QB depth now that Jaybo is out?

DaltonGold

DaltonGold

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QB depth has become a real issue for 2009 with Jaybo out. Josh is definitely our number 1. Teven appears to be in a strong position as number 2. Are there possible cross-over candidates? or Are there those who could possibly go both ways? Here are the QB's and some other potential candidates.

What are your thoughts?

DG

www. daltonjackitup.com

David Sims

• A dual-threat quarterback who should fit nicely into Paul Johnson's system

• An excellent athlete who was a playmaker on both sides of the ball in high school

• Scout.com 3-star recruit

• No. 54 QB in the nation (Scout.com)

• No. 20 athlete in the nation (ESPN.com)

• Finalist for South Carolina Mr. Football award

• Second team all-state selection for all classifications

• Named ESPN's National High School Player of the Week

• Played in South Carolina's North-South All-Star Game

• Passed for over 1,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a senior in 2008

• Threw for 1,492 yards and 19 touchdowns, rushed for 895 yards and 11 TDs, picked off five passes including two for touchdowns as a junior in 2007

• Holds school records for total offense in a season (3,900), passing touchdowns (37), career passing yards (5,800) and career rushing yards (2,800)

• Led CCHS to three regional championships and Sims was 28-6 as a starter during his career

• Coached by Walter Wilson at Calhoun Country High School, earning four varsity letters in football including two seasons as team captain

• Also played two seasons of basketball in high school

• Also received offers from Kansas, Kentucky, N.C. State and South Carolina

• Personal: Son of David Sims, Sr. and Carolyn Jackson... full name is David O'Briann Sims... born Sept. 14, 1990 in Orangeburg, S.C... began playing football at age 11... may want to pursue a career as a sports agent... considering a major in management

Jordan Luallen

High School
Center Grove High School... Scout.com 4-star recruit... No. 26 QB in the nation (Scout.com) and No. 22 QB (ESPN.com)... a top-10 dual threat quarterback (Scout and Rivals)... Offense/Defense All-American and National Player of the Year... finalist for Indiana's Mr. Football Award and the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2008... earned all-conference, all-county, all-metro and Indianapolis Star Super Team honors as a senior... was all-county, all-conference and honorable mention all-state as a junior... led Center Grove HS to a state championship in 2008, rallying team from a 19-point deficit, earning MVP honors... 2008 statistics: 46-for-85 passing for 941 yards, two interceptions, and 14 touchdowns; rushed for 622 yards on 84 carries in the Wing-T offense... set school record for touchdown passes in a season and career, career completions and career completion percentage.. 2007 statistics: helped team to a 9-2 record, completed 60 percent of his passes for 756 yards and 12 touchdowns with no interceptions... also rushed for 475 yards and 13 touchdowns... set school record for single-season completion percentage... coached by Eric Moore, earning three varsity letters as a quarterback and wide receiver.. also ran track (sprinter) for four years... career statistics: 220-of-350 passing for 2,670 yards, 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions... rushed for 1,646 yards and 36 TDs on 215 attempts.

Personal
Chose Georgia Tech because it was "athletically and academically the best fit for me", the character and leadership of the coaching staff, and the city of Atlanta... also received offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Maryland and Stanford... son of William and Michelle Luallen... given name is Jordan William Luallen... born Nov. 15, 1990 in Greenwood, Ind... has two older siblings, Whitney and Kelsey... wants to be a college football coach... began playing flag football at age six... heavily involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes... has served on two church missions, including a trip to Nicaragua... considering a major in science, technology and culture, or economics.



Jim Henry

High School
Played four years of football and baseball at Hawkinsville High School... played football under coach Lee Campbell and baseball under Kyle Longford... helped the football team win state championships in 2003 and 2004... honorable mention all-state in 2006... was team MVP of the offense in 2006 and was voted best offensive back in 2005.

Personal
Son of Mike and Barbara Henry... given name is James Michael Henry... born Feb. 18, 1989 in Hawkinsville, Ga. ... has two sisters -- Rebecca and Betsy... considering a major in management... chose Georgia Tech because he grew up a huge Yellow Jacket fan, most of his family attended Tech, and there was no other school he considered.

Quentin Sims

High School
Has good size and athletic ability... played for one of Ohio's top prep programs... Colerain went 12-1 in 2007 and finished No. 14 in USA Today's National Super 25... had 24 receptions for 313 yards and two touchdowns in 2007... also rushed 75 times for 764 yards and seven touchdowns... moved to quarterback during the state playoffs in place of an injured starting QB... led Colerain to conference championships in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007... won district championships in 2004 and 2006... was part of the 2004 state championship team... earned nine varsity letters at Colerain High School - three in football, four in track and two in basketball... was a sprinter and high-jumper for the track team... a second team all-conference selection in 2007 as a running back... also named all-city honorable mention... had a memorable season opener as a senior in 2007... playing quarterback, he rushed for 228 yards on 12 carries, was 3-for-3 passing with two touchdowns, with one of the TDs going to his younger brother, Damon... was a two-time all-conference selection in track... was part of the school record-breaking 4x400 relay team in '07... member of the high school student senate... chose Georgia Tech over Buffalo, Virginia and others... selected Georgia Tech because of the Management program, the football team and coaching staff, and the city of Atlanta... earned a national championship in karate in 2000...

