What happens with Roberson next year

[SubbaBub]

We are averaging like 100 yards passing per game. Zion has been solid at not doing dumb things but he's hardly lighting the world on fire. If Roberson beat him this year, he can likely get another shot.

Zion aint Lou Gehrig
Roberson aint wally pipp

open competition next spring

Exactly, but 230yds/game with 2 ints/game isn't better, it's worse. ZT is more about missed opportunities than mistakes once we got past Mich/NCSt. He is completing at a decent % and has gone downfield more as the season has gone on. He has also been passing more on non-obvious passing downs. I don't think his accuracy has improved and he is still clearly not making his progressions well enough, but he is making enough plays to have won these games and credibly protect the running game, a reason Millen can't be out there.

My assumption is that he will need to improve most on reading and reacting to defenses if he wants to be a credible threat as a passer next season. While TR got bounced from PSU for panicking in games, ZT clearly doesn't panic so much as not understanding how much time he doesn't have to get rid of the ball. But even that has improved some.

We'll see what happens. He could make a huge leap and become a stud or top out as serviceable and easily replaceable. I wouldn't be surprised by either, but no one on the roster should expect to be handed the job, nor being recruited over.

 

[Palatine]

I guess it was only a matter of time before Pal was arguing for the backup QB. All it takes it a healthy backup.

I'm arguing for a fair QB competition. And I'm sure that Mora will have one.

So you think ZT should get the job and get every practie snap as has been postured on this thread? Do you have an opinion? Let's hear your position.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I feel like he still wins the job if he's fully recovered. He's a true dual threat that fits Charlton's system better. But we'll have a very good competition to start.

 

[ChampHusky]

Punt this thread until next March. Having this debate now has just as much value as arguing who should be starting kicker next year? McFadden or Ruelas. Focus on Army!

 

[Husky25]

Such hard luck getting injured in the 1st game and 1st quarter. But in reality what will the poor kid do now ?

He throws his helmet in the mix to reclaim his position again. This is certainly a run-first offense, but Turner is averaging 102 passing yards/game. Those are wishbone passing numbers, only Turner doesn't have the rushing stats typical of an option QB.

I also don't think one can say that he has not made costly mistakes. One example was the interception on 3rd & 12 with 2:11 in the 1st half that let Liberty back in the game. If UConn had a defense akin to any other season since the Fiesta Bowl, that would have been it. Game over. Aaron Turner, Joly, and KC have stepped up among the injuries to the receiving corps., but Mora needs to pull someone in from The Portal who can get consistent separation, downfield or otherwise.

All that said, I think there is another 4-way (minimum) QB battle next year.

A bigger question is how to handle the potential void at linebacker if Ian Swenson and Jackson Mitchell decide to move on. On the other hand, NIL may play a hand in them staying. Swenson has the COVID year remaining, If I understand it correctly, and Mitchell is a Junior with additional COVID eligibility. He is also among the top 15 college linebackers, at a minimum.

 

[Slick]

He throws his helmet in the mix to reclaim his position again. This is certainly a run-first offense, but Turner is averaging 102 passing yards/game. Those are wishbone passing numbers, only Turner doesn't have the rushing stats typical of an option QB.

I also don't think one can say that he has not made costly mistakes. One example was the interception on 3rd & 12 with 2:11 in the 1st half that let Liberty back in the game. If UConn had a defense akin to any other season since the Fiesta Bowl, that would have been it. Game over. Aaron Turner, Joly, and KC have stepped up among the injuries to the receiving corps., but Mora needs to pull someone in from The Portal who can get consistent separation, downfield or otherwise.

All that said, I think there is another 4-way (minimum) QB battle next year.

A bigger question is how to handle the potential void at linebacker if Ian Swenson and Jackson Mitchell decide to move on. On the other hand, NIL may play a hand in them staying. Swenson has the COVID year remaining, If I understand it correctly, and Mitchell is a Junior with additional COVID eligibility. He is also among the top 15 college linebackers, at a minimum.

You can not give an honest QB assessment on Turner because he hasn’t had the weapons with our top receivers injured. He has thrown some incredible passes right on the numbers that were dropped. He threw 2 beautiful deep balls to clercius sat . One he just dropped. The other he caught for a touchdown.

