Longhornfrenzy 🤘🏼 · @Longhornfrenzy1
10th Apr 2022 from TwitLonger
It was windy y'all
VIP post-spring breakdown: 10 thoughts on Texas A&M's quarterbacks
VIP ByJEFF TARPLEY
One of the things that I want to do in this piece is try to provide some perspective on the Aggies' quarterback situation based on what we saw yesterday. This will include how the quarterbacks have performed throughout the spring as well as what we've seen from them in the past.
First off, the winds inside the stadium were not conducive to throwing the football. They were not only gusting but swirling. As A&M boss Jimbo Fisher said, they took balls that were on target and sent them off target. If this had been a game versus another team, the Aggies would have run the ball and put the offense in the hands of their running backs and offensive line.
Second, I keep trying to emphasize this but the quarterbacks are only part of the passing game. They may be the most important part but there are a lot of steps involved between when the play is signaled in to when the ball arrives at the receiver...and even then, a well thrown ball or the receiver's ability can result in yardage after the catch. The defense got a very good pass rush yesterday, particularly when they isolated certain members of the offensive lines. You've got guys up front still learning some of the most basic aspects of the position and they're vulnerable in one on one situations. As a result, the quarterbacks were under duress too often which affected their accuracy and ability to even get the ball out.
In addition, A&M's receivers dropped a lot of passes just like they did in last year's spring game and last season as a whole. They dropped them when they were open and when they contested. This happened not only versus scholarship players but also walk ons who outfought them for balls. It's an ongoing issue and it makes the quarterbacks look worse than they really are.
Finally...the passing game didn't look like this all spring. They got the ball downfield in the Aggies' second scrimmage and they've done so in the practices. From what I understand, it was one of the worst performances they've had in the 15 workouts and as Fisher indicated in his post game press conference it was not indicative of what they've seen from the offense as a whole.
Having said all of that...let's move forward to the individual players.
1. These are Haynes King's stats from his junior year in high school when he won a state title at Longview surrounded by ten seniors:
184-266, 69% (completion rate), 3,879 yards, 14.58 YPA, 42/4 (1.5% interception ratio)
These are his stats from his sophomore and senior years in high school as well as his time at A&M (including two spring games).
267-457, 59% (completion rate), 4,358 yards, 9.54 YPA, 44/20 (4.4% interception ratio)
Here's his stats from A&M regular season and spring games:
51-103, 50% (completion rate), 700 yards, 6.80 YPA, 6/7 (6.8% interception ratio)
He hasn't been the same guy outside of that season. You can argue competition level, sample sizes, etc. but the numbers tell a story.
2. When I saw King at The Opening in the summer of 2019, I thought that he was a great fit for Fisher's offense (because he played under center in high school) and was a player dedicated to making himself and his teammates better by example as well as words. He won competitions because he delivered in the moment and beat out guys like Alabama's Bryce Young. Most of all, he didn't have the same type of tutelage growing up that a lot of quarterbacks coming out of this state since he played multiple sports and didn't have private coaching.
I thought if he was able to be developed in terms of his footwork and delivery (he was behind in his peers in that regard in terms of his consistency) and strength which would enable him to generate more velocity and down to down accuracy, he could be one of the best the state has ever produced.
3. Three years into his A&M career, it hasn't happened.
He has never had a great arm but better mechanics can make him throw harder and get the ball to where it needs to be sooner. In addition, the compact the delivery and base, the less motion you're going to have and the more accurate the throw will be.
He still isn't consistent on his footwork and delivery from down to down, especially the footwork and particularly under duress. His feet tend to get wider when rushers are coming at him instead as opposed to staying underneath his pads and so he doesn't give himself a chance to turn into throws like he really should.
Not only that, he hasn't really added much mass to his frame and so that affects his velocity as well.
Overall, he doesn't look much different either physically or throwing the ball than he did when I saw him live in 2019.
4. Thus, even when he makes the best possible read, the ball takes too long to get there which gives a defensive back a chance to make a play on it. I've also mentioned this before but the lack of velocity really shows up when he's throwing into the wind. You've seen this on videos from practice when he's throwing into the north wind from the south end of the field...the ball hangs up there. In addition, when he's trying to throw the ball outside the hash or make a throw to a guy in traffic...it's not happening on a consistent basis.
