Tucker McDonald is coming back!

[Jetskies]

No it did not. It was questioned then when another conspiracy theorist mentioned it, and like you couldn’t find it. You can claim laziness if you want - it aligns with your generally deep thinking on most issues.

lol ok - see the post below. is it still a conspiracy because it doesn't say verbatim what I said it says? alrighty.

Go huskies.

https://www.courant.com/2024/08/27/...quarterback-ahead-of-saturdays-season-opener/

“(I knew he’d be the starter) probably a couple of weeks ago,” Mora said. “In this day and age, when you go out into the portal, when you have uncertainty in your quarterback room or any room on your team (…) you go out in the portal and you find a guy that you think has got talent, you don’t bring a guy in and help him get NIL opportunities unless you’re pretty convinced he’s going to be the guy. That’s the way this thing works nowadays.


“Not to disparage any of the other quarterbacks, but when you go get Nick Evers, you’re hoping that he becomes the guy. You’re cheering for them all, you’re pushing them all and you’re coaching the heck out of them all and you’re loving them all up, but you’re hoping deep down that you made the right decision.”

 

[gioff2323]

You’re an idiot. You can’t read. You can’t understand. You just spray whatever thought comes into the 3 brain cells you have.

He won the job in camp, not because of NIL. If it was NIL, porter would’ve started at wr. The temple lb would’ve started this year. Not every portal starts. Not every kid getting paid starts. They earn it.

None of us were at camp, but the thinking was that we got a good qb. Turns out he shrunk under the bright lights. In fairness, the whole team did in the opener. But NOONE said JF was the better qb in camp.

Go jets

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Great, 3 QBs on the projected ‘26 roster. At least 1 more required, possibly 2 more QBs desired for practices, injury possibilities, etc. 1 more scholarship QB, plus a PWO or so ? ? ?

 

[ScottVib]

Because we saw what happened the season before between Evers and Fagnano.

Of course at the start of the year the consensus on the Boneyard was that they didn't want to see Fagnano take a meaningful snap again and that Welliver clearly was the guy that should've started.

We saw what Fagnano did and Welliver is looking for his third program.

 

[AllHusky]

Color me crazy, but the more times I see the “Tucker Macdonald is coming back!” headline, the more excited I am that Tucker is coming back!

 

[rich1122]

Maybe Sammis called and said. You better keep that guy. He’s good.

 

[ZooCougar]

Why do folks question whether coaches play the best players. Have you ever played competitive sports above the youth level?

We actually started Nick Evers over Joe Fagnano

Have a good night

 

[ZooCougar]

None of us will ever know what happened with Easley, although a friend at bills suggested the player had issues off the field.

We all know HCJM wants a dual threat qb, period. He didn’t favor Evers, a kid he barely knew, because he recruited him. He recruited JF, too. Even Skyler advocated for nick, initially

One can always look backwards and say X is better than Y. But there is no way a coach is risking wins, his job, or the overall culture to play kids who haven’t earned it.

Jim Mora literally said that we were starting Nick Evers because we were paying him

 

[gioff2323]

Jim Mora literally said that we were starting Nick Evers because we were paying him

No he did not. We will start reading comprehension in the morning. Rest up b

 

[ZooCougar]

No he did not. We will start reading comprehension in the morning. Rest up b

Again.

Mora said they invested in Evers in bringing him in. Therefore they were invested in his success.

If he actually started Evers because he thought he was better than that is quite an indictment on Mora’s abilities to assess QB talent.

I guess since Mora thinks Nick is so great he’s probably already been offered by CSU and is looking for a condo in Fort Collins. Must be a done deal. Oh…

They started him because they were PAYING him.

 

[gioff2323]

There were maybe 3 folks outside the Fagano family that thought Joe would be better in 24. I’ll count you as one of them.

 

[Coach J]

There was one game where Joe was injured and had to come out for a play early on and Tucker not Evers replaced him. I always wondered if he had actually surpassed him on the depth chart by mid-season before his mysterious injury.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Imagine you're McDonald and you're checking out the BY to see if fans are excited you're coming back and its just these two idiots arguing about what your former coach said during preseason.

 

[RSTuthill]

Imagine you're McDonald and you're checking out the BY to see if fans are excited you're coming back and its just these two idiots arguing about what your former coach said during preseason.

Yup this is the BY, where logic does not always reign. Welcome back Tucker. We will be rooting for you.

 

[noeynox]

I don't know if it's that so much, as coaches are human and sometimes they make the wrong choice. I can see why Nick would seem like the more attractive choice prior to injury. Joe had just come off a shaky season and Evers seemed faster and had more zip on his throws. As it turned out, Joe's decision-making continued to improve where he ended up being a very good field general for us. Sometimes coaches make the wrong call, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they did it for the wrong reasons.

Shaky season? He played 6 quarters before he was lost for the year.

 

[Hskies4Ever]

Shaky season? He played 6 quarters before he was lost for the year.

Came here to say the same thing. The revisionist history in this thread is incredible.

