Louisiana's 2015 Quarterback Situation

[Turbine]

So we've narrowed it down to Alex Smith and Kurt Warner? Any others?

Well since the request was "name one" I don't think "narrowed it down" to 2 fits very well.

[CajunEXPRESS]

From the list of schools that offered, he was being discussed as a QB, RB or DB. I think you're right that LSU and Arkansas wanted him as a DB. He wanted to continue playing QB. I'm still surprised that while at USL, Brian, at 5-10 and under 200lbs, benched 340lbs. That while he was our QB. He was so competitive, that coaches could not keep him from lifting heavy.

The man of steel no doubt. Strongest man on the team.

[Turbine]

Here is what we don't know about any of the current quarterbacks.

How they will perform in the regular season with an offense designed around their skills and the benefit of Spring and Fall practices after getting high quantity quality snaps.

[Boomer]

Here is what we don't know about any of the current quarterbacks.

How they will perform in the regular season with an offense designed around their skills and the benefit of Spring and Fall practices after getting high quantity quality snaps.

---the first step is really if all the coaches stay at UL---So far we have lost Rebowe and the GA from the staff---Not sure of the defensive situation ----- Much goes on in the hotel rooms and lounges and coaching interviews when the National convention is happening!!!

[BirdofParadise]

If my memory serves, Mitchell did not start the first game of his career. Pannell did.

In fact, both started multiple games that first year. Nelson didn't officially name Brian the starter until a couple of games into his sophomore season. That having been said, he played a bunch before officially being named....in fact, more than Pannell.

Let's all remember that just because a guy is the starter on opening day doesn't mean he'll be the starter throughout.

If you recall, Alonzo Harris was not the most highly touted freshman running back four years ago. Nor was he the starter in game one. He turned out ok.

The coaches aren't stupid. If Brooks wins the job, they'll have an offense suited to his strengths. That does not mean we'll throw it 50 times per game. If it's someone else, that offense will be tweaked accordingly.

This will be a fun (?) debate between now and the end of August.

I will be surprised if Haack is not the starter. But if he isn't, that will tell me we have a jewel taking snaps.

[Just1More]

I'm not the least bit concerned that our staff won't make a "good" decision. Our playbook allows for starting one skill set, and swapping to a different skill set, seamlessly. I simply feel that the QB they choose to start will be heavily heavily selected predicated on their core offensive lean. And once they choose a starter, it will influence them further to build around that individual's strengths (and away from his weaknesses). I've seen QB races where the core competencies are so similar, that it's strictly a spring evaluation. This year, does not look that way to me. Again, we'll know as much about what preferential style of offense we'll operate, by who they choose, more than who actually "beat out" the other via head to head skills.

This exact method of selection has happened at numerous other programs, when there's distinct differences in the skills of the competing QBs. And I still feel this coming year we may see the competition play out well into the first third of the year... by design... not because one guy was named starter and failed.

There's not much to "debate" between now and the spring. We'll not know any more then than we know now. And I can think of 10 reasons to start Haack and 10 reasons that one of the other guys may mix better with our existing skill players. The more you look at offensive play options, the more you only get more confused, not confident, as to which offensive lean, and QB skill set, we should go with.

[basinbear]

If my memory serves, Mitchell did not start the first game of his career. Pannell did.

In fact, both started multiple games that first year. Nelson didn't officially name Brian the starter until a couple of games into his sophomore season. That having been said, he played a bunch before officially being named....in fact, more than Pannell.

Let's all remember that just because a guy is the starter on opening day doesn't mean he'll be the starter throughout.

If you recall, Alonzo Harris was not the most highly touted freshman running back four years ago. Nor was he the starter in game one. He turned out ok.

The coaches aren't stupid. If Brooks wins the job, they'll have an offense suited to his strengths. That does not mean we'll throw it 50 times per game. If it's someone else, that offense will be tweaked accordingly.

This will be a fun (?) debate between now and the end of August.

I will be surprised if Haack is not the starter. But if he isn't, that will tell me we have a jewel taking snaps.

We settled on Brian permanently as the starter the Week prior to the NLU game....I believe that was the 6th game of his Sophomore season. He went off that night and the rest is history.....By the way I agree with the rest of your post

[Just1More]

We settled on Brian permanently as the starter the Week prior to the NLU game....I believe that was the 6th game of his Sophomore season. He went off that night and the rest is history.....By the way I agree with the rest of your post

You guys had Brian take snaps in all 11 games his freshman season. He wasn't the official starter, but he was clearly the rising stud. Jake, on the other hand, was pressed into action after the 3 deep QBs were horrible in our opening 1993 contest against Utah State. I recall Stokley making it clear that Jake would redshirt. At the game, at the start of the second half, this little boy sitting in front of me, says, "Daddy! Jake's got his helmet on! He's gonna play!". He was wearing a red ball cap walking around the sidelines in the first half. Damn, it was good seeing Jake get in there. He looked so confident. He threw an interception on his first throw as a collegiate QB. He came right back the next series and looked like a stud. We lost that game, but Jake was the starter for the rest of his career.

You just never know who will win the start, and what's going to happen. Every QB should work hard, be ready... you just never know when your number will get called.

[Cajunsmike]

If my memory serves, Mitchell did not start the first game of his career. Pannell did.

In fact, both started multiple games that first year. Nelson didn't officially name Brian the starter until a couple of games into his sophomore season. That having been said, he played a bunch before officially being named....in fact, more than Pannell.

Let's all remember that just because a guy is the starter on opening day doesn't mean he'll be the starter throughout.

If you recall, Alonzo Harris was not the most highly touted freshman running back four years ago. Nor was he the starter in game one. He turned out ok.

The coaches aren't stupid. If Brooks wins the job, they'll have an offense suited to his strengths. That does not mean we'll throw it 50 times per game. If it's someone else, that offense will be tweaked accordingly.

This will be a fun (?) debate between now and the end of August.

I will be surprised if Haack is not the starter. But if he isn't, that will tell me we have a jewel taking snaps.

I would be very disappointed throwing it 50 times per game. That would mean we are behind most games. It would also mean Elijah McGuire was not getting enough rushes as well as whoever replaces Alonzo as the "big" back. An ideal no. of passes is about 30. When we turned it around this season, we were throwing it in the low 20's due to that suited our offense. With Robinson back next season, a few more throws are in order, but not to the extent we become unbalanced.

[Just1More]

I would be very disappointed throwing it 50 times per game. That would mean we are behind most games. It would also mean Elijah McGuire was not getting enough rushes as well as whoever replaces Alonzo as the "big" back. An ideal no. of passes is about 30. When we turned it around this season, we were throwing it in the low 20's due to that suited our offense. With Robinson back next season, a few more throws are in order, but not to the extent we become unbalanced.

We'll be balanced... no matter which way our coaches lean (and thus decide who they favor to start)... the spread demands it. It's just that we may not see as many design runs out of the QB... by one selection of QB or the other. We didn't recruit to go "Washington State". But, with Harris and the ground and pound out of the predicable future... we can't expose Elijah as a feature back taking the pounding load. We need to include 10 different skill people this year with balanced touches... and besides the jet sweep (a run) there aren't a lot of options outside of a throw to get them the ball. We must throw more next year IMO... but it won't be 50/game. We were 102nd in the country in passing attempts per game this year (28). I expect us to add 5-10 per game more and enter the middle of the pack. It's all about our best skill people and what they do best.