Will Cody Green rise to expectations in 2010?

[mturn087]

Cody Green vs Zac Lee part 2

Zac Lee showed next to nothing outside of the Sunbelt conference and Arizona. Was that due to his injury, Helu's Injury and WR corps ability to do next to nothing most of the time. Lee was very timid when running with the ball most of the time. His toughness is not in question though or his is leadership. How many people would have did what he done, many would have just flat out said i'm injured and use that as an excuse.

Cody Green started 1 and 1/4 games. Baylor was just flat out outmatched by everything NU was doing and Cody Green put them in the situation to win that game. His passes were lasers down the feild and very predictable. He was very nervous and didnt know the offense very well. In his defense he was not put in many good situations IE Big 12 Championship. His athletic ability is head and shoulders better than other QBs on the NU Roster.

We all will discuss until the season opener but thats my view of them. The best of them will play and heres a question what happens if neither is the starter and some kid named Spano is the man behind center?

 

[knapplc]

His athletic ability is head and shoulders better than other QBs on the NU Roster.

What is this based on?

 

[irieboy8]

i dont know if he is gonna be the second coming... i hope i am wrong i really do.... i wonder if he is gonna be the mike vick type guy where we live and die by the sole actions of CG.... i just hope all the talk that we seem to get every year about each player having their 180 degree turn around of ephipany of the offense of defense is true when applying to cg... it was clear the guy was way over his head last year....... i want the guy to be epic.... get the ball to point a to point b and use your feet and make smart throws and i think we'll be good....

 

[Enhance]

His athletic ability is head and shoulders better than other QBs on the NU Roster.

What is this based on?

I agree with you, knapplc.

Cody Green is a nice athletic specimen going off of what we saw in High school and what he did in parts of last year. I think, overall, his athleticism is better than Lee's (just from what I saw last year).

But we have heard a lot about Taylor Martinez and LTW as far as athleticism goes. LTW is a converted linebacker, so he's got athleticism. Taylor Martinez has also been talked very highly of. A lot of people are praising his abilities and saying he could be strong in wildcat formations.

But as far as Green being head and shoulders above everybody? That's hard to say at this point. I think he's up at the top, but we really haven't seen the younger guys or LTW let loose yet.

 

[zoogs]

and his somewhat underwhelming freshman year certainly doesn't take him out of the running to be the kind of prospect he looked to be coming out of high school.

WTH? It’s not like our offense was running up and down the field when Zac was in instead of Cody. All things considered, Cody Green looked fine for a true freshman. He has a strong arm, quick feet, and can lower his shoulder for an extra yard when he needs to.

There are certain other qualities in a quarterback that you look for, namely, throwing with poise and touch, not locking onto receivers for pick-sixes, throwing accurately, and having a command of the offense.

If it wasn't a somewhat underwhelming performance, was it solid? I really don't think so. I can't find any fault with that statement you quoted.

He was compared to Vince Young because of the physical similarities and to Tommie Frazier since he was a true freshman capable of stepping in and starting midway through his first season.

The bold part should be stricken and replaced with "who had a high recruiting ranking". Expectations are still unrealistically high as we sit and wait for him to evolve into a Vince Young.

I could care less about athleticism in a QB though. If they're that athletic, let them be a tailback or a receiver or something where they can showcase it. At QB, throwing comes first. And as far as athleticism goes, I don't think anyone is "head and shoulders" above Lee; maybe Martinez? Lee was tested last year to be one of the best athletes on the team period. Not saying he runs like Prince, but it seems like people still envision Lee as the stone-footed Drew Bledsoe type, which he is absolutely not.

 

[Lava]

I'm not sure who the starter will end up being or even who is the better player at this point.

I don't feel like Green was given a really fair shot at starting as there were several times last year where he was pulled before he even had a chance to get in the rhythm of the game, which makes it hard. He wasn't overly impressive when he was in, but then again neither was Lee.

I just hope someone in the QB competition steps up and takes charge. We need some stability at a position as critical as QB.

