Big news — DaMarcus Smith eligible

I agree with oldguystudent. I'm starting to think that Coach Mac wouldn't trade McNulty even for a qb like Hackenburg or Dak Prescott. It'll be interesting to see if Smith truly gets the opportunity to win the job in the fall.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Cr1028

Thank you for immediately taking it to the extreme and absurd level.

Football smart is pretty much what I'm talking about. I was just thinking about our "other" QB with "great potential" who never seems to have academic problems, but his biggest weakness (according to most who assess him) is his lack of enthusiasm for learning the playbook.

If you're talking about football smart, then why are his academic grades (thus my references to academic things) a concern to you? How about something less absurd, and more down-to-earth (if he's taking the most basic level of science/history classes): the photosynthesis cycle or the War of 1812?

He obviously needs to be smart enough to pass his classes. He accomplished this. So now, his chance to prove he's football-smart comes over the summer/fall.

When you refer to DW, I agree. If he's not checking down like he needs to (thus trying to out-athlete or force throws), then his turnover ratio goes up... and no matter how much Chico likes him, McCarney is not having that.

DT was one who had his fair share of INTs, but he also threw the ball away more times than not rather than risking a fumble/INT doing something dumb.

For those of you in the know...

They said during the Spring, that Smith could not even have a playbook to study, let alone practice with the team. Does he get one today? What level of contact can he have with the team over the Summer? Is he fully vested now, like any other player? Can he strength train with the team? Can he throw passes to WRs on the Dickey fields or Apogee?

im still trying to understand how people think mac is attached to mcnulty and he is some sort of golden boy.

mac allowed a player with no D1 experience and limited juco experience to start the season last year. no mcnulty.

then dajon got his chance over mcnulty. it took multiple qb failures for mcnulty to get in. are people paying attention?

then in the spring, we try to bring in a juco qb, and open up the qb competition. after the spring, he still leaves the door open for smith to take the job from a senior qb with experience.

this is far from being pro mcnulty.

its up to smith and chico to get the job done.

im still trying to understand how people think mac is attached to mcnulty and he is some sort of golden boy.

mac allowed a player with no D1 experience and limited juco experience to start the season last year. no mcnulty.

then dajon got his chance over mcnulty. it took multiple qb failures for mcnulty to get in. are people paying attention?

then in the spring, we try to bring in a juco qb, and open up the qb competition. after the spring, he still leaves the door open for smith to take the job from a senior qb with experience.

this is far from being pro mcnulty.

its up to smith and chico to get the job done.

Exactly. They would not have taken the risk on Smith, especially with 5 other scholarship QBs already on the roster, if he wasn't going to be given every shot to take the job.

This is good news but I feel the only chance he had to be a day 1 starter depended on him being eligible for spring.

I posted this in the other thread. I don't think the time he has will be insufficient to win the job if he can win over Mac by doing what he likes (staying within the playbook and knowing it), given his obvious talent advantage.

Something to remember; in 2013 Dajon Williams pushed Derek Thompson all the way through fall camp as a true freshman, and one who had just arrived rather than a spring-enrollee like Connor Means was. Thompson was not declared the starter until the week we were going to play Idaho.

I saw someone post on here before that they heard Dajon lost out once the playbook started expanding and he couldn't keep up with the playbook knowledge, which is very believable. Smith has been here for a while and will have more time to learn the playbook than Dajon did. If Smith can get it down and play within it it's not unrealistic to think he could start game 1. After the way the spring competition went I expect all the huddle 1 reps to go to Mcnulty and Smith.

im still trying to understand how people think mac is attached to mcnulty and he is some sort of golden boy.

mac allowed a player with no D1 experience and limited juco experience to start the season last year. no mcnulty.

then dajon got his chance over mcnulty. it took multiple qb failures for mcnulty to get in. are people paying attention?

then in the spring, we try to bring in a juco qb, and open up the qb competition. after the spring, he still leaves the door open for smith to take the job from a senior qb with experience.

this is far from being pro mcnulty.

its up to smith and chico to get the job done.

did you know Mac knows McNulty's dad? probably even shared a beer with him.

case closed.

did you know Mac knows McNulty's dad? probably even shared a beer with him.

case closed.

yes i knew that. and considering that fact, mcnulty would have been in there SOONER!!!!

if my buddy brought my son in to play qb on his team, and he couldnt beat out DT....even after pick 6s...

then you try to bring in BB an unproven JUCO guy while my son is still a backup, to take the job from DT. then 2013 starts, and Dajon plays against idaho and is allowed to throw a little.

2014 starts and after the greer performance at UT, mac had every opportunity to do his friend a favor by inserting his son. had it been my son and the head coach was my buddy, i would have called and said you really starting that kid over my boy...instead, mac gives greer two more starts. then dajon get 3 starts...come on.

far from a conspiracy.

GOMG2013:

Year 1:True freshman with NO other scholly offers just happens to come in his very first game game for the sole purpose of scoring the first touchdown in our long-awaited new stadium. Thompson goes down and same true freshman starts over a 3 star 6'4" juco transfer. Goes on to finish the season with 1 TD and 3 INTs.

Year 2: Thompson stays healthy so true sophomore redshirts.

Year 3: Thompson is a senior and has his best year, we go bowling and redshirt sophomore is relegated to mopup duty.

Year 4: Game 1, backs up a 6'5" 2 star juco transfer, juco goes 2/11 for 8yds and 1ints, redshirt junior comes in to go 1/6 for 7 yards with 2INTs(1 for td).