 

[Dizzy21]

You can not give an honest QB assessment on Turner because he hasn’t had the weapons with our top receivers injured. He has thrown some incredible passes right on the numbers that were dropped. He threw 2 beautiful deep balls to clercius sat . One he just dropped. The other he caught for a touchdown.

He had a high 3 star receiver who is now at Auburn and a 4 star with offers from everywhere in high school and he still only threw for 125 yards a game during his high school career. Yeah, maybe he turns out to be a passer by some miracle, but everything points to him being what he is, a dude who throws for 100 yards a game.

 

[businesslawyer]

You can not give an honest QB assessment on Turner because he hasn’t had the weapons with our top receivers injured. He has thrown some incredible passes right on the numbers that were dropped. He threw 2 beautiful deep balls to clercius sat . One he just dropped. The other he caught for a touchdown.

The vast majority of folks here aren't saying anything negative about Zion. You don't have to defend his play or his potential. Saying that he hasn't played well enough to keep someone who was ahead of him before getting hurt from, when he's totally healthy, having a chance to win his job back is not saying something bad.

 

[GoConn]

I really like what Turner has done as a true freshman and I think Roberson has potential.

BUT, if there is a high level experienced P5 QB transfer in the portal this offseason and UConn can bring him in, that would be massive for next season.

 

[Husky25]

Sure I can. Pick a metaphor: "You play the hand you are dealt," "A good carpenter doesn't blame his tools," etc.

I'm not saying that UConn is winning despite Turner, but other than being a "winner," as Mora describes him (and I have no reason to doubt Mora), I don't think he is separating himself, from a physical skill perspective, from other QBs in the room entering the 2023 season.

That said, on paper nothing of what I wrote (other than thinking there will be a competition) is opinion.

1. 102 yards/game are wishbone QB passing numbers, while 340 gross positive rushing yards (i.e. not counting sacks or tackles for a loss) are not.

2. Without the benefit of hindsight, the interception late in the 2nd quarter was a costly mistake. Turner had nearly five seconds of a clean pocket and threw it almost directly to the Liberty DB. The ball was not tipped, dropped, or deflected and Liberty scored 17 straight point vs a nearly spent UConn defense.

3. UConn needs receivers, whether from the portal, new recruit, or coming back from injury who can get consistent separation. The receivers on the field are trying their best (everyone is), but it is obvious that Charlton does not have much faith in going downfield more than a few times/game, because UConn does not throw it downfield more than a few times per game. In modern football, offenses go vertical with the intent to draw a DPI. That is not the case here.

 

[UCPharma11]

All the eggs in the Zion basket. IDK what you other guys are smoking. He is our future. End of discussion.

 

[businesslawyer]

All the eggs in the Zion basket. IDK what you other guys are smoking. He is our future. End of discussion.

Please explain to me. Do you think that you saying “end of discussion” is supposed to convince people you must be right? Magically cause them to let you have the last word? I truly don’t understand.

 

[gtcam]

Zion is the QB this year
With the transfer portal who knows next year
I'm all for Mora saying it's his to lose but there very well may be a change come next fall - who knows?
Let's get through Army and a bowl game

 

[CCSUblue]

There will surely be turnover in the room. At this point, Cale is just here to get his degree from a great university, maybe learn how to be a TE to get into the league. So then you have ZT, TR, and Tyler Phommachanh. Two of them are recovering from ACL tears. You've got the kid from Mass coming in but no one in line to graduate. And you've got the transfer portal where you'll get several talented back ups. A few upper class men that want to win something. And plenty of freshman and sophomore a that feel like they can get a better chance elsewhere. All this to say that there are options. And if ZT is in the driver's seat, he better learn how to get past third gear and lock that job down.

 

[UConnJim]

Obviously, there will be a competition at every position every year and QB is no different. And, college QBs get hurt all the time. Last year, UConn lost Tyler Phommachanh to injury and UConn had multiple QBs with injuries this year as well. When Turner went in as QB this year after Roberson got hurt, both Millen and Tyler Phommachanh were not ready to be the full time QB. There will be plenty of opportunities for 2 or 3 QBs to get a chance to play and prove themselves every year.

 

[Husky68]

If I'm the QB (or even backup who is pretty good) at Texas with a Manning coming in I'm looking at transferring to UConn. Good offensive line, good running backs, good receivers coming back healthy (hopefully), good coaches and no QB who has "solidly taken" the starting job.