 

[The Maudfather]

I'm not necessarily saying that Green is going to start to begin the season, but I think he will be starting by the season's end. I really think that people are putting too much stock into Zac Lee's injury. I don't care how hurt the guy's elbow was, he still didn't make good decisions and didn't have competent pocket presence.

Alot of people were saying Green would be starting by the end of last season too...didn't happen, even with a gimped up QB who was performing way below average.

Yeah, Lee didn't have competent pocket presence, because for a fair amount of the season, there was no pocket for him to have presence in. Lee was put into the game BECAUSE he made good decisions and didn't try to throw it to the other team on every pass, and "managed" the game (this is definitely true after the Iowa St game).

Sure Green only had two picks on the year, but that's because about six or seven of them were dropped. There was at least one in the Oklahoma game and then three in the TT game that were dropped. I'm sure there were more. So he either has a really inaccurate arm, or makes poor decisions. Maybe he has gotten better one year later, but that remains to be seen and I don't have much expectations for the QB position. I just haven't seen alot from that unit nor have I seen much improvement in the players that are there, which is kind of weird considering many feel this is one of Watson's strong points.

So we shall see if 2010 is a different story.

You can't pass all of the buck to the offensive line. I will be the first to tell you that the Oline wasn't spectacular last season, but I am referring to the countless times when Zac Lee wouldn't step up in the pocket, or when he couldn't feel the pressure closing in. Another example of Lee's decision making can be found in the Holiday Bowl. You will only have to watch about 5 zone reads before you notice that Lee is keeping the ball every time...even when he shouldn't be, almost like he isn't reading the defensive end at all. Now lets keep in mind here, I don't say all of this to hate on Lee because I would love for him to succeed. It's just that he was a RS Jr last year who has spent quite a bit of time in the system and he should have been playing at such a level and playing with such poor judgment or instincts. I don't see his game changing much, but wouldn't mind being proven wrong.

And to your point about people saying CG would be starting by the season's end... well they weren't necessarily wrong. He got the nod for the Baylor and OU games over that "gimp" QB (I think you are being a little too dramatic using gimp).

 

[zoogs]

I'm not necessarily saying that Green is going to start to begin the season, but I think he will be starting by the season's end. I really think that people are putting too much stock into Zac Lee's injury. I don't care how hurt the guy's elbow was, he still didn't make good decisions and didn't have competent pocket presence.

Alot of people were saying Green would be starting by the end of last season too...didn't happen, even with a gimped up QB who was performing way below average.

Yeah, Lee didn't have competent pocket presence, because for a fair amount of the season, there was no pocket for him to have presence in. Lee was put into the game BECAUSE he made good decisions and didn't try to throw it to the other team on every pass, and "managed" the game (this is definitely true after the Iowa St game).

Sure Green only had two picks on the year, but that's because about six or seven of them were dropped. There was at least one in the Oklahoma game and then three in the TT game that were dropped. I'm sure there were more. So he either has a really inaccurate arm, or makes poor decisions. Maybe he has gotten better one year later, but that remains to be seen and I don't have much expectations for the QB position. I just haven't seen alot from that unit nor have I seen much improvement in the players that are there, which is kind of weird considering many feel this is one of Watson's strong points.

So we shall see if 2010 is a different story.

You can't pass all of the buck to the offensive line. I will be the first to tell you that the Oline wasn't spectacular last season, but I am referring to the countless times when Zac Lee wouldn't step up in the pocket, or when he couldn't feel the pressure closing in. Another example of Lee's decision making can be found in the Holiday Bowl. You will only have to watch about 5 zone reads before you notice that Lee is keeping the ball every time...even when he shouldn't be, almost like he isn't reading the defensive end at all. Now lets keep in mind here, I don't say all of this to hate on Lee because I would love for him to succeed. It's just that he was a RS Jr last year who has spent quite a bit of time in the system and he should have been playing at such a level and playing with such poor judgment or instincts. I don't see his game changing much, but wouldn't mind being proven wrong.

And to your point about people saying CG would be starting by the season's end... well they weren't necessarily wrong. He got the nod for the Baylor and OU games over that "gimp" QB (I think you are being a little too dramatic using gimp).

