Thread Rating:
08-05-2013, 06:14 PM
[YOUTUBE="Whitlow, Smith, and Towles on Quarterback Competition"]1CC3UsmtiJM[/YOUTUBE]
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
![[-]](https://bluegrassrivals.com/forum/images/lifestyle/collapse.png)
08-05-2013, 06:23 PM
Cats hope one QB emerges from four-man race
Brett Dawson
CatsIllustrated.com Publisher
There are meetings to lead and workouts to organize. There is film to be studied, a playbook to be read. There are drills to be drilled (and drilled and drilled again).
For the players fighting to be Kentucky's starting quarterback - Jalen Whitlow, Maxwell Smith, Patrick Towles and, to whatever extent, Reese Phillips - there has been precious little offseason.
They spent months trying to establish themselves as leaders. Soon, coach Mark Stoops and offensive coordinator Neal Brown will pick one for the rest to follow.
"A quarterback in general is a very power-hungry person," said Towles, a sophomore who played in five games last season. "So you've got these three guys who are trying to take as much grasp of the team as they can, and it's a lot easier to take grasp of a team with the endorsement of the offensive coordinator, which is what we're all fighting for here."
And it's shaping up as quite the fight.
Phillips stood off to the side of his fellow quarterbacks at Monday's Media Day, drawing less attention than the rest from a horde of reporters. Teammates and Brown insist he's in the mix.
But it's most likely the starting nod will go to Whitlow, Smith or Towles, all sophomores who saw significant playing time last season. At this point, it's anybody's job.
So break out the cliches - each of the QBs wants the starting job, but promises to rally around the winner; all remain close friends; etc. - and pick a favorite. As of Monday afternoon, the chase is on.
"See, this is just normal to me, because I've been in this same situation since I was in junior high," Whitlow said when asked about the possibility of bruised egos. "Every single year. Every single year since I was in eighth grade, I've been in this situation: Three guys trying to get a spot."
That meant three guys working all summer long to get a leg up.
Smith, a redshirt sophomore with the most experience of the bunch - he's started seven games over two seasons, four before a season-ending injury last fall - spent the offseason literally working on everything from head (he's a film-study buff) to toe.
"The toe tells you everything," he said. "If your toe's lined up with the receiver, (the ball) should go there."
Whitlow, who started seven games last season and had the most impressive Blue-White scrimmage in the spring, has the fleet feet to make plays on the run but wanted to get up to speed on Brown's "Air Raid" playbook.
"Last year I got thrown in the fire, so to speak, but I think you can learn from failure," Whitlow said. "Last year, we didn't succeed at all. I took that to heart and I used that as motivation and just tried to be a student of the game and mature, improve, get stronger, get smarter and try to be a better player and we can be a better team this year."
Towles, too, honed both this mind and his mechanics. The most highly touted recruit of the current Kentucky QBs, he's hoping to prove he's more than just the big arm Brown cited Monday in discussing his strengths. So in addition to seven-on-seven drills with his fellow quarterbacks, he took some time to himself.
"Our team stuff was together, but the stuff we needed to work on was different," Towles said. "So it's our job to get on our own and fix that."
At some point before Kentucky's season opener against Western Kentucky on Aug. 1, the hope is that one of these QBs will apart from the pack in practice. Brown and Stoops would prefer the competition not linger long into camp.
"But again you have to make the right choice and if it takes game reps, then that's what we're going to do," Stoops said.
That conceivably could mean more than one quarterback seeing the field in the season opener and beyond. But it's nobody's preference.
"I think it's always better if you have one clear cut guy that goes out and wins the job," Brown said. "But if there's no separation, I think that you've seen in the past. Coach (Steve) Spurrier does it a lot, where they used multiple quarterbacks. I think there's scenarios where that can be successful."
It wasn't successful last season when Smith's fast start was derailed by injury and Kentucky played Whitlow, Towles and now-graduated Morgan Newton at various times, a system Whitlow called "awful."
"I don't feel like there's room in no offense for more than one quarterback," Whitlow said. "I feel like a quarterback needs to get his rhythm. I think it screws up the team chemistry a little bit when you're playing multiple quarterbacks."
Smith agreed, saying, "Do you see any NFL teams using two quarterbacks?"
