Who's really our BEST Quarterback?

[Saunders]

"Martinez leaving the team, then being allowed back" is not a rumor that has been proven false.

So, that automatically makes it true? It started as a 3rd hand rumor on Huskers Illustrated. You know, the same place where "insiders" swore up and down that Taylor had quit the team after the Texas A&M game, and that he went back to California. Oops.

 

"Q: During your emotionally lowest time, did you even remotely consider leaving the Nebraska football program?

 

A: No, I never considered leaving, and I want to clarify that. What happened was I hurt my left toe first and then, on the very next play, I reinjured my right ankle. Right after that, I knew I couldn't go. I couldn't even walk. I went to the locker room, and I sat there waiting to get taped up or checked out. I saw my phone to the side in the locker room. I was fairly far away from it when it suddenly just lit up and started blinking. I went over and saw it was my dad who was calling me, so I called him back and I told him I couldn't even walk. I could barely move at all. I didn't think I was going back in the game. I thought I was totally done. I mean, I could not walk at all. When I came back on the field, everybody thought I called my dad on the sideline, which wasn't true. When I came out I could tell that Coach (Bo Pelini) wasn't happy. There had been some miscommunication and misinterpretation. He thought I had been talking on the phone on the sideline. That wasn't true. Everything's been fine for a long time. It's behind us."

 

Link

[knapplc]

Pelini denied that Taylor tried to leave the team last year, saying, "That's not true. The guy went through some tough times. He was starting for the first time. He got injured. Things happened. It was a lot for a kid that age."

 

LINK

 

 

There are plenty of sources debunking the rumor. I like the "birther" analogy. Likely this will never go away. We'll be talking about Martinez leaving the team ten years from now just like we talk about Crouch leaving.

 

We're Husker fans. What else are we going to do besides agonize over every tiny little tidbit of this team?

[Roark]

Pelini denied that Taylor tried to leave the team last year, saying, "That's not true. The guy went through some tough times. He was starting for the first time. He got injured. Things happened. It was a lot for a kid that age."

 

LINK

 

 

There are plenty of sources debunking the rumor. I like the "birther" analogy. Likely this will never go away. We'll be talking about Martinez leaving the team ten years from now just like we talk about Crouch leaving.

 

We're Husker fans. What else are we going to do besides agonize over every tiny little tidbit of this team?

Not to sound like a conspiracy nut, but didn't Pelini also say that his nationally televised side-line freakout wasn't related to Martinez calling his dad in the locker room? Personally, I think Bo's going to say whatever will make him sound like he is in complete control of the situation.... Whether it's factually accurate or not.

[knapplc]

Not to sound like a conspiracy nut, but didn't Pelini also say that his nationally televised side-line freakout wasn't related to Martinez calling his dad in the locker room?

 

Did he?

[Roark]

Not to sound like a conspiracy nut, but didn't Pelini also say that his nationally televised side-line freakout wasn't related to Martinez calling his dad in the locker room?

 

Did he?

Well, in the post-game interview, when someone specifically asked him whether or not the reports of Taylor texting or talking to his dad were what precipitated the freakout.... Bo, first, basically says that its none of anyone's business, but then states that the speculation "out there" was "way off base." At the time, the rampant speculation "out there" was that Taylor got chewed out for being on his phone... Again, I'm not saying that this proves anything in regard to the rumors that Taylor wanted to quit the team. I'm just saying that Bo can be appear to be mmmmm a bit misleading at times in order to portray a scenario of team stability.

 

 

At about 8:50

 

[knapplc]

I see nowhere in that video where Bo mentions a phone. Or why he chewed out Martinez. Or denies anything. At all.

[robsker]

This is my opinion. No disrespect but if you don't like it, I don't care.

 

I would rank our QBs as of right now based on QB talent seen in film, not a predicted depth chart!

 

1. Brion Carnes

2. Bubba Starling

3. Taylor Martinez

4. Cody Green

5. Jamal Turner

 

 

Bubba & Brion

Setting aside the fact that these kids are very young and probably don't know the NU system well enough, I feel they have just as much of a shot at the starting role as Taylor does. They are both similar to Taylor (before last season) in that they possess strong quick legs and can be very explosive. The difference between these kids and Taylor is how comfortable they look when standing in the pocket, or rolling out. They CAN sense pressure. And when pressure gets to them, they have great decision making ability. Brion looks VERY similar to Tyrod Taylor. He can sling the ball 60 yards rolling out & off the playaction. I love the fact that these kids just look like they KNOW what the QB position is. They have that mindset. They are true quarterbacks. I think Brion gives us a better chance to win with the game on the line. Bubba has the same love for the game as Taylor, but is he thinking about football right now? or baseball? or basketball for that matter...