They were wrong in the sense that he intended though (I think) - since Cody definitely wasn't starting material or anywhere close by season's end. He still needs a lot of seasoning, which is why he should have redshirted last season, but the circumstances didn't permit that.

And I'm no personal expert on zone reads, but I remember people saying that in the Holiday Bowl, Lee's reads were absolutely correct. He read the ends correctly, they weren't giving him any respect as a runner and were crashing inside. But our O-line was so dominant, we could've had big gainers anyway handing it off. But that doesn't make his reads wrong. He kept the ball every time because that's what they gave us.

I think any quarterback who is a new starter will need time to grow into his role, and Lee had really little help from his OL and receivers. Of course he struggled on his own, too, but zeroing in on his struggles doesn't change that he is far and away our most talented passer, as well as a pretty fast guy in his own right.

 

[Igetbored216]

And I'm no personal expert on zone reads, but I remember people saying that in the Holiday Bowl, Lee's reads were absolutely correct. He read the ends correctly, they weren't giving him any respect as a runner and were crashing inside. But our O-line was so dominant, we could've had big gainers anyway handing it off. But that doesn't make his reads wrong. He kept the ball every time because that's what they gave us.

That's what I thought too in watching the game. My guess is that while Arizona was scouting Nebraska, the coaches told the players to worry more about the RB and not to really be concerned about the QB as a running threat. Based upon the season, I would probably have agreed with those scouting reports, but Lee showed them that he could run - even though the running wasn't pretty to watch.

I personally don't give a crap who the QB is. I just want a QB who can do what is asked of him, move the ball, don't turn the ball over, and put points up on the board. Whether that be Zac, Cody, Latravis, Taylor, Ron...I just don't really care.

And to the post about Green being way more athletic than any of the other QBs...that would be a false statement. If we were just looking at athleticism, I would have to say that Latravis is probably the most athletic QB out of the bunch (out of the ones I have seen).

 

[knapplc]

And to the post about Green being way more athletic than any of the other QBs...that would be a false statement. If we were just looking at athleticism, I would have to say that Latravis is probably the most athletic QB out of the bunch (out of the ones I have seen).

I had originally written about LTW in my response to the "Green is more athletic" post, but since all I have to go on is what I saw of LTW in the Spring Game last year I edited it out. But I definitely agree that LTW seems very athletic.

 

[NUance]

and his somewhat underwhelming freshman year certainly doesn't take him out of the running to be the kind of prospect he looked to be coming out of high school.

WTH? It’s not like our offense was running up and down the field when Zac was in instead of Cody. All things considered, Cody Green looked fine for a true freshman. He has a strong arm, quick feet, and can lower his shoulder for an extra yard when he needs to.

Well I think you have to look at it from their point of view. He was a very highly touted recruit coming into the program, who many had given early "Frazier" type status (further showcasing our collective need for dominance ). He was then given the opportunity to start, and didn't really impress anybody. He played one full game that involved a pick 6 and an underwhelming second half. He got pulled from the Oklahoma game (which, you can't really fault him considering his age and that it was on a stage he'd never been at before). After that, he was a relatively unknown commodity the rest of the season that didn't really do much of anything.
I'm not saying that's my point of view, but that's probably the reasoning they took when writing that.

There are certain other qualities in a quarterback that you look for, namely, throwing with poise and touch, not locking onto receivers for pick-sixes, throwing accurately, and having a command of the offense.
If it wasn't a somewhat underwhelming performance, was it solid? I really don't think so. I can't find any fault with that statement you quoted.

The gist of the article is that even the great QBs were not great their freshman year. Then the article says that Cody Green had an underwhelming freshman. What kind of logic is that?

Cody Green’s performance was about what I’d expect from a true freshman—even a great one. If Cody Green was a junior college transfer with a year of PT under his belt and had all the spring and fall practice snaps, THEN I would say his performance was underwhelming. But for a true freshman coming off the bench to jumpstart an anemic offense he looked just fine. CG has the strongest arm of any QB on our roster, and is incredibly quick for his size. I think he will be a great QB for us. But people shouldn’t have expected him to light it up his frosh year just because the recruiting services fawned over him.

