Husker QB next season

[huskerswrkhavoc]

Ganz may start the season the #1 QB, but I would be suprised to see him finish # 1.

I like the kid and his attitude and will be pulling for him, but he won't have the opportunity to be so free willed with his throws or Bo will sit him, to much talent behind him.

 

only reason i disagree is the team is behind him.. even if he is not as talented, he has the heart and the backing of his teammates, plus the knowledge and in-game experience.. i think that makes the final difference.. but we shall see..

[Overland Park Husker]

Lee is for real. All you haters don't have to believe me, but I'm just saying.....don't be surprised when he's starting over everyone's precious little Ganz....

Everyone's precious little Ganz?? The reason why most people doubt Lee is cause he hasn't played a single snap (yes, I know he was hurt) and know nothing about him. Then you take a QB who made this offense click in the final 3 games and people fall in love with him. I'll be watching at the spring game to see who is better, until then I'll have my doubts about a guy I've never seen play (I remember a Curt Dukes who was the real deal, got hurt and never played again).

[bethelbacker]

Despite all the debating going on here, here's what my thought process is on the situation: I am genuinely excited that we have three guys who are all in real competition for the top spot. Ganz, Lee, and Witt all have a great amount of talent, and just like USC, having to face each other and push each other every day in practice is only going to be better for the program.

 

That being said, I still really like Witt. I think Lee's scrambling ability is being overblown, and watching Witt in the spring game last year, he's got a great arm and was already pretty adept at working through his progressions (when he actually had time behind the #3 O-line). Either way, should give us something fun to talk about during spring ball. Like Watson said, Joe is #1 right now and there is no denying him that. But we have some talented guys behind him too.

[np_husker]

BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON AND STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

Monday, Feb 18, 2008 - 02:04:22 pm CST

 

It’s assumed by most that senior Joe Ganz will be the starting quarterback for Nebraska this fall.

 

But with Patrick Witt and Zac Lee in the fold, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was asked if he thought Ganz would have more competition than some might think.

 

“I think Joe expects to (compete),” Watson said. “There’s a lot of good talent here. We have some good players in Zac, Pat and Beau (Davis). And (new recruit) Kody Spano is going to throw a little spice into that, too.

 

“That’s just part of college football. That’s part of spring practice. It’s part of being fair and honest with your players. And Joe comes in with the edge because he is the guy that’s been in there. But he’s going to have to — and he knows this — keep working, because he’s got a lot of good players behind him.”

 

Watson said Ganz, who started the last three games of the 2007 season, will “obviously” enter spring as the No. 1 quarterback. “You don’t take that away from a guy.”

 

And how big of an advantage is it that the freshman Spano is already on campus?

 

“Huge,” Watson said. “You’re familiar with college. You’re familiar with the system. It’s not Chinese in August. It’s Chinese in January. By the time you get to March, April, it’s going to be the language you’re used to, and you’ll be working on honing up and refining all that, the things it takes to be successful in the offense.”

 

Frankly speaking

 

Former Husker coach Frank Solich was a guest Friday night on the Husker Sports Network.

 

Asked if it’s been hard to watch the NU program struggle in recent years, especially last year, Solich said: “Anybody who’s played and coached there has some feelings. But, obviously, in this day and age, it’s tougher to win with regularity. I’ve always wanted success for that program, and I admire what the program’s been all about. I’d just like to see it get back to where it was.”

 

He was asked if he sees irony in Bo Pelini becoming Nebraska’s head coach, since Solich originally brought Pelini to NU (as defensive coordinator in 2003).

 

“This business, in general, can be a little different in that regard,” Solich said. “Bo did a great job for me, and will do great as head coach.”

 

Although Solich and Pelini coached together for only that one season, the current Ohio coach said: “We were together long enough to gain a mutual respect.

 

“We have kept in touch some,” Solich added. “But in this business, it’s not something you can do every week. There’s just too much to be done.”

 

Where to play Baker

 

There’s been some speculation as to whether Lincoln Southwest star and soon-to-be Husker Baker Steinkuhler would play on the offensive line (like his dad Dean) or defensive line (like his brother Ty) at NU.

 

Keep wondering.

 

As of late last week, Pelini said a decision hasn’t yet been made.

[Igetbored216]

See this thread for conversations relating to this article.

