SIGNED QB Tommy Armstrong*

[HuskerShark]

Just from watching the October 2011 highlights above.... he looks just like Taylor Martinez to me. I see Tommy as effective against the talent he's up against at his current level as Taylor is up against the talent he is playing at his level. The difference: Tommy is playing against high school talent... Taylor is playing against D1 talent. When Tommy makes the jump next fall can he really be as effective as he is now with that whole new level and beat Taylor out... i'm not sure about that yet.

i watched the National championship game Monday... McCaron for Alabama knows how to throw that ball... always right in front of the receiver... stride for stride... those receivers didn't have to slow down at all it's right in front of them on the deep ball.... so the defender doesn't even have a chance to grab it. That kid looked smooth on his throws and made it easy for the receivers. I think we have some pretty good receivers and if they had balls thrown at them like that then we'd have a much much better offense.

Bama's receivers mad spectacular catch after spectacular catch. Our receivers would not help our QB out like that...

 

[dylan]

Watching those highlights, you can tell he's a natural athlete and a good runner, and maybe it was just a bad game, but he looks like he needs a lot of work as a passer.

didn't he go the whole season without throwing a pick until the state title game? considering he's playing at perhaps the highest level of high school football, i'd say he's got at least some ability in the passing game.

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Just from watching the October 2011 highlights above.... he looks just like Taylor Martinez to me. I see Tommy as effective against the talent he's up against at his current level as Taylor is up against the talent he is playing at his level. The difference: Tommy is playing against high school talent... Taylor is playing against D1 talent. When Tommy makes the jump next fall can he really be as effective as he is now with that whole new level and beat Taylor out... i'm not sure about that yet.

i watched the National championship game Monday... McCaron for Alabama knows how to throw that ball... always right in front of the receiver... stride for stride... those receivers didn't have to slow down at all it's right in front of them on the deep ball.... so the defender doesn't even have a chance to grab it. That kid looked smooth on his throws and made it easy for the receivers. I think we have some pretty good receivers and if they had balls thrown at them like that then we'd have a much much better offense.

McCaron had an exceptional game, and is nowhere near that productive normally.... The kid is ahead of Martinez passing the ball in a lot of ways, mainly because of his mechanics.... Tim Beck can act like mechanics don't matter, but they do.... Armstrong has a decent release, and while he isn't as fast as Martinez, atleast he is elusive....

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Watching those highlights, you can tell he's a natural athlete and a good runner, and maybe it was just a bad game, but he looks like he needs a lot of work as a passer.

didn't he go the whole season without throwing a pick until the state title game? considering he's playing at perhaps the highest level of high school football, i'd say he's got at least some ability in the passing game.

He is a capable passer, could be our most capable when he steps onto campus.... I like the way Armstrong moves in the pocket, he gets out when he has too, and doesn't seem to panic when a rusher is getting ready to hit him in the grill.... I like the way he is willing to stare down a rusher, and still get the pass off... All in all, it was quite impressive....

 

[Apathy]

Just from watching the October 2011 highlights above.... he looks just like Taylor Martinez to me. I see Tommy as effective against the talent he's up against at his current level as Taylor is up against the talent he is playing at his level. The difference: Tommy is playing against high school talent... Taylor is playing against D1 talent. When Tommy makes the jump next fall can he really be as effective as he is now with that whole new level and beat Taylor out... i'm not sure about that yet.

i watched the National championship game Monday... McCaron for Alabama knows how to throw that ball... always right in front of the receiver... stride for stride... those receivers didn't have to slow down at all it's right in front of them on the deep ball.... so the defender doesn't even have a chance to grab it. That kid looked smooth on his throws and made it easy for the receivers. I think we have some pretty good receivers and if they had balls thrown at them like that then we'd have a much much better offense.

 

[Hercules]

Just from watching the October 2011 highlights above.... he looks just like Taylor Martinez to me. I see Tommy as effective against the talent he's up against at his current level as Taylor is up against the talent he is playing at his level. The difference: Tommy is playing against high school talent... Taylor is playing against D1 talent. When Tommy makes the jump next fall can he really be as effective as he is now with that whole new level and beat Taylor out... i'm not sure about that yet.

Tommy Armstrong threw 48 TDs to 4 INTs in his junior and senior year.

We all WISH that Taylor had been as effective against Div. 1 talent as Tommy was against high school talent.

That said, does anybody really think that he's going to beat out Taylor next fall? I think the realistic plan is for Tommy to redshirt in the fall, and then compete for the starting job when he's a sophomore and Carnes is a senior, after Taylor graduates.

 

[Nexus]

Just from watching the October 2011 highlights above.... he looks just like Taylor Martinez to me. I see Tommy as effective against the talent he's up against at his current level as Taylor is up against the talent he is playing at his level. The difference: Tommy is playing against high school talent... Taylor is playing against D1 talent. When Tommy makes the jump next fall can he really be as effective as he is now with that whole new level and beat Taylor out... i'm not sure about that yet.

Tommy Armstrong threw 48 TDs to 4 INTs in his junior and senior year.

We all WISH that Taylor had been as effective against Div. 1 talent as Tommy was against high school talent.

