McEntee to start next year?

[HomeKing93]

I do see some similarities with Cochran and Kellen Moore in that they are about the same size, both Moore and Cochran have fathers who coach, both are known for accuracy and both won Gatorade player of the year in their respective states. Just wanted to point out that Moore and Landry Jones redshirted their freshman years. If Cochran is as good as Moore, I like our future.

 

[jdb50]

We have to have a QB that can read the D and throw to 2nd or 3rd options if the primary is covered. The pick six today had Griffen double covered with a third defender ready to deliver(and then doing so) a shot if he had caught it. The ball should not have gone there. Open receivers aren't seen. We need a passer that can gain yardage with the run if things aren't there. Getting better play at this position is going to make or break this staff.

 

[Waquoit]

JMAC seems like a nice kid but when I think about his play this year the thing I will remember is the play in the endzone today. That was sort of his year recapped right there.

Too bad. I'll remember a guy having as bad a half as any QB I remember holding it together in the 2nd half and bringing the team back to within a TD with over 5 minutes left. It's not his fault that he's the best guy we have.

 

[uconnbill]

he may be our best but our best was not enough this season. He needs to improve in reads and looking off receivers.

Too bad. I'll remember a guy having as bad a half as any QB I remember holding it together in the 2nd half and bringing the team back to within a TD with over 5 minutes left. It's not his fault that he's the best guy we have.

 

[ruskin]

I hope Casey succeeds and if he is the next Kellen Moore, great. But for his sake hope he isn't overwhelmed by home-state expectations.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There is a level of willful ignorance among many of the posters on this board, especially Palatine, about the coaching staff. Pasqualoni did not recruit any of these players, including McEntee. He is in his 60's. Do you think he has an ounce of loyalty to any player on this roster? He would start Palatine if he thought it would help him win one extra game. The fact that Nebrich didn't get on the field in the last two months is much more troubling in what it says about Nebrich than in what it says about Pasqualoni.

McEntee improved leaps and bounds over the course of the year, learning a very different offense than he had learned prior to DeLeone's arrival. I recognize that he is very limited, but the endless bashing is tedious.

I hope McEntee does not have the job next year. I think Pasqualoni will make McEntee earn it in the spring and summer against whoever else is on the roster.

 

[coachcap]

No...it would be a nice surprise though. If he did then he will have to had demonstrated some superb skills, learned DeLeone's o cold, and is able to slow down the speed of the game mentally to read defenses and coverages. That means he is a special player. Not saying he can't do it..I'm just not expecting it. Do you think he is gonna be like the guys you mentioned and start from day 1 Coach?

To be honest, I have no expectations whatsoever. I've never seen him play in person. He'll come to Storrs & have to learn a whole new playbook. I will say this: If he has half the determination & football knowledge of his dad to go along with his playing ability, he can be something special.

 

[whaler11]

I do see some similarities with Cochran and Kellen Moore in that they are about the same size, both Moore and Cochran have fathers who coach, both are known for accuracy and both won Gatorade player of the year in their respective states. Just wanted to point out that Moore and Landry Jones redshirted their freshman years. If Cochran is as good as Moore, I like our future.

I see some similarities between Cochran and Peyton Manning. Both are right handed. Both have first names that would work for females.....

 

[NHUConnfan]

I'm not so sure who will be the starting QB - but I think there are other things to worry about.

Losing Moe Petrus and Mike Ryan is really going to hurt the OL.
Losing Isiah and Kashif Moore will really hurt our experience at WR.
Campbell and Reyes are going to be missed on defense.

And most importantly...

we're losing our all-time leader in points scored. That's going to be a huuuuuuuuge loss.

Who the QB is next year is the least of my concerns at the moment. At least we have options and 2/3 QB's with experience.

 

[NutmegState]

It all starts and ends with QB play. If we find a qb, we'll be good next year. If we don't, we won't.

The defense will be fine, in all likelihood, better than it was this season.
The offensive line is taking a hit, but it wasn't fantastic this season.

We need WR's, a QB, and a RB to compliment McCombs.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Casey Cochran is the next Kellen Moore. Awesome.

 

[Palatine]

Des tweeted something today about how the coaching staff will never say it publicly but they knew how limited we were offensively when they got here. No doubt the kids are trying but talent level really needs to be improved and I hope it starts with PPs first class.

They went to a BCS Bowl last year, NO SALE.