 

Taylor Martinez

I just don't think Taylor has the QB mindset in him. The goal of the QB is to manage, distribute, and execute, and keep possession. Yeah, it was his freshman year, but he showed us so many different flaws in his mechanics and his overall game that even I could see. I'm no expert at any position but what I did see is a speedster able to extend plays with his legs and make the big play. He has a godly amount of speed and athleticism and a real passion for the game to succeed, but at the quarterback position... you cannot survive on just passion and speed. You need the ability to control the game. YOU are the tempo of the game. He does NOT have patience. He does NOT pace himself. He has one speed. FAST. Which is why he became such a target so early in the year, and injured his ankle. He does NOT cover up the ball correctly. If and that's a big IF he can learn to calm down, and pace himself, learn the system, broaden his knowledge of the position, and NOT try to be a star himself, (The kid has the game running through his blood, I'm sure he's gone over the system more than the coaches have themselves by now) ... he will become a better quarterback. But if he tries to be the same Taylor he was early last season, I have no doubt that our coaching staff with find another spot on the field to put him. And he will have to earn that too.

 

"Poor" Cody Green

I know it, you know it, he knows it. He was overrated. He loves football, yet his mind is somewhere else most of the time... Well either that or he hasn't grown into his 6-4 230lb frame quite yet to be running the ball all over the field. He was a great quarterback in the spread during highschool putting up almost 4,000 yards passing and 1,700 yards rushing, But he hasn't quite got the hang of NU's hybrid of the spread. I have faith that this kid will figure it out. He's probably the smartest of our quarterbacks on paper and also has the ability to switch to another position. Last year he reportedly offered coach to move to Tight End, so that tells you what he thinks of himself.

 

Jamal Turner

This kid's highlight tape was amazing. But we will see how he grasps our new system as a quarterback. He's got a great football IQ though I don't think he's got the spark in him that Bubba or Brion could provide at the QB position. Maybe he will flourish into a starter in the years to come, but right now I think watching the game from the sideline will be best for him. He will enjoy the team and make many great relationships pushing him to excel. He has a little bit of experience at the WR position as well. We might see a change there very soon as we lack depth at wideout. Hmmm.. maybe this year.

 

Position Changes

I think the quarterback most likely to switch would be Jamal Turner switching from quarterback to Wide Reciever. Taylor Martinez helping out our safeties on defense might be a smart move too, which is where USC originally saw him fitting in better. Of course, for that to happen he would need to bulk up a little bit, learn to tackle, and study the defensive scheme. And with him being on the offensive side of the game for so long, he might be a step ahead of everyone. This will not happen this year though. Our coaching staff will give him time to develop, which I think is good. But I think the quarterback position is something that you can't just learn. You need some kind of base set skills, and this kid is JUST NOW learning them.

 

Summary

Yes I know I left out a few others, but do we really care? No one has a clue how these guys will perform this spring and in practice. No one knows which of these kids is going be able to put it all together and come away as a front runner. They will have to earn every snap they get, and until that time comes we will never know. But those are my thoughts based on what I feel is most likely to happen. Who know's... Bubba might not even stay after the MLB Draft.... Maybe Ron Kellogg III comes out of training with a better grasp for the system than them all. And most people don't even know who Tyson Broekemeier is.

 

What I DO know is that they will all be competing against each other for one spot, which in turn will make them ALL better and a BETTER TEAM overall. That is Bo's ultimate goal right?

 

 

 

P.S. People need to quit complaining about our coaches. This is football. It's a dirty sport. Bo doesn't have time for you guys, he's busy puting together YOUR football team. So hush it!

 

 

Cornfed..... Wow, really Bubba Starling? A kid we have never seen? #2?!!

 

In an interview, a Rivals evaluator (about 1.5 months ago) talked in detail about Starling. Now this guy has watched a great deal of film and has been evaluating QB's for some time... He said Starling was a great athlete, fast and had great heart. But he also said he is in no way ready to be a college QB. he has poor passing mechanics (strong arm.. yes... but...)> He said that Jamal Turner was certainly more ready to be a college QB than Starling --- and Turner has been converted to a WR already. If Starling comes, he will be a great get. He will be an impact player. But... not likely to be playing QB. Rating him ahead of our other QB's is wow.... interesting.

[robsker]

- Taylor Martinez

(+) Speed, Acceleration, Experience, Game changing break away ability.