By the time the Cats and Hilltoppers meet in Nashville, the odds are good that one quarterback will have established himself. In the meantime, they'll continue working to earn an endorsement.
"It's going to take all four of us to win games, in my opinion, and it starts now," Smith said. "Obviously, ultimately we're going to get behind whoever's the No. 1 guy. But right now, all four of us have to be leaders and just lead everybody and get better each day."
http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1532655
Brett Dawson
CatsIllustrated.com Publisher
There are meetings to lead and workouts to organize. There is film to be studied, a playbook to be read. There are drills to be drilled (and drilled and drilled again).
For the players fighting to be Kentucky's starting quarterback - Jalen Whitlow, Maxwell Smith, Patrick Towles and, to whatever extent, Reese Phillips - there has been precious little offseason.
They spent months trying to establish themselves as leaders. Soon, coach Mark Stoops and offensive coordinator Neal Brown will pick one for the rest to follow.
"A quarterback in general is a very power-hungry person," said Towles, a sophomore who played in five games last season. "So you've got these three guys who are trying to take as much grasp of the team as they can, and it's a lot easier to take grasp of a team with the endorsement of the offensive coordinator, which is what we're all fighting for here."
And it's shaping up as quite the fight.
Phillips stood off to the side of his fellow quarterbacks at Monday's Media Day, drawing less attention than the rest from a horde of reporters. Teammates and Brown insist he's in the mix.
But it's most likely the starting nod will go to Whitlow, Smith or Towles, all sophomores who saw significant playing time last season. At this point, it's anybody's job.
So break out the cliches - each of the QBs wants the starting job, but promises to rally around the winner; all remain close friends; etc. - and pick a favorite. As of Monday afternoon, the chase is on.
"See, this is just normal to me, because I've been in this same situation since I was in junior high," Whitlow said when asked about the possibility of bruised egos. "Every single year. Every single year since I was in eighth grade, I've been in this situation: Three guys trying to get a spot."
That meant three guys working all summer long to get a leg up.
Smith, a redshirt sophomore with the most experience of the bunch - he's started seven games over two seasons, four before a season-ending injury last fall - spent the offseason literally working on everything from head (he's a film-study buff) to toe.
"The toe tells you everything," he said. "If your toe's lined up with the receiver, (the ball) should go there."
Whitlow, who started seven games last season and had the most impressive Blue-White scrimmage in the spring, has the fleet feet to make plays on the run but wanted to get up to speed on Brown's "Air Raid" playbook.
"Last year I got thrown in the fire, so to speak, but I think you can learn from failure," Whitlow said. "Last year, we didn't succeed at all. I took that to heart and I used that as motivation and just tried to be a student of the game and mature, improve, get stronger, get smarter and try to be a better player and we can be a better team this year."
Towles, too, honed both this mind and his mechanics. The most highly touted recruit of the current Kentucky QBs, he's hoping to prove he's more than just the big arm Brown cited Monday in discussing his strengths. So in addition to seven-on-seven drills with his fellow quarterbacks, he took some time to himself.
"Our team stuff was together, but the stuff we needed to work on was different," Towles said. "So it's our job to get on our own and fix that."
At some point before Kentucky's season opener against Western Kentucky on Aug. 1, the hope is that one of these QBs will apart from the pack in practice. Brown and Stoops would prefer the competition not linger long into camp.
"But again you have to make the right choice and if it takes game reps, then that's what we're going to do," Stoops said.
That conceivably could mean more than one quarterback seeing the field in the season opener and beyond. But it's nobody's preference.
"I think it's always better if you have one clear cut guy that goes out and wins the job," Brown said. "But if there's no separation, I think that you've seen in the past. Coach (Steve) Spurrier does it a lot, where they used multiple quarterbacks. I think there's scenarios where that can be successful."
It wasn't successful last season when Smith's fast start was derailed by injury and Kentucky played Whitlow, Towles and now-graduated Morgan Newton at various times, a system Whitlow called "awful."
"I don't feel like there's room in no offense for more than one quarterback," Whitlow said. "I feel like a quarterback needs to get his rhythm. I think it screws up the team chemistry a little bit when you're playing multiple quarterbacks."
Smith agreed, saying, "Do you see any NFL teams using two quarterbacks?"
