I see all the posts about needing Skylar to return or a transfer QB, but I'm not convinced we need a change. I like Sky and wouldn't be upset if he comes back but I am afraid him coming back might slow down Will's development. Like a lot of you I was concerned about a lack of progress from Will over the 3 games before Texas. But, he made a huge jump in the Texas game and I think showed us he can be a really good QB before he is done, and maybe even next year. My observations:
1. Despite throwing a couple INTs you could tell the game is starting to slow down for him. The first INT was a bad choice / throw. The second was actually an example of him recognizing Briley was open along the sideline and just underthrowing it a bit. It wasn't an easy throw but it's one that good QBs will make and I like his confidence in attempting to fit it into a tight window.
2. He was standing tall in the pocket without happy feet and going through reads. And as a result he was starting to drive the ball with good velocity and better accuracy which is what he have heard he does in practice. He finally looked like a QB who was surveying the field versus a freshman who didn't have a clue past his first read. And you could tell he was starting to feel pressure and move away from it while keeping his eyes downfield. The TD Malik scored on the crossing route was a really nice play by Will where he stepped up to get away from pressure and kept his eyes downfield and bought time for Malik to come open. An important part of this is also our O Line has really made strides and was giving him time to look at his reads.
3. The deep post throw to CBass was a great throw. The throw to Deuce on the sideline wheel route where he came back to him late in the progression was a hell of a throw with the right amount of touch over a defender to a small receiver in a tight window. And a dang good catch by Deuce who really is a hell of an athlete.
4. He has proven he is tough and can take a hit. He carried the ball a lot and has taken some real pops but gets up and goes right back for more. He is a better runner than I thought he would be and has been pretty darn effective in the read option game. This is actually one of the concerns I have about Rubley based on the film I have watched of him. He doesn't look all that mobile to me.
5. I think we have forgotten how difficult a situation he was placed in when Skylar went down. The single most important position on the field, and the hardest one to master is QB. There's a reason why it's rare to have a true freshman QB start and play at a high level and it's not all that common for a redshirt Freshman QB. Will is a true freshman who because of the virus didn't have a spring or summer practice and was working in a difficult environment even in the fall. I can't imagine the speed of the game for him when he was thrown into the fire but I also believe the coaches wouldn't have used him if he wasn't clearly the best option. With this experience under his belt, plus the additional practice time if we get a bowl game, and an actual year of practice including spring ball I think we are going to see a huge jump next year.
If Rubley beats Will out then I think that tells us he is really good because I firmly believe Will is going to be good and is going to make huge progress before next season. That would be a great problem to have.
1. Despite throwing a couple INTs you could tell the game is starting to slow down for him. The first INT was a bad choice / throw. The second was actually an example of him recognizing Briley was open along the sideline and just underthrowing it a bit. It wasn't an easy throw but it's one that good QBs will make and I like his confidence in attempting to fit it into a tight window.
2. He was standing tall in the pocket without happy feet and going through reads. And as a result he was starting to drive the ball with good velocity and better accuracy which is what he have heard he does in practice. He finally looked like a QB who was surveying the field versus a freshman who didn't have a clue past his first read. And you could tell he was starting to feel pressure and move away from it while keeping his eyes downfield. The TD Malik scored on the crossing route was a really nice play by Will where he stepped up to get away from pressure and kept his eyes downfield and bought time for Malik to come open. An important part of this is also our O Line has really made strides and was giving him time to look at his reads.
3. The deep post throw to CBass was a great throw. The throw to Deuce on the sideline wheel route where he came back to him late in the progression was a hell of a throw with the right amount of touch over a defender to a small receiver in a tight window. And a dang good catch by Deuce who really is a hell of an athlete.
4. He has proven he is tough and can take a hit. He carried the ball a lot and has taken some real pops but gets up and goes right back for more. He is a better runner than I thought he would be and has been pretty darn effective in the read option game. This is actually one of the concerns I have about Rubley based on the film I have watched of him. He doesn't look all that mobile to me.
5. I think we have forgotten how difficult a situation he was placed in when Skylar went down. The single most important position on the field, and the hardest one to master is QB. There's a reason why it's rare to have a true freshman QB start and play at a high level and it's not all that common for a redshirt Freshman QB. Will is a true freshman who because of the virus didn't have a spring or summer practice and was working in a difficult environment even in the fall. I can't imagine the speed of the game for him when he was thrown into the fire but I also believe the coaches wouldn't have used him if he wasn't clearly the best option. With this experience under his belt, plus the additional practice time if we get a bowl game, and an actual year of practice including spring ball I think we are going to see a huge jump next year.
If Rubley beats Will out then I think that tells us he is really good because I firmly believe Will is going to be good and is going to make huge progress before next season. That would be a great problem to have.