(-) Inaccurate at times, Pocket awareness/has trouble making plays when pocket breaks down, poor decision making, Durability

 

I think he is the best we have coming back b/c of his experience. He will get better as a passer he really needs to improve his accuracy, he throw the ball behind his receiver way to many times last season, he made some good throws to, he just needs to get more consistent. I'd like to see him improve his pocket awareness too, we know he has got great speed, but last season when the pocket broke down, he just wasn't very good, he didn't make as many plays as you would expect a speedy guy like that to make when pressures on. I like to see him move away from the pressure and either find an open receiver down field or take off and run with it. The play calling can help him too, get this guy out of the pocket, change the launch points more often.

 

- Brion Carnes

(+) Great pocket awareness, Athletic, Accurate passer.

(-) Lacks college level experience, Lacks size.

 

He could make a big push for PT. Especially if the offense that Beck runs resembles more of the 07 Kansas offense than the 10 Oregon offense. Seems like he is at his best when he iss improvising, his pocket awareness is impressive. Even when he is moving away from the pressure he keeps his eyes down field and finds that open receiver. You need a guy like that especially if you have an offensive line that struggles with pass blocking. Yes he lacks College level starting experience, but he was a four year starter at QB in high school, which means he has more experience starting at QB than Taylor does College and High School combined.

 

- Cody Green

(+) Size 6'4" 230, Good arm strength and accuracy, has some game experience under his belt

(-) Lacks explosiveness speed/quickness for the zone read option run game, skill set just does not fit the run spread offense

 

: I think he is a capable QB but he just doesn't fit what Nebraska is trying to run offensively. I think he could have eventually grown into a solid starting QB in Watsons WCO, but the change in philosophy doesn't fit his skill set. Now if they run more of a Kansas (Mangino) Spread he might stand a better chance.

 

- Bubba Starling

(+) Great Size, Superior running skills(acceleration/speed/explosiveness/physicality), Ability to make people miss, Arm Strength

(-) raw as a passer(played in a running offense, did not throw very often, might have trouble reading defenses in the pass game)

 

(hope he stays a NU, but can't blame him if it opts to take the money) He would fit the running spread perfectly. And if he did stay I could see both him and Martinez getting significant PT at QB. He looks every bit as explosive as Taylor, but runs more physically and has the ability to make people miss. Most talented runner out of all the QB's on NU's roster. He has obviously got a strong arm, but just did not pass in high school, he has a ton to learn in the passing game.

 

- Jamal Turner:

(+) Elusiveness/change of direction/speed/explosiveness, live arm

(-) Lacks size

 

Very confident, he will get a crack at QB, but if Starling stays I hope they put him at the slot receiver and get him on the field next year, unless of course he is the best QB and beats everyone else out for the starting spot,

 

 

Regarding Martinez you state... (+) Speed, Acceleration, Experience, Game changing break away ability. Well...

 

Since his injury against Missouri, and this includes the scrimmage Saturday... Taylor Martinez has not shown speed, acceleration or game changing ability. I have not the stats, but, I am fairly confident that Taylor has averaged about 3 yards or less per carry (I actually think it is under 2 yards/carry) over the second half of last season and including the Red/White game. Does he have a single run of more than 15 yards in those games?

 

He has had months of healing time... he was out there Saturday --- did you see Speed, Acceleration, Game changing break away ability? Not me. I saw poor mechanics. Poor decision making. No speed to speak of. No acceleration to speak of.

 

We are ranking QB's, right? OK... well NU is in trouble because there is really no indication that we have a D1 legitimate QB healthy and ready to go. Maybe Carnes can become such a player... in due time. Maybe Martinez will become (again?) such a player if he ever heals and learns to pass. Maybe. maybe. Maybe.... lots of maybes...

 

but as of now... we have no one at QB that we can confidently say is guy we can go against the better teams and depend upon to help us win. As much as I love NU, the magazines have us pre-season rated too highly. The expectations are not realistic. Our QB situation... our OL... our WR'ers? Yeah.... many issues. Too many to expect much this next year. We are not ready for the prime time... yet.

[Roark]

I see nowhere in that video where Bo mentions a phone. Or why he chewed out Martinez. Or denies anything. At all.

 

Oh please... I know he doesn't specifically say "My conversation had nothing to do with Taylor being on the phone." But let's not be thick. You honestly think that by saying that the "reports" were "way off base," he was being 100% forthright with the public? Everyone knew that the reports had to do with Taylor being on his cell phone. You honestly can't see how his handling of that situation (and others since then) could lead people to question Bo's word?

[knapplc]

He has had months of healing time... he was out there Saturday --- did you see Speed, Acceleration, Game changing break away ability? Not me. I saw poor mechanics. Poor decision making. No speed to speak of. No acceleration to speak of.

 

Patience is a key here. Remember he's just a few months away from what amounts to a slight break of the fibula. It typically takes several weeks to recover from this, and he re-injured it several times. On top of that he had Turf Toe, giving him two bad wheels.

