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http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-ss-developing-qbs-0903-20150902-story.html
Last years we lost Casey who had offers from Yale, now Bryant Sheriffs who also had Ivy offers is our leader.
From the attached Courant article...
Bryant Shirreffs had all the makings of an elite quarterback as he led Jefferson High School to a Georgia state championship in 2012.
Shirreffs passed for 2,369 yards and 18 touchdowns and ran for 1,372 yards and 20 touchdowns. College recruiters loved his skill as a quarterback and some of the best institutions in the country were drawn to his intellect.
Offers from Yale and Dartmouth were nice, but Shirreffs decided to pursue big-time football at North Carolina State, an ACC school. But even a kid with Ivy League intelligence was surprised by what big-time college football required.
"I underestimated the depth of knowledge I needed in all aspects," Shirreffs said. "In high school, you could get by, and not even know the play. Just finding somebody open. Improvisation was big in high school. Not in college."
I can't imagine anyone playing quarterback at this level without above-average intelligence. I think it's critical- UConn assistant Don Patterson
Shirreffs mastered the playbook and played at N.C. State as a freshman, but he elected to transfer when the program changed its offensive system. After sitting out a year, he's expected to be the starting quarterback at UConn this season.
And the studying continues.
Forget the physical skills required to play quarterback in college. The position also requires leadership, maturity, presence and, perhaps most important, intelligence.
The Huskies have been on a perennial search for a productive passer. Ten years after Dan Orlovsky left for the NFL, UConn has been looking for a leader — from junior college players such as Tyler Lorenzen and Chandler Whitmer to promising transfers such as Zach Frazer from Notre Dame and Shirreffs, UConn has taken many routes to finding a quarterback.
The program is not alone. As offenses have become more complex and defensive schemes more challenging,the college quarterback must possess a unique skill set.
"I can't imagine anyone playing quarterback at this level without above-average intelligence. I think it's critical," said UConn assistant Don Patterson, who has been a quarterbacks coach and offensive assistant at programs such as Iowa and Buffalo. "The game happens at a very rapid pace and you've got to be able to process information very, very efficiently and very, very rapidly. You've got to be a quick thinker. You've got to be bright."
UConn had a player who fit the mold in Casey Cochran, but his career was cut short because of multiple concussions. Patterson said all three UConn quarterbacks (Shirreffs, Tim Boyle and Garrett Anderson) are "smart guys."
Last years we lost Casey who had offers from Yale, now Bryant Sheriffs who also had Ivy offers is our leader.
From the attached Courant article...
Bryant Shirreffs had all the makings of an elite quarterback as he led Jefferson High School to a Georgia state championship in 2012.
Shirreffs passed for 2,369 yards and 18 touchdowns and ran for 1,372 yards and 20 touchdowns. College recruiters loved his skill as a quarterback and some of the best institutions in the country were drawn to his intellect.
Offers from Yale and Dartmouth were nice, but Shirreffs decided to pursue big-time football at North Carolina State, an ACC school. But even a kid with Ivy League intelligence was surprised by what big-time college football required.
"I underestimated the depth of knowledge I needed in all aspects," Shirreffs said. "In high school, you could get by, and not even know the play. Just finding somebody open. Improvisation was big in high school. Not in college."
I can't imagine anyone playing quarterback at this level without above-average intelligence. I think it's critical- UConn assistant Don Patterson
Shirreffs mastered the playbook and played at N.C. State as a freshman, but he elected to transfer when the program changed its offensive system. After sitting out a year, he's expected to be the starting quarterback at UConn this season.
And the studying continues.
Forget the physical skills required to play quarterback in college. The position also requires leadership, maturity, presence and, perhaps most important, intelligence.
The Huskies have been on a perennial search for a productive passer. Ten years after Dan Orlovsky left for the NFL, UConn has been looking for a leader — from junior college players such as Tyler Lorenzen and Chandler Whitmer to promising transfers such as Zach Frazer from Notre Dame and Shirreffs, UConn has taken many routes to finding a quarterback.
The program is not alone. As offenses have become more complex and defensive schemes more challenging,the college quarterback must possess a unique skill set.
"I can't imagine anyone playing quarterback at this level without above-average intelligence. I think it's critical," said UConn assistant Don Patterson, who has been a quarterbacks coach and offensive assistant at programs such as Iowa and Buffalo. "The game happens at a very rapid pace and you've got to be able to process information very, very efficiently and very, very rapidly. You've got to be a quick thinker. You've got to be bright."
UConn had a player who fit the mold in Casey Cochran, but his career was cut short because of multiple concussions. Patterson said all three UConn quarterbacks (Shirreffs, Tim Boyle and Garrett Anderson) are "smart guys."