 

[bshirt]

I fully agree with many that it's almost impossible for a true freshmen qb to excel in BCS cfb teams. It just doesn't happen in real life.

Hey, I admire Lee's guts. I really do. But he sure doesn't look athletic to me at all. Marginal speed and zero elusiveness and authority running the ball. He was hardly any better throwing the ball. A tough kid! But no real upside that I can see.

Green and Martinez haven't proven anything on the field either but they do have serious upsides that Lee simply does not have. Both can run circles around Lee and according to reports they can be illusive as well. Maybe Spano too if fully recovered.

To me the bottom line is NU can't hack being in the hunt with Lee even with a terrific defense (as last year showed). We need some electricity at that position from somebody.

 

[zoogs]

The gist of the article is that even the great QBs were not great their freshman year. Then the article says that Cody Green had an underwhelming freshman. What kind of logic is that?

Cody Green’s performance was about what I’d expect from a true freshman—even a great one.

I would say the article came off as "Cody didn't do great his freshman year, but these guys didn't do." So I'm critical of the article from the standpoint of, it's still projecting crazy sky-high expectations for this guy just because he had 4 stars, because he's really shown nothing else. I mean, Green and Spano were about .1 RR different in their rankings, and Spano was ranked ahead of Green comparatively in the dual-threat QBs list the year prior. But Spano was a late commit switch and had 3 stars while Green had 4, so we were always in love with Green as our "next big QB commit". I feel like the expectations for these guys shouldn't be too different, despite how all the media just focuses on Green.

Basically, from my standpoint I would have thought you'd be agreeing with the article: that Green didn't light it up, but it's okay because the great ones didn't either. I'm disagreeing because I don't think the logic of "Just because he's not doing well this year doesn't mean he'll do great next year" doesn't make too much sense. I'm not writing off Green, I just don't know why everyone is treating him like a young Vince Young yet.

About arm strength though, Lee's arm strength is definitely not lacking. Cody lasers his throws which we've seen, but you're not supposed to laser all your throws. And I don't know bshirt, I realize you've never been a huge fan of Lee's skills, and I wonder how much that is factoring in your respective evaluations of those guys. Is Green elusive? I didn't see that. Sure he has nice top-end straightline speed, but Lee looked quicker and more agile as a runner. Cody is a terrific kid and if he develops his passing game, then he does have tremendous upside. Martinez? I don't know. Lee is far and away the best passer on the team, so I don't know where this "limited upside" sentiment comes from. If Lee's passing skills correspond to limited upside, I think we are all going to be severely disappointed by what Martinez and LTW have to offer. Quentin Castille couldn't run circles around Lee, I doubt Green can. And Green and Martinez can surely run circles around Sam Bradford, but that didn't stop Bradford from being the best QB in the nation. I guess my point is: at Nebraska, we sure love our mobile QBs. But I don't get why we all of a sudden seem to have bias against guys who can throw, and only favor the guys who can't yet. It's like a guy's 40 time is the #1 criteria being used to determine if we like a QB or not. See it with the new recruits, every time we offer a guy with a slow 40, people start asking what we're doing offering a slow pocket passer.

 

[Fuzzy]

and his somewhat underwhelming freshman year certainly doesn't take him out of the running to be the kind of prospect he looked to be coming out of high school.

WTH? It’s not like our offense was running up and down the field when Zac was in instead of Cody. All things considered, Cody Green looked fine for a true freshman. He has a strong arm, quick feet, and can lower his shoulder for an extra yard when he needs to.

Strong arm means nothing if you can't hit the target.

 

[Landlord]

Hey, I admire Lee's guts. I really do. But he sure doesn't look athletic to me at all. Marginal speed and zero elusiveness and authority running the ball. He was hardly any better throwing the ball. A tough kid! But no real upside that I can see.

You know Zac Lee runs a ~4.6 40, right?