By the time the Cats and Hilltoppers meet in Nashville, the odds are good that one quarterback will have established himself. In the meantime, they'll continue working to earn an endorsement.
"It's going to take all four of us to win games, in my opinion, and it starts now," Smith said. "Obviously, ultimately we're going to get behind whoever's the No. 1 guy. But right now, all four of us have to be leaders and just lead everybody and get better each day."
http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1532655
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
08-05-2013, 10:29 PM
Lets all pray to God that Stoops goes ahead and forgets Smith.
Its going to be a bad year with Jokers players. Lets develop Towles into a competetive SEC QB. Whitlow is another Randall Cobb type player. He doesnt need to be QB. We need his athleticism other places on the field.
Its going to be a bad year with Jokers players. Lets develop Towles into a competetive SEC QB. Whitlow is another Randall Cobb type player. He doesnt need to be QB. We need his athleticism other places on the field.
08-05-2013, 10:32 PM
I agree 110%!! :Thumbs:
From day 1 I have always thought they need to make Towles the starter because he is the better passer and definitely fits this new system the best.
From day 1 I have always thought they need to make Towles the starter because he is the better passer and definitely fits this new system the best.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
08-06-2013, 02:41 AM
It wasn't in the video but I've heard that Smith admitted his shoulder wasn't 100% & would never be 100% again. I've not been a fan of Smith & an advocate of Towles from Day 1.
The QB situation could be interesting. I wonder if it would be a good idea to redshirt Towles &/or Whitlow this year. Leave Phillips on the active roster incase, Smith goes down & only pull the redshirt of Whitlow if Smith is forced to miss significant action then. Then redshirt Phillips & Barker in 2014. Leaving a Junior & two sophomores on the active roster for 2014 season.
2015 move Whitlow to WR/Wildcat QB, then let the other four have a QB competition & redshirt the incoming freshman QB. That way you'll have a QB in every class, allowing us to redshirt the incoming QB every year. I know it sounds strange to do something like this for the upcoming season. Despite optimism surrounding the program, I still feel pestimistic about this upcoming season as we still have a lot of Joker's players, lack depth & the toughest schedule in the nation. I also don't know how Towles & his family would feel about starting out the season with a redshirt again.
The QB situation could be interesting. I wonder if it would be a good idea to redshirt Towles &/or Whitlow this year. Leave Phillips on the active roster incase, Smith goes down & only pull the redshirt of Whitlow if Smith is forced to miss significant action then. Then redshirt Phillips & Barker in 2014. Leaving a Junior & two sophomores on the active roster for 2014 season.
2015 move Whitlow to WR/Wildcat QB, then let the other four have a QB competition & redshirt the incoming freshman QB. That way you'll have a QB in every class, allowing us to redshirt the incoming QB every year. I know it sounds strange to do something like this for the upcoming season. Despite optimism surrounding the program, I still feel pestimistic about this upcoming season as we still have a lot of Joker's players, lack depth & the toughest schedule in the nation. I also don't know how Towles & his family would feel about starting out the season with a redshirt again.
08-06-2013, 05:43 PM
I have a bad feeling that if Towles doesn't get any playing times this year that he is most likely going to transfer and that would be a shame because I honestly think he should be our starter for the next 3 seasons and put Whitlow in at WR now because we could definitely use him this season.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
08-06-2013, 06:07 PM
Towles needs to be the guy. 4 wins this season is a success. Get your most talented players ready to compete next year.
08-06-2013, 06:42 PM
Who should be the UK starting QB? Let's weigh the pros and cons
By Mark Story â Herald-Leader Sports Columnist
[Image: http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2013/08...uSt.79.jpg]
When Hal Mumme installed the original Air Raid at Kentucky before the 1997 season, there was no quarterback competition. Even though Mumme inherited Billy Jack Haskins as UK's incumbent starter, the new coach named Tim Couch as Kentucky's starting quarterback in December.
Flash forward 16 years. Another new Kentucky head man, Mark Stoops, has hired former Mumme-era Kentucky wide-out Neal Brown as his offensive coordinator with the charge of bringing a pass-oriented, spread attack back to Commonwealth Stadium.