Personal
Born July 11, 1990 in Tucson, Ariz. ... father, Fred Sims, was a running back at Oklahoma in 1981 and 1982.

Cooper Taylor

High School
A good-sized safety with ability to play linebacker... a solid pass defender... a two-time all-state and all-county selection... a good student... earned three varsity letters in football... played a variety of positions on the prep level including wide receiver, free safety, running back and quarterback... led team to the state championship game and a regional championship in 2006... broke the school single-season interception record in '06... chose Georgia Tech over Mississippi State, Virginia, Duke and others... Taylor said: "I really like Coach Johnson and he told me what plans he had for Georgia Tech."...

· No. 61 prospect in Georgia (SuperPrep)

· No. 78 safety in the nation (Scout.com)

Personal
Born April 14, 1990 in Atlanta... given name is Cooper Austin Taylor... the son of former Georgia Tech quarterback Jim Bob Taylor, who went on to play for the Baltimore Colts in 1983.


Dominique Reece


High School
Had 1,186 yards and 13 touchdowns passing and 967 yards and nine TDs rushing as a senior... Area MVP as a senior... played for coach Robert Maddox at Auburn HS... also lettered in basketball and played on the state title team in 2005.

· No. 27 overall prospect on the Alabama Hot 50 (Scout.com)

Personal
Full name is Dominique Mar-quez Reese... mother is Phyllis Jeter... born May 14, 1988... majoring in management.
 
I think a good likelihood is that Luallen redshirts and Sims takes third string since from what I've heard Luallen still has a week to go before he's healthy.
 
I think Washington will be a better #2 than we had last year with Jaybo as a true freshman. Last year we really struggled when we dropped to #3 Booker, but luckily won a game, anyway. Not many teams will beat comparable opponents with a #3 at QB, so we're not alone there. We need to hope that lady luck doesn't put us in that situation.
 
I'm not worried about the depth. None of this matters if Nesbitt starts every game this year. When CPJ was at GSU I can't recall a year in which the same QB didn't start every game.
 
Nashville Jacket said:
I'm not worried about the depth. None of this matters if Nesbitt starts every game this year. When CPJ was at GSU I can't recall a year in which the same QB didn't start every game.
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If you are not worried about depth... Then you are dumb. Josh obviously had many injury problems last season, and seeing as how our offense is at its best when he is running it, depth is an obvious cause for concern. I hope you're right about him starting every game this year, but it is very doubtful (I hate to say).
 
Respect the Wreck said:
If you are not worried about depth... Then you are dumb. Josh obviously had many injury problems last season, and seeing as how our offense is at its best when he is running it, depth is an obvious cause for concern. I hope you're right about him starting every game this year, but it is very doubtful (I hate to say).
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I don't think there's much chance of making it through the season with one QB, regardless of what other teams using the TO have done. With a decent #2, I think we might be OK. A #3 that can handoff and pitch might be able to hold a lead for a quarter or two. If we need a #3 to start a game, we are not going to win many of those games. That's football, though. Injuries and depth are huge.
 
I'll reserve judgment on Tevin until I can see him live in a game. I'm hoping that will happen in the Jax State game. From what I can tell from online practice reports, he has come a long way. I think some real live game action could serve him well. As long he has started to "get it" when making reads, I think he'll be as good as Jaybo was last year, if not better.

I guess the optimist in me sees that we have a LOT of weapons this year. Just get the ball out of his hands into proven play makers and hope for the best. Let's not forget that. Clean hand offs under center could be all we need from him.
 
He may not be our best player, but JN is the player we can't afford to lose.

I don't think Jaybo will ever be the #2 qb again if he's really going to be out for 6-8 weeks.
 
BuzzLaw said:
I don't think Jaybo will ever be the #2 qb again if he's really going to be out for 6-8 weeks.
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I never thought of this, but after seeing this idea, I agree. Tevin will be coached up enough (not to mention, he is younger, so is a better investment in the future) that Jaybo will be a #3. That is, unless Tevin does horribly in the J St. game (if he is put in).
 
I think the beauty of PJ's offense is that it can be very flexible. You can feature the QB as an intregal part of the attack or de-emphasize the role of the QB based on who is manning the throttle. In the case of Nesbitt we have a weapon that is a dangerous run option just like Dwyer, Allen, Jones, etc. He is not a great passer but we hope to get him to adequate. With Tevin his running skills are not as potent as Josh but they are good enough to use him on occassion to run the ball. His passing skills probably are a bit below Josh's but could develop to even exceed Josh's potential. Jaybo is less effective running the ball than Josh but probably a bit better passer.