 

[Waquoit]

Again.

Mora said they invested in Evers in bringing him in. Therefore they were invested in his success.

If he actually started Evers because he thought he was better than that is quite an indictment on Mora’s abilities to assess QB talent.

I guess since Mora thinks Nick is so great he’s probably already been offered by CSU and is looking for a condo in Fort Collins. Must be a done deal. Oh…

They started him because they were PAYING him.

Too much after the fact here. Real time, Joe was coming off an injury year. They built the offense to take advantage of Evers running ability. It was working in the first half at Duke, the toughest game on the schedule, at least. When it became apparent that Nick wasn't the guy, Mora pivoted and won 10 games. That's bad coaching? All I see you're left with is that you think Mora sucked because he went with Evers to begin with. Oh-kay.

 

[Nostical]

Jetskies is correct. NIL was a major factor. It was the first year of getting the bigger donors lined up to pay for better talent. Not playing Nick would have been "an admission that their money had been wasted". Starting him at Maryland was expected, but after the debacle at Maryland including an injury to NIck, Fagnano moved the team and threw our only touchdown. Joe then started the following week and threw for 328 yards and 5 TD's, as we crushed Merrimack. The following week at Duke Mora (surprisingly to many) re-started Nick. He threw for 128 yards and 1 TD but the offense was sputtering throughout the half and we missed several chances for big completions. The entire Husky fanbase sitting in our section (including some Duke fans) expected Mora to switch to Joe at halftime. He didn't and we lost a game we should have won. Later, in the face of some criticism of Mora, it was implied that Nick needed the opportunity to redeem himself and (wink--wink) justify the NIL.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I have always thought Tucker had potential. Glad he is with the program

 

[ZooCougar]

Too much after the fact here. Real time, Joe was coming off an injury year. They built the offense to take advantage of Evers running ability. It was working in the first half at Duke, the toughest game on the schedule, at least. When it became apparent that Nick wasn't the guy, Mora pivoted and won 10 games. That's bad coaching? All I see you're left with is that you think Mora sucked because he went with Evers to begin with. Oh-kay.

We would have won against Duke if Joe started. I think Mora sucks with QBs and clock management.

It wasn’t until Joe pulled his butt out of the fire against a horrid UAB team that he relented.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Pretty sure most programs have around 4-5 scholarship bodies in the QB room. We’re up to 3 now. Gonna be interesting to see if we bring in someone with more experience, considering our 3 current players have started one game between them.

 

[Hskies4Ever]

When Joe tied a school record for passing TDs in game 2 in less than three quarters in Game 2 after leading the only TD drive in game 1, Mora should’ve had an inkling. After Buffalo there ought to have been no doubt.

I don’t know how you can see that and think NIL had nothing to do with it.

Also. Since this is the Tucker thread - I’m very happy he’s back.

 

[UC1995]

I feel McDonald made a mistake staying.

 

[DawgEnjoyer]

I feel McDonald made a mistake staying.

Maybe? But it seems like the coaches are pretty frank with these guys.

IMO he chose to be a backup close to home vs for a shot at starting at lower level place far away.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I feel McDonald made a mistake staying.

I wasn’t gonna say it in the “welcome home” thread, but I really doubt he had many options.

 

[AllHusky]

I wasn’t gonna say it in the “welcome home” thread, but I really doubt he had many options.

Lateral move= lateral move, grass is greener move
Move up-No interest in him probably
Move down-No thanks, willing to bet on himself with the School he chose coming out of HS.

Sorta local, paid his dues, would be a great story if he beats out all comers. Don't think there will be any speculation that he who has most NIL starts this time. Candle seems like he'll adhere to the "who gives us the best chance to win" over all other variables.

 

[ScottVib]

McDonald, will be entering his 4th year of college ball (potentially he gets last year's eligibility back, giving him a potential sixth year) will still be the most experienced QB on the roster. Osborne & Merklinger will be entering their 3rd year and Polston will be a true freshman. All the returnees have logged limited on field time, with Osborne having the only start... I think he'll have a chance to compete and given where he was on the pecking order of portal QBs, that's probably all he can ask for.

 

[Nameless]

McDonald, will be entering his 4th year of college ball (potentially he gets last year's eligibility back, giving him a potential sixth year) will still be the most experienced QB on the roster. Osborne & Merklinger will be entering their 3rd year and Polston will be a true freshman. All the returnees have logged limited on field time, with Osborne having the only start... I think he'll have a chance to compete and given where he was on the pecking order of portal QBs, that's probably all he can ask for.

I have a feeling even if Merklinger is firmly entrenched as the starter we will see Osborne in some designed run plays. Seems like that was how they used him at Toledo last year

 

[rich1122]

Why did MacDonald stay?

 

[UConnJim]

Why did MacDonald stay?

Probably for a couple of reasons. He is coming off injury, he should get his UConn degree in one more year, he gets to compete for QB1 and with an injury, he could be QB1, getting money, close to family.