Yet Air Raid 2.0 has a very different scenario than the original did in terms of picking a starting quarterback. As Kentucky officially begins pre-season practice, an intriguing three-headed QB competition will be front and center.
Three sophomores are in the mix to be the first starting QB of the Stoops era.
Maxwell Smith has shown immense promise at Kentucky, but has had trouble staying on the field due to injuries. Patrick Towles was a Kentucky high school football legend at Fort Thomas Highlands. Jalen Whitlow was the star of UK's spring football game.
Who will Stoops and Brown choose in what shapes up as the most visible decision of the new staff's first season? Here are three pros and three cons for each of the three quarterback candidates.
[Image: http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2013/08...St.79.jpeg]
Maxwell Smith
Pros
1. In the three full games he played last season before injuries wrecked his season (and earned him a medical redshirt), the 6-foot-4, 218-pound California product averaged 322 yards a game passing and completed 68.5 percent of his throws.
2. Smith is the only QB on the UK roster with the experience of starting an SEC game that Kentucky won â he threw for 283 yards and two TDs as a true freshman making his first career start in UK's 30-13 win over Mississippi in 2011.
3. Smith's quick release and ability to make snap reads should be perfect for an Air Raid quarterback.
Cons
1. Injuries. Smith started three games in 2011 and got knocked out of action by an injured shoulder. He missed one game in 2012 because of the shoulder problem, then the final seven games because of an ankle injury. Can Smith stay on the field?
2. Smith is a pure pocket passer who brings no "dual-threat" potential to UK's spread attack.
3. Those four interceptions Smith threw in Kentucky's loss to Western Kentucky last season seem an aberration â he has thrown no picks in five of the seven UK games in which he has played extensively. Still, Smith's performance against a strong Western pass rush raises the question of how effective he will be against defenses that can make him "move his feet."
[Image: http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2013/08...St.79.jpeg]
Patrick Towles
Pros
1. In Towles' first career drive at UK last season against Mississippi State, Towles completed five of five passes for 71 yards with a 32-yard TD pass to La'Rod King. That showed a glimpse of what he can be.
2. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder has dropped 17 pounds from his listed playing weight of last season. That should enhance his ability to keep plays alive with his feet.
3. After earning Mr. Football honors and quarterbacking his Highlands team to three Kentucky state championships, Towles would be a hugely popular choice should he earn the Kentucky starting job.
Cons
1. By his own admission, Towles' passing mechanics, especially his footwork, were not where they needed to be at the end of spring practice
2. In the Blue-White Spring Game, Towles was easily the least effective (6-for-14 passing for 35 yards with an interception and a TD pass) of the three QB contenders.
3. As the only one of the quarterback candidates who has never started a game for Kentucky, Towles is the most unproven in terms of making reads and decisions under SEC-level pressure.
[Image: http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2013/08...St.79.jpeg]
Jalen Whitlow
Pros
1. Whitlow dazzled in the spring game, throwing for 193 yards (17-for-28 with no interceptions) and running for 50 yards while leading drives that yielded three touchdowns and a field goal.
2. Tim Tebow, Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel are three SEC quarterbacks who have proven the potency in a spread offense of having a signal caller who can make plays with their legs. Alone among the UK contenders, Whitlow would bring that extra dimension.
3. After surviving seven starts last season as a true freshman after Smith was sidelined with injury, Whitlow seemed to "carry himself" with a different level of confidence in the spring.
Cons
1. Whitlow went 1-6 in 2012 as a starter, 0-6 in SEC games.
2. The Prattville, Ala., product failed to complete better than 50 percent of his throws in seven different games last season.
3. He looked better throwing the ball in the spring game but, even with the potential extra dimension Whitlow would bring with his mobility, is he an accurate enough passer to run the Air Raid â an offense that is predicated on a quarterback's ability to make quick throws that hit receivers in stride?
http://www.kentucky.com/2013/08/04/27500...he-uk.html
By Mark Story â Herald-Leader Sports Columnist
[Image: http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2013/08...uSt.79.jpg]
When Hal Mumme installed the original Air Raid at Kentucky before the 1997 season, there was no quarterback competition. Even though Mumme inherited Billy Jack Haskins as UK's incumbent starter, the new coach named Tim Couch as Kentucky's starting quarterback in December.