5. King is a competitor and he sees things that he wants to do but the lack of velocity results in him putting the ball in harm's way too often as evidenced by the numbers I posted earlier....he's got a relatively high interception ratio dating back from his days in high school all the way through his time at A&M.
Also, keep in mind that he had zero throwaways in 2021 per Pro Football Focus and secstatcat.com. He wants to put the ball in play.
The play that encapsulates this is the second quarter interception when he was in a two minute situation...he had all of the advantages outside of offensive line play.
The wideouts were veterans and the wind was at his back.
He sees Blake Smith on a seam route and throws it were three people have a chance at it. It floated on him and was picked off by a walk on. In fact, he was intercepted by a walk on in last season's spring game too.
Not only that, he had not one but two chances yesterday to win the game when he got the ball back with the first unit offense and couldn't make it happen either time.
6. Finally, King has seemingly been given every opportunity to win the starting job. He was designated as the heir apparent by Fisher and the players after he arrived on campus in early 2020. He got all of the reps with the ones in the spring game last season. He got the reps with the ones in the public scrimmage in fall camp. He's been with the ones in almost all of the media sessions this spring and started the spring game as well as both scrimmages with them. He got more reps with the ones than the twos yesterday and probably more reps with them than either of the other quarterbacks. King has been publicly and privately praised by Fisher during his tenure to the extent that A&M brought in a transfer with 14 college starts and yet King was considered the favorite by most of the media to win the job.
7. For all of the talk about his mobility and leadership, that's not what makes an offense go. You've got to be able to get the ball down the field in the passing game.
Productivity trumps all.
So there you go...
8. Max Johnson had his own issues yesterday. He's got a long delivery so he tends to hold the ball and take sacks and he did so three times yesterday. He wasn't able to snap off quicker throws on a couple of RPOs and the ball hit the back shoulder pad of the receiver. One of them bounced in the air and was picked off. Johnson was given an opportunity in a two minute drill at the end of the game and couldn't make anything happen.
However, Johnson display some mobility and vision once he was able to get out of the pocket versus the rush. He also moved well outside of it on bootlegs. He kept his head up and his feet underneath him (even when he delivered the ball on the move) and so he was able to get the ball to receivers on short and intermediate throws.
He wasn't great but he was poised enough (his interceptions weren't the result of bad decisions, just late throws) that you got the sense that he gives you the best chance of running the ball and keeping mistakes to a minimum so that A&M can win football games.
9. The one thing we all saw yesterday that caught out attention with regard to freshman Conner Weigman was the same thing that everyone else saw in the scrimmages...he doesn't act like a freshman out there.
Most players in his position tend to get pressure and just take off instead of trying to make a play in the passing game. King hung out in the pocket (just two runs on zone read plays) and Johnson took off some because the second unit defense was getting upfield at time. However, Weigman had just one rushing attempt. He was patient and attempted to go through his reads. Not only that, he was poised enough to keep his feet under his pads and his delivery followed suit. He displayed a quick release and was able to get the ball near receivers to allow them to make a play on it if possible.
You came out of the game thinking that there's a lot to work with him and wondering how quickly it's going to take for him to understand the offense sufficiently to challenge for the starting job.
10. In conclusion...
- There's not much doubt that Johnson had the best game yesterday and that Weigman has a bright future. King still needs more work than people believed.
- As I posted in the opening to this piece, keep in mind that conditions weren't conducive to throwing the ball. Because of that, the perception of A&M's passing game is probably somewhat less than its reality.
- A&M is also getting newcomers to the passing game such as Chris Marshall and Jake Johnson and returning veterans such as Caleb Chapman and Hezekiah Jones could make the quarterback's lives easier (it may be too much to ask but the possibility is there).
- The passing game is the whole of the offense, not just the sum of its parts or one part in particular. The quarterback is the most important aspect but the Aggies need to get better at every aspect of throwing the ball from scheming people open to protection to running routes to making catches.
That may be the most disconcerting part of all BUT it's not what Fisher or other people have seen out of the offense during spring ball so far.
Nonetheless, as I said based on last season's passing game numbers, the end statistic may defined as a quarterback rating but it's actually a passing game rating.
The Aggies need to get better across the board and while that may start at quarterback it extends to everyone else as well.
The degree of improvement will impact A&M's 2022 ceiling as a offense and probably chart a course for expectations in 2023 as well