 

[FDNY99]

Pal I didn't see us score one offensive td in Glendale during that BCS game; or in Tampa when we won the game that gave us the right to play that game in Glendale.....just sayin'

 

[mattp]

No offense to JMac but I think it was pretty clear that he hit his ceiling this year. I don't seem him improving significantly from here but would love to be proved wrong.

tell me again why he hit his ceiling? he improved markedly from game 1 to last week, why wouldn't he continue to improve? his was his first year as a starter, if you really think QBs max out after their first year starting i don't know what to tell you. i'd love it if we had a better QB but to say Mac has maxxed out is pretty ignorant, especially when you consider this is the first year he has probably received more than a couple of seconds of instruction. if anything this is the type of kid we should expect a lot of improvement from. the Jimmy CLausen types that have had a QB tutor since middle school and were held back a grade so he'd be more competitive in football are the one's more likely to max out early in their college careers.

 

[mauconnfan]

There is a level of willful ignorance among many of the posters on this board, especially Palatine, about the coaching staff. Pasqualoni did not recruit any of these players, including McEntee. He is in his 60's. Do you think he has an ounce of loyalty to any player on this roster? He would start Palatine if he thought it would help him win one extra game. The fact that Nebrich didn't get on the field in the last two months is much more troubling in what it says about Nebrich than in what it says about Pasqualoni.

McEntee improved leaps and bounds over the course of the year, learning a very different offense than he had learned prior to DeLeone's arrival. I recognize that he is very limited, but the endless bashing is tedious.

I hope McEntee does not have the job next year. I think Pasqualoni will make McEntee earn it in the spring and summer against whoever else is on the roster.

He handed the ball to a lineman for a TD, threw an interception for a TD (hey the Bearcat DB was wide opn) he threw 4 more passes into defensive backs hands which weren't caught, he walked into 2 or 3 more sacks because he has no clue how to react to a rush, he threw a ball away once with plenty of time out of pure panic and he missed a few open receivers as he glared at his first option. If that was "improvement" Husky fans better hope this kid doesn't get the nod or even sit in the first 3 slots because he is just painful to watch and not capable of leading them to even a .500 season. The defense was pretty damn good all year and giftwrapped field position for him and he was unable to get W's. Nice kid I'm sure but not capable of making UConn a contender period. And what WR recruits would even think of heading to Storrs after watching this product on the field??

 

[FDNY99]

Matt although he improved his numbers, he still locks on to his primary reciever and struggles to read defenses and check down off that primary reciever. Unfortunately this kind of stuff is the reason he didn't get a scholarship to a Pac 12 school after playing at one of the best football high schools in southern calif.

tell me again why he hit his ceiling? he improved markedly from game 1 to last week, why wouldn't he continue to improve? his was his first year as a starter, if you really think QBs max out after their first year starting i don't know what to tell you. i'd love it if we had a better QB but to say Mac has maxxed out is pretty ignorant

 

[mattp]

do we really need to list the players that didn't get a scholarship out of high school and had successful careers. we've had enough success right here in Storrs with walk ons that i wouldn't think that would be necessary. believe me i know he needs work but i haven't met too many people that peak in their junior year of college so i don't know why anyone thinks he has

 

[FDNY99]

I think he did yeoman's work, and definitely displayed serious improvement from game 2 on (Fordham game doesn't count to me because we were so much more talented and physically bigger than that team)...but if he is the best we have next year we are in BIG trouble. Unless he suddenly learns to read defenses and check down off his primary reciever.

 

[huskypantz]

We have to have a QB that can read the D and throw to 2nd or 3rd options if the primary is covered. The pick six today had Griffen double covered with a third defender ready to deliver(and then doing so) a shot if he had caught it. The ball should not have gone there. Open receivers aren't seen. We need a passer that can gain yardage with the run if things aren't there. Getting better play at this position is going to make or break this staff.

Nail, meet hammer. Can we get a QB who can actually go through his progressions and find the open guy? As the announcer noted multiple times, Mac decides who he's going to throw to before the play begins. While I don't think Mac's going to significantly improve his 40 time or escapability, this is something he can improve as he becomes more familiar with the offense. As a coach's son, I am hoping that Cochran can come in and pick up progressions and reading the D at a more efficient rate than we've seen at UConn.

 

[FDNY99]

For all the stuff about Jack Cochran that can debated till the end of time (I am a Jack Cochran fan) one thing is for sure the man knows football, and has made every effort he could to make sure that Casey will be ready to compete at the next level. The only ceiling Casey Cochran will have is the amount of athletic ability he has and how he maxmizes that ability.