 

He went full contact in Spring Drills and apparently he wasn't terrible. He got the edge on a run at least once that I recall Saturday. It is true that we did not see the same Martinez we saw last Spring, or early last year. The speed wasn't on display Saturday.

 

His mechanics have not improved, or at least, they didn't show evidence of improvement Saturday. That's troubling. Hopefully he'll get his legs/foot healed up, figure out how to throw from a proper base, and continue to grow as a QB.

 

If not... That's why we keep recruiting QBs.

[knapplc]

I see nowhere in that video where Bo mentions a phone. Or why he chewed out Martinez. Or denies anything. At all.

 

Oh please... I know he doesn't specifically say "My conversation had nothing to do with Taylor being on the phone." But let's not be thick. You honestly think that by saying that the "reports" were "way off base," he was being 100% forthright with the public? Everyone knew that the reports had to do with Taylor being on his cell phone. You honestly can't see how his handling of that situation (and others since then) could lead people to question Bo's word?

 

Who's being thick? You may be right, I'm very willing to grant you that, but the best you or I are going to come up with is conjecture, and that doesn't answer the question we have right now.

 

I have definitely questioned Bo's word, several times quite vocally last season. But even with all that, there's zero evidence that Taylor left the team, and more evidence supporting the conclusion he didn't, and the rumor was blown out of proportion.

 

Everything I've heard says that he didn't quit. It was a tough situation, and he didn't handle it well, but he was a Freshman. I was a mess as a Freshman, and I didn't have to live my Freshman year in the national spotlight. I'm willing to cut the guy some slack for stuff, I guess.

[Saunders]

I see nowhere in that video where Bo mentions a phone. Or why he chewed out Martinez. Or denies anything. At all.

 

Oh please... I know he doesn't specifically say "My conversation had nothing to do with Taylor being on the phone." But let's not be thick. You honestly think that by saying that the "reports" were "way off base," he was being 100% forthright with the public? Everyone knew that the reports had to do with Taylor being on his cell phone. You honestly can't see how his handling of that situation (and others since then) could lead people to question Bo's word?

 

Who's being thick? You may be right, I'm very willing to grant you that, but the best you or I are going to come up with is conjecture, and that doesn't answer the question we have right now.

 

I have definitely questioned Bo's word, several times quite vocally last season. But even with all that, there's zero evidence that Taylor left the team, and more evidence supporting the conclusion he didn't, and the rumor was blown out of proportion.

 

Everything I've heard says that he didn't quit. It was a tough situation, and he didn't handle it well, but he was a Freshman. I was a mess as a Freshman, and I didn't have to live my Freshman year in the national spotlight. I'm willing to cut the guy some slack for stuff, I guess.

??

Knapp, Bo knows less about the program than a random internet "insider" on Huskers Illustrated's message board. Didn't you know that?

[knapplc]

Here's a good pic illustrating what I didn't want to see from Taylor. This is his long pass in the first quarter which went for an incompletion. The pic shows Taylor throwing off his back foot, no stable base, not stepping into the throw. Gotta get that fixed.

 

LINK

[robsker]

Here's a good pic illustrating what I didn't want to see from Taylor. This is his long pass in the first quarter which went for an incompletion. The pic shows Taylor throwing off his back foot, no stable base, not stepping into the throw. Gotta get that fixed.

 

LINK

 

Good call Knapp. man... I really wonder how this can keep happening. How can QB after QB at NU have such poor mechanics? A guy would need an absolute cannon to get anything on a pass so poorly delivered. TMart hangs these passes up that have no velocity, no zip. Why? All arm, no follow through, no use of hip rotation. When will it end???

 

I know... you are right too... patience.

 

I am a Cub fan too... patience... maybe next year (and i have been saying it for more than 1/2 a century in the case of the Cubs). So.. maybe next year NU has a QB that can pass... maybe...

[knapplc]

Here's a good pic illustrating what I didn't want to see from Taylor. This is his long pass in the first quarter which went for an incompletion. The pic shows Taylor throwing off his back foot, no stable base, not stepping into the throw. Gotta get that fixed.

 

LINK

 

Good call Knapp. man... I really wonder how this can keep happening. How can QB after QB at NU have such poor mechanics? A guy would need an absolute cannon to get anything on a pass so poorly delivered. TMart hangs these passes up that have no velocity, no zip. Why? All arm, no follow through, no use of hip rotation. When will it end???

 

Not only QBs with poor mechanics, but WRs who can't catch. We have had such a poor passing game for SO LONG it's mind-boggling. You would think that a team like Nebraska could lure a solid passer here, maybe a guy who would normally have gone to some smaller school but who would be happy to take an NU scholarship.