys.


Making the defense spend a few minutes per day practicing something they wont need...is valuable to an opposing offense.


Do any of yall remember a game with Rohan Davey in it...

 

[MWAVolfan]

I hope we don't have a weaselly coaching staff like that. I'd rather hear: We picked him. We tried to get him adjusted and in the end we needed to make a change.

If they're not willing to man up and accept real responsibility for coaching decisions, we're screwed.

unfortunately we have had real life coaching examples like that in the past

 

[sjt18]

Bama and LSU are mostly Pro style offense QBs

No. They weren't or at least no more so than Heupel's O. In fact, the NFL like Heupel emphasizes creation of match ups and trying to dictate coverage through formation. The biggest difference between the Tua O for Bama or the Burrow O for LSU and what Heupel appears to be running at UT is the speed at which he wants to run it. Essentially the same sets, blocking schemes, and route trees.

The QB run in his O is a nice "add on" but hasn't been a big component anywhere. Lock was a capable runner at MU and did not run routinely as a part of their O. Only in his first year when working with Frost's guys did he have a QB rush for over 300 yards or be regular part of the run game.

 

[tomq_123]

I think the reason Heupel hasn't named a QB has more to do with Pitt than BGSU. By all accounts that's a 50/50 game, or in some instances (ESPN still hates Tennessee) we are predicted to lose. Why let Pitt know right now who is going to start. JMO

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

There isnt likely to be a radically different playbook. However different sections the playbook will be utilized based on the qb.

So if Bailey is qb1, option plays are not likely to be on the table thus Pitt would not spend time repping their defense to stop the option nor spend all game week preaching discipline to their ends and backers.

If Hooker is QB1...you better believe they will have to spend some of the weeks prep on defending the option.


If Milton is qb1...the defense will likely spend more time focusing on keeping plays in front of them than they would if it were the other two guys.


Making the defense spend a few minutes per day practicing something they wont need...is valuable to an opposing offense.


Do any of yall remember a game with Rohan Davey in it...

Why would you start a QB that limits the offense you want to run if you have other options? My point is: you look at the coach, FIRST. No coach is going to choose a tempo offense and then start a QB who can't run it successfully. You prepare for the offense you're most likely to see from the coach and only as a secondary aspect the QB strengths.

None of these QBs warrants a "package" I'd want to prepare my defense for vs another one. I'll give you some slight differences but hardly the main preparation, as you say, a few minutes in the film room mainly for your key to have his head up if one guy subs in. Mostly, you're playing Heupel.