[REDSTEEL]

My guess is the Ganz backers will be calling for one of the backups once Ganz int cost Nebraska a game and can no longer use the defense as an excuse. Hopefully I'm wrong and Ganz proves it on the field that he can handle the position.

 

Remember the backup is always the most liked player on the team.

[huskered17]

Zac Lee had a lot of interest from Okl, and they were not a happy bunch when he picked Nebraska. I don't know about the rest of you, but it seems to me that Okl always seems to have a good to excellent QB. If they wanted Zac that tells me something about his skill at the QB position. If the competition is close between Lee and Ganz than I hope Ganz keeps the job. Ganz sure gave me hope for the 2008 season, that I didn't have half way through last year. Either way I see a much better offense with either one of them running it.

 

GBR!!!

[huskerfan17]

there really wasnt much problem with the offense last year so im not to worried about that. the best quarterback will emerge whether its ganz or lee. not to mention we still have marlon who is a proven back.

 

question tho: is lee a more mobile quarterback then ganz? or about even?

[hastingshusker]

Kind of off topic but not much. I am drawing a blank here. Who was the QB that transfered before Keller came? Was it Hildebrand or something like that? Help me out here.

[zoogs]

Former elite 11 QB Brian Hildebrand. He left.

[hastingshusker]

Former elite 11 QB Brian Hildebrand. He left.

 

Yeah, thanks. Anyone know where he went or how hes doin?

[caveman99]

Ok, fine Lee is for real. So he was good in JC..good against JUCO players is one thing, good against D1 players is another. When have we seen him play against D1. I've beed to every spring game for the last several years and I haven't seen him take a single snap.

 

I would think if he really were so much better than Witt or Ganz he would have been Sam Keller's back up. As is stands the last depth chart I saw had Keller, Ganz and Witt in that order on it and as I recall Beau Davis was fourth. That would seem to indicate that Lee was fifth or worse.

 

Evidence would therefore suggest that this year Patrick Wit would be the number 2 guy, unless Davis or Lee just has a stupendous spring or fall camp. The Starting job is Ganz's to lose.

 

We'll see who plays this spring.

 

I know that there is a lot of love for Ganz, I am guilty of this also, as well as for Lee, but I keep reading articles here and there that say Witt has the most talent. The radio play by play guys also seemed to echo this during the season last year. I am not sure what will happen, but I fully expect a serious 3 way battle.

[sea o' red]

Should Ganz get the starting job, I think more attention will be on the wide-recievers. We obviously got hit big with most of our top wrs leaving due to graduation. Ganz really had a great connection-especially with Mo Purify-with the taller recievers and knew how to use their height against the opposing teams. I think this could mean the emergance of Niles Paul, Will Henry, Chris Brooks, and Menelik Holt who are all 6'1" and up and who weigh 210+. All players (well maybe except niles paul who was a big recruit but is still a freshman) were highly touted recruits but then disappeared in the roster probably due to Callahan's lack of teaching ability and since he is a horrible motivator. With proper coaching and a new offense this race could match that of the qb/entire defense race for a starting spot. GBR!

[zoogs]

I think this could mean the emergance of Niles Paul, Will Henry, Chris Brooks, and Menelik Holt who are all 6'1" and up and who weigh 210+. All players (well maybe except niles paul who was a big recruit but is still a freshman) were highly touted recruits but then disappeared in the roster probably due to Callahan's lack of teaching ability and since he is a horrible motivator.

 

I agree with the gist of your post, but I think that accusation is totally unfounded. I think the reason those guys disappeared down on the roster is probably because they had better guys ahead of them. When you have Purify, Nunn, Swift, and Peterson as your top 4, it's hard to squeeze too much more playing time for the rest of the crew.

[REDSTEEL]

I think this could mean the emergance of Niles Paul, Will Henry, Chris Brooks, and Menelik Holt who are all 6'1" and up and who weigh 210+. All players (well maybe except niles paul who was a big recruit but is still a freshman) were highly touted recruits but then disappeared in the roster probably due to Callahan's lack of teaching ability and since he is a horrible motivator.

 

I agree with the gist of your post, but I think that accusation is totally unfounded. I think the reason those guys disappeared down on the roster is probably because they had better guys ahead of them. When you have Purify, Nunn, Swift, and Peterson as your top 4, it's hard to squeeze too much more playing time for the rest of the crew.

 

While Purify was good I would call the other three ok and find it disappointing that guys that came in highly touted could not supplant Nunn, Swift or Pederson.