That said, does anybody really think that he's going to beat out Taylor next fall? I think the realistic plan is for Tommy to redshirt in the fall, and then compete for the starting job when he's a sophomore and Carnes is a senior, after Taylor graduates.

FYI, Beck told Armstrong at his in-home visit last month that he will NOT be redshirting next season.

 

[HuskerShark]

Well maybe everybody on here will get their wish and he will beat Taylor out for the starting spot... But the more likely thing to take away from that is that either Brion Carnes is leaving, or they have absolutely no faith in him.

 

[girlknowsfootball]

Tommy has more arm strength than Taylor... For sure... But he throws off of his leg like taylor and is inconsistent in his accuracy. If our staff had shown a history of developing qb's then I have no problem with this... But we don't. Pelini hasn't proven at NU that he can develop qb's. Watson is gone yes, but can Beck do it? We will have to see.

 

[RexIsMyDogg]

Just from watching the October 2011 highlights above.... he looks just like Taylor Martinez to me. I see Tommy as effective against the talent he's up against at his current level as Taylor is up against the talent he is playing at his level. The difference: Tommy is playing against high school talent... Taylor is playing against D1 talent. When Tommy makes the jump next fall can he really be as effective as he is now with that whole new level and beat Taylor out... i'm not sure about that yet.

Tommy Armstrong threw 48 TDs to 4 INTs in his junior and senior year.

We all WISH that Taylor had been as effective against Div. 1 talent as Tommy was against high school talent.

That said, does anybody really think that he's going to beat out Taylor next fall? I think the realistic plan is for Tommy to redshirt in the fall, and then compete for the starting job when he's a sophomore and Carnes is a senior, after Taylor graduates.

FYI, Beck told Armstrong at his in-home visit last month that he will NOT be redshirting next season.

If true, guess that probably means Jamal is sticking to WR...

 

[zoogs]

FYI, Beck told Armstrong at his in-home visit last month that he will NOT be redshirting next season.

That doesn't make any sense!

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Tommy has more arm strength than Taylor... For sure... But he throws off of his leg like taylor and is inconsistent in his accuracy. If our staff had shown a history of developing qb's then I have no problem with this... But we don't. Pelini hasn't proven at NU that he can develop qb's. Watson is gone yes, but can Beck do it? We will have to see.

His throwing motion is nothing like Martinez's.... When Martinez is at his release point his chest/thigh pads/everything is facing his target.... I like Taylor, but his throwing mechanics are as bad as I've ever seen... The worst thing I saw Armstrong do is throw off his back foot a couple times when he was about to get hit, and his pocket presence is already better then Taylor.... I would also argue that Beck helped Taylor make a decent amount of improvent this year.... Beck is gonna be a good OC....

 

[papio2chi]

Tommy has more arm strength than Taylor... For sure... But he throws off of his leg like taylor and is inconsistent in his accuracy. If our staff had shown a history of developing qb's then I have no problem with this... But we don't. Pelini hasn't proven at NU that he can develop qb's. Watson is gone yes, but can Beck do it? We will have to see.

His throwing motion is nothing like Martinez's.... When Martinez is at his release point his chest/thigh pads/everything is facing his target.... I like Taylor, but his throwing mechanics are as bad as I've ever seen... The worst thing I saw Armstrong do is throw off his back foot a couple times when he was about to get hit, and his pocket presence is already better then Taylor.... I would also argue that Beck helped Taylor make a decent amount of improvent this year.... Beck is gonna be a good OC....

I agree.

You recruit motion...you can teach footwork.

 

[hskrpwr13]

Well maybe everybody on here will get their wish and he will beat Taylor out for the starting spot... But the more likely thing to take away from that is that either Brion Carnes is leaving, or they have absolutely no faith in him.

Or it could mean that Beck wants more than just two legit QB options on the active roster.

If I'm not mistaken, if he ends up not playing a down, the program could then apply for the season to be considered 'red shirt'.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Just from watching the October 2011 highlights above.... he looks just like Taylor Martinez to me. I see Tommy as effective against the talent he's up against at his current level as Taylor is up against the talent he is playing at his level. The difference: Tommy is playing against high school talent... Taylor is playing against D1 talent. When Tommy makes the jump next fall can he really be as effective as he is now with that whole new level and beat Taylor out... i'm not sure about that yet.

i watched the National championship game Monday... McCaron for Alabama knows how to throw that ball... always right in front of the receiver... stride for stride... those receivers didn't have to slow down at all it's right in front of them on the deep ball.... so the defender doesn't even have a chance to grab it. That kid looked smooth on his throws and made it easy for the receivers. I think we have some pretty good receivers and if they had balls thrown at them like that then we'd have a much much better offense.

One thing I really noticed is the way McCaron could scamble. For as "slow" as he suposedly is, he's got great pocket precense. Sacrificing passing ability for an athlete is one thing, but McCaron looked like Usain Bolt compared to Taylor when it came to scrambling. IMO, taylor just isn't the athlete he was pre-injury. Either that or he never was a great scrambler and the injury just happened to quickly for us to really notice. Either way, it seems like we have a marginally above-average athlete w/ below average passing skills at QB. His game management improved which compensated some - but it might not be difficult for someone to beat him out if they can grasp the game plan and step up to D1 level. Not sure Armstrong is the guy, but I wouldn't be suprised if it happened.