Nail, meet hammer. Can we get a QB who can actually go through his progressions and find the open guy? As the announcer noted multiple times, Mac decides who he's going to throw to before the play begins. While I don't think Mac's going to significantly improve his 40 time or escapability, this is something he can improve as he becomes more familiar with the offense. As a coach's son, I am hoping that Cochran can come in and pick up progressions and reading the D at a more efficient rate than we've seen at UConn.

 

[huskysupporter]

For all the stuff about Jack Cochran that can debated till the end of time (I am a Jack Cochran fan) one thing is for sure the man knows football, and has made every effort he could to make sure that Casey will be ready to compete at the next level. The only ceiling Casey Cochran will have is the amount of athletic ability he has and how he maxmizes that ability.

I think Casey will have great fundamentals, but even his father admitted in the Jeff Jacobs article that it is a huge step up, and there will be growing pains.

I want an open competition going into next year. If McEntee wins it, he wins it, but he should not be handed the role.

 

[Waquoit]

I thought Nebrich was suppose to be our savior or was it McCummings?

Trick question. The answer was Michael Box.

 

[huskyrob1]

Seems like HCPP was absolutely sold on him this year. He will have the most experience returning next year so why wouldn't he get the nod to start?

Hey at least he has experience in making a behind the back hand-off in the end zone to a defensive lineman. More YouTube material for his resume.

 

[uconndogs]

Quality kid. Not sure I could have faced the adversity and challenges he did this season and still compete the way he did.

If others looked in the mirror they might come to the same conclusion.

Very proud he wears a UCONN uniform.​

 

[Yonick]

Let's hope we get a power runner to compliment McCombs. Those extra power 5 yards can open up the passing game a bit. It's something we don't have this year.

 

[Chief00]

I thought Coach P should have at least given McCummings or Nebick a full quarter or half of uninterrupted play to see what results they could produce? Not doing so seems very stubborn to me and sending a message to the team that he accepts the type of performance McEntee delivered.

 

[CL82]

I think Casey will have great fundamentals, but even his father admitted in the Jeff Jacobs article that it is a huge step up, and there will be growing pains.

I want an open competition going into next year. If McEntee wins it, he wins it, but he should not be handed the role.

This.

I really doubt that Casey is our QB next year. I do think he's going to be something special for us down the road. No need to blow his red shirt year and have him sit on the sidelines.

 

[UConnRock]

My hopes/thoughts for next year at QB........

Along with Cochran we bring in a JUCO QB. Whitmer would be the perfect scenario as he was a 3/4 star kid with many offers who got caught up in a #'s game at Illinois. He had a RS/scout team year at Illinois along with a full and successful year in JUCO. He has three full years of eligbility, which is nice. If not Whitmer, then hopefully there is someone else out there of interest. Pasq and DeLeone are certainly going that route as Whitmer is the second JUCO guy to get an offer, the first being the Kater kid from Michigan.

That would give UConn 5 scholarship QB with McEntee, Nebrich, McCummins, Cochran, and the mystery JUCO. All except McEntee would have 3/4 years of eligibility. That creates a log jam and would certainly result in some attrition in the QB ranks, especially if the JUCO guy wins the starting spot. However, that attrition is expected, especially when a new staff is put in place. However, even if 2 left there would still be 3 QBs for next year.

 

[Jimdish255]

I think McEntee was woefully ignored for 2 years and was not coached on much more than holding a clipboard. There is great room for improvement there but it's going to take a lot of work on his part because his shortcomings are both mental and physical. He has to improve both his mobility and his command of the offense, a lot.

I'm honestly hoping Mike Nebrich can make strides this offseason and be given another shot at the position next year. Frankly I'm glad they didn't throw him in this year but he's gotten a taste of what to expect. Now he needs preparation not just to run the offense but to know what do do when the pressure comes. That and the fact that he's capable of running more of the offensive sets is where he can separate himself from JMac if he gets the reps he needs.

 

[businesslawyer]

I think Casey will have great fundamentals, but even his father admitted in the Jeff Jacobs article that it is a huge step up, and there will be growing pains.

I want an open competition going into next year. If McEntee wins it, he wins it, but he should not be handed the role.

You would have to think P and Deleone were morons to think they might simply hand JM the job. Whatever you think of the job they did this year, they are not morons.

The earliest they will lock onto a #1 for next year is the end of spring practice.