There are a lot of scenarios for next year at QB, mine might be kind of dumb but there will be lot of competition for the starting job next year both from the 4 guys currently here, the freshman and from the portal (maybe).

 

[DoctorWho85]

If I'm the QB (or even backup who is pretty good) at Texas with a Manning coming in I'm looking at transferring to UConn. Good offensive line, good running backs, good receivers coming back healthy (hopefully), good coaches and no QB who has "solidly taken" the starting job.

There are a lot of scenarios for next year at QB, mine might be kind of dumb but there will be lot of competition for the starting job next year both from the 4 guys currently here, the freshman and from the portal (maybe).

Hear me out, what if we flip Manning

 

[Husky68]

Hear me out, what if we flip Manning

I live in New Orleans, tell me what I need to do to get him to switch when I go watch the kid play basketball (he is pretty good) for Newman and I'm on it!

 

[CCSUblue]

Hear me out, what if we flip Manning

I thought we were getting Ewer's mullet to play QB.

 

[Palatine]

Hear me out, what if we flip Manning

If we flip Manning, Zion is the QB. End of discussion.

 

[PNolanFan]

Think about where we were 1 year ago in the QB room? Impossible to say at this point where we will be next year. I imagine if he chooses he will have an opportunity to compete for the job. He could transfer, zion could transfer, they could retire or stop playing football, we could sign a qb from high school or a transfer, just too many variables

 

[businesslawyer]

Think about where we were 1 year ago in the QB room? Impossible to say at this point where we will be next year. I imagine if he chooses he will have an opportunity to compete for the job. He could transfer, zion could transfer, they could retire or stop playing football, we could sign a qb from high school or a transfer, just too many variables

Not to mention, coming of a knee injury we don't even know that he'll be truly ready to play next season.

 

[Husky25]

Think about where we were 1 year ago in the QB room? Impossible to say at this point where we will be next year. I imagine if he chooses he will have an opportunity to compete for the job. He could transfer, zion could transfer, they could retire or stop playing football, we could sign a qb from high school or a transfer, just too many variables

Over on the recruiting board, it looks like UConn has signed a QB from Massachusetts. Also don't forget about Zermeno, the R-Fr from the Portal who committed earlier in the season.

Mid-Wach schools from Central MA are traditionally running teams, but his highlight films indicates a strong arm as well as some touch and can scramble. He's a bit lean at 6'-2", 180lbs, and will probably redshirt, but those are two more bodies that were not in the 2022 preseason QB meeting room.

 

[huskymedic]

Over on the recruiting board, it looks like UConn has signed a QB from Massachusetts. Also don't forget about Zermeno, the R-Fr from the Portal who committed earlier in the season.

Mid-Wach schools from Central MA are traditionally running teams, but his highlight films indicates a strong arm as well as some touch and can scramble. He's a bit lean at 6'-2", 180lbs, and will probably redshirt, but those are two more bodies that were not in the 2022 preseason QB meeting room.

2023 UConn Football Commit - Tucker McDonald (Holden, MA)

Tucker McDonald is a 6-2 195lb QB from Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, MA. Other offers from Assumption, BGSU, Bryant, Buffalo, Columbia, Fordham, Harvard, Lafayette, LIU, Monmouth, New Hampshire, ODU, Rhode Island, Rutgers, WKU and Yale. Highlights

the-boneyard.com

 

[CL82]

You can not give an honest QB assessment on Turner because he hasn’t had the weapons with our top receivers injured. He has thrown some incredible passes right on the numbers that were dropped. He threw 2 beautiful deep balls to clercius sat . One he just dropped. The other he caught for a touchdown.

True, but those weren’t his only passes in this weekend wasn’t his only game. Zion shows a lot of the weaknesses you would expect from a true freshman quarterback. He tends to lock onto one receiver and has been missing open people. His touch has been far from perfect and he has overthrown people regularly. Again, though, that’s to be expected for a freshman quarterback. In spite of all of that, he has led us to bowl eligibility. He has improved every week and it is probably reasonable to think that trend will continue.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he should be anointed as quarterback for life, and there absolutely should be an open competition for QB next year, but I think the position is Turners to lose, particularly if he makes a normal sophomore jump. If we end up going to a bowl game, Zion, in particular, is going to benefit from those extra weeks of practice.

We are fortunate to have him.