Flash forward 16 years. Another new Kentucky head man, Mark Stoops, has hired former Mumme-era Kentucky wide-out Neal Brown as his offensive coordinator with the charge of bringing a pass-oriented, spread attack back to Commonwealth Stadium.
Yet Air Raid 2.0 has a very different scenario than the original did in terms of picking a starting quarterback. As Kentucky officially begins pre-season practice, an intriguing three-headed QB competition will be front and center.
Three sophomores are in the mix to be the first starting QB of the Stoops era.
Maxwell Smith has shown immense promise at Kentucky, but has had trouble staying on the field due to injuries. Patrick Towles was a Kentucky high school football legend at Fort Thomas Highlands. Jalen Whitlow was the star of UK's spring football game.
Who will Stoops and Brown choose in what shapes up as the most visible decision of the new staff's first season? Here are three pros and three cons for each of the three quarterback candidates.
[Image: http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2013/08...St.79.jpeg]
Maxwell Smith
Pros
1. In the three full games he played last season before injuries wrecked his season (and earned him a medical redshirt), the 6-foot-4, 218-pound California product averaged 322 yards a game passing and completed 68.5 percent of his throws.
2. Smith is the only QB on the UK roster with the experience of starting an SEC game that Kentucky won â he threw for 283 yards and two TDs as a true freshman making his first career start in UK's 30-13 win over Mississippi in 2011.
3. Smith's quick release and ability to make snap reads should be perfect for an Air Raid quarterback.
Cons
1. Injuries. Smith started three games in 2011 and got knocked out of action by an injured shoulder. He missed one game in 2012 because of the shoulder problem, then the final seven games because of an ankle injury. Can Smith stay on the field?
2. Smith is a pure pocket passer who brings no "dual-threat" potential to UK's spread attack.
3. Those four interceptions Smith threw in Kentucky's loss to Western Kentucky last season seem an aberration â he has thrown no picks in five of the seven UK games in which he has played extensively. Still, Smith's performance against a strong Western pass rush raises the question of how effective he will be against defenses that can make him "move his feet."
[Image: http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2013/08...St.79.jpeg]
Patrick Towles
Pros
1. In Towles' first career drive at UK last season against Mississippi State, Towles completed five of five passes for 71 yards with a 32-yard TD pass to La'Rod King. That showed a glimpse of what he can be.
2. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder has dropped 17 pounds from his listed playing weight of last season. That should enhance his ability to keep plays alive with his feet.
3. After earning Mr. Football honors and quarterbacking his Highlands team to three Kentucky state championships, Towles would be a hugely popular choice should he earn the Kentucky starting job.
Cons
1. By his own admission, Towles' passing mechanics, especially his footwork, were not where they needed to be at the end of spring practice
2. In the Blue-White Spring Game, Towles was easily the least effective (6-for-14 passing for 35 yards with an interception and a TD pass) of the three QB contenders.
3. As the only one of the quarterback candidates who has never started a game for Kentucky, Towles is the most unproven in terms of making reads and decisions under SEC-level pressure.
[Image: http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2013/08...St.79.jpeg]
Jalen Whitlow
Pros
1. Whitlow dazzled in the spring game, throwing for 193 yards (17-for-28 with no interceptions) and running for 50 yards while leading drives that yielded three touchdowns and a field goal.
2. Tim Tebow, Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel are three SEC quarterbacks who have proven the potency in a spread offense of having a signal caller who can make plays with their legs. Alone among the UK contenders, Whitlow would bring that extra dimension.
3. After surviving seven starts last season as a true freshman after Smith was sidelined with injury, Whitlow seemed to "carry himself" with a different level of confidence in the spring.
Cons
1. Whitlow went 1-6 in 2012 as a starter, 0-6 in SEC games.
2. The Prattville, Ala., product failed to complete better than 50 percent of his throws in seven different games last season.
3. He looked better throwing the ball in the spring game but, even with the potential extra dimension Whitlow would bring with his mobility, is he an accurate enough passer to run the Air Raid â an offense that is predicated on a quarterback's ability to make quick throws that hit receivers in stride?
http://www.kentucky.com/2013/08/04/27500...he-uk.html
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY'RE TIRED, WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY HAVE WON
Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