The jury is still out on Luallen and Sims and in an ideal world you would redshirt both and see how they advance running the scout team this year. The general consensus seems to be that Luallen has the most upside but I really don't know the basis for that. From what I have observed there is not enough data yet to make that determination.

I really don't see PJ moving someone from another postition to play QB unless we have a complete meltdown with disastorous injury issues. If that happens we are screwed anyway.

So as of this moment here is the way I see it.

1) Nesbitt
2) Washington
3) Sims (just because Luallen has missed a lot of reps with his injury)
4) Luallen
5) Henry (emergency only option)
6) Shaw (possible redshirt due to injury)

If Nesbitt and Washington stay healthy, both Sims and Luallen will most likely redshirt. If Jaybo heals in 6 weeks, it would still take him a month to get football ready. That would mean his best case for return this year would be for the last 4 games of the year. Circumstances may dictate we get him back out there if Josh and Tevin are limping around so you can't rule out having to use him this year. If both are relatively healthy we will most likely redshirt Jaybo.

Go Jackets!
 
Respect the Wreck said:
If you are not worried about depth... Then you are dumb. Josh obviously had many injury problems last season, and seeing as how our offense is at its best when he is running it, depth is an obvious cause for concern. I hope you're right about him starting every game this year, but it is very doubtful (I hate to say).
Click to expand...

I refuse to become a paranoid worry-wart that is obsessed with a depth issue. UGA fans did that last year and blamed their shortcomings on the injury bug at the end of the year. I'm not stooping to their level. I'd rather maintain a positive outlook on the season. Football players get injured. Always have and always will. Now that Nesbitt understands the offense better, his comfort level on the field may help him avoid situations where he may have put himself in danger of injury last year. Of course you can't rule out freak accidents
 
I do not think that Paul Johnson's offense can, at any time, "de-emphasize" the role of the QB. It is absolutely the engine that makes the car go, and we cannot coast on anyone else's effort. Pro style teams can opt not to have the QB take a huge role, and just hand the ball off most of the time, but the QB must read and react on every play in our offense whether it's a pass or a run. QB is fundamentally the most important position we have.
 
Nashville Jacket said:
I refuse to become a paranoid worry-wart that is obsessed with a depth issue. UGA fans did that last year and blamed their shortcomings on the injury bug at the end of the year. I'm not stooping to their level. I'd rather maintain a positive outlook on the season. Football players get injured. Always have and always will. Now that Nesbitt understands the offense better, his comfort level on the field may help him avoid situations where he may have put himself in danger of injury last year. Of course you can't rule out freak accidents
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I concur. I'd also like to say that in as many as half of our games if Josh goes down none of the back-ups have the skill or experience to pull out a win if we still need to score points. Tevin will be a solid backup, he's made a lot of improvement over the spring and fall practices. We shouldn't worry about not having experience at third string. I'm not aware of any teams in the country that go so deep at quarterback that a third-stringer could take on a bowl-eligible team and win, so in my mind the only true loss on our part are for competition. It is true our quarterbacks take a bigger beating than other teams but that's why we don't recruit players for the position built like Sam Bradford (scrawny fellow). Cheer up boys, don't forget how Nesbitt took on Georgia and Miami with a bum ankle and ran a great offense with limited personal abuse.

If a team can force us in the same situation like VT did last year where the quarterback is doing all the work and getting a beating then we already are having a big problem before worrying about injuries and depth.
 
I feel almost certain that if TW is called on to run Tech's offense CPJ will put his boot up his butt however many times necessary to insure that we achieve our goals.
 
We should be ok, but as I saw watching PJ at navy, one year I think he played his 4th string QB (a converted a-back maybe? someone from navy help me out) but they still had like a 7 or 8 win season.
 
GTLiebs said:
It is true our quarterbacks take a bigger beating than other teams but that's why we don't recruit players for the position built like Sam Bradford (scrawny fellow).
Click to expand...

I would actually be more happy with a smaller, faster QB than the stable of ours now, not a knock on Josh though, he is awesome.

We need a Pat White, or Jayson Foster type QB from GSU IMO. It's not like we are killing teams through the air anyways.
 
Yellow Fever said:
I would actually be more happy with a smaller, faster QB than the stable of ours now, not a knock on Josh though, he is awesome.

We need a Pat White, or Jayson Foster type QB from GSU IMO. It's not like we are killing teams through the air anyways.
Click to expand...

When CPJ coached at GSU under Erk Russell, he had a small QB named Tracy Ham. Many of you have probably heard of him. The guy was Joe Hamilton sized and I don't ever recall him missing a game. He was quick not fast and very difficult to tackle.

http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=90125
 
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