Game 2, juco transfer goes 9/12 for 86yds, no int or td, rs junior comes in for mopup duty, goes 3/5 for 22yds, no ints or tds.

Game 3, juco goes 13/27 for 77yds with no int or td, falls out of favor, redshirt freshman comes in and goes 5/7 for 98yds and leads 3 td drives. No redshirt junior this game for unknown reasons.

Game 4, fanbase pressure leads to redshirt freshman being named starter, has good game against very poor opponent going 11/14 for 176yds and 3tds. Redshirt junior comes in to mopup going 2/3 for 26yds, no tds or ints.

Game 5, redshirt freshman struggles but is only qb to see action, goes 18/34 for 205yd, 3td, 2int.

Game 6, redshirt freshman becomes turnover machine, goes 11/21 for 124yds 1td 2int(both tds) and finds his way to the doghouse. redshirt junior comes in and goes 9/14 for 167yds and 1 td. good game

Game 7, redshirt junior new starter, only qb coach trusts, goes 20/35 for 287, no ints or tds, good game

Game 8, redshirt junior goes 15/33 for 186yds 1td and 1int(for td). not a good game

Game 9, redshirt junior goes 12/16 for 107yds 1td and 1 int, not a good game

Game 10, redshirt junior goes 16/28 for 107yds 1td and 1 int, not a good game

Game 11, redshirt junior goes 9/20 for 105yds 1td and 2ints(1 for td), terrible game but is not benched as his predecessors were

Game 12, rs junior goes 24/43 for 287yds and 1td, good game

McNulty is just as turnover prone as the other quarterbacks and is in no way a better "bus driver". That narrative is a boldfaced lie to allow a certain extended family member to live his dreams as a D1 qb. I have no doubt that DW would have performed better in games 8 through 11 and believe Greer might have too(his performance in games 2 and 3 are no worse than McNulty in games 8-11). McNulty should have been benched in game 11 but wasn't because of the favoritism that you say does not exist.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Cr1028

This whole conspiracy thing is asinine and needs to stop.

McNulty's turnover rate is quantifiably lower than Dajon's.

Other than turnovers, any other reason why Dajon isn't the starter is just speculation. Maybe he's in the doghouse, maybe he doesn't want to put on headphones and do his duty as a backup QB. Whatever.

No doubt that McNulty has not had a good game. Dajon did not have a statistically good game at Indiana against one of the worst passing D's in 2014, and against UAB. Turnovers.

All our QBs have issues. We're not very good at the position. If I was the coach, yeah I would have stuck with Dajon after UAB. But I'm not, and you're not.

Only way Smith can win is to show that he's the safest option. Narrative should stay around how Smith can beat McNulty, not this weird clubhouse mirage people are creating.

Humbug, I am getting lunch.

I don't care if my QB can't explain theoretical physics or knows anything about the Peloponnesian Wars.

I feel the QB needs to be (if at all possible) the football-smartest guy on the field.

Let's not forget, Vince Young scored a 6 on the Wonderlic.

Its college football you dont need the smartest guy.

I feel the play book thing is over blown. The offense was simplified to help the QBs. Its not like we have some 400 page playbook. Smith can easily over come the hurdle to win the QB battle. He has the better talent, he just needs to show sound decision making on the field.

As far as I'm concerned this is now Smiths job to lose and it's Canales' job to try and keep. Canales is on his last leg and I'm sure he is fully aware of that. If he can't get Smith up to par (a part of his job) then he very well might not have a job.

I like the one about fan base pressure leading to redshirt freshman starting. That's good stuff. This thread reeks of aluminum foil head gear.

As far as I'm concerned this is now Smiths job to lose and it's Canales' job to try and keep. Canales is on his last leg and I'm sure he is fully aware of that. If he can't get Smith up to par (a part of his job) then he very well might not have a job.

If the OL comes through well enough, we've definitely (IMO) got enough pieces on offense to score enough points to win quite a few games this year. Without a solid QB with big play potential under center, I retract my previous statement.

I'm confused, were those highlights of a qb who could throw a spiral and hit a man in stride? Haven't seen that in a long time. I've seen enough, start the man!

Edited May 19, 2015 by the green rokemi

Very good news. Hopefully he's our team's guy. I hope he has an o-line too. 

On a side note, I don't know if Mac thinks a lot before he speaks. Speaking about how behind a player is instead of expecting great things out of him is not a great way to motivate. It gives the appearance of playing favorites and at the end of the day its bad leadership. Publicly he should have spoke about how talented he is, what a great recruit he is, the great news of his eligibility and privately he should have spoken to the player about expectations and goals. That's just me though...

Very good news. Hopefully he's our team's guy. I hope he has an o-line too. 

On a side note, I don't know if Mac thinks a lot before he speaks. Speaking about how behind a player is instead of expecting great things out of him is not a great way to motivate. It gives the appearance of playing favorites and at the end of the day its bad leadership. Publicly he should have spoke about how talented he is, what a great recruit he is, the great news of his eligibility and privately he should have spoken to the player about expectations and goals. That's just me though...

​Don't suggest Mac might be playing favorites, it will get you lumped in with the Alex Jones, black helicopter crowd.

As far as I'm concerned this is now Smiths job to lose and it's Canales' job to try and keep. Canales is on his last leg and I'm sure he is fully aware of that. If he can't get Smith up to par (a part of his job) then he very well might not have a job.

​I hope you are right. 

Very good news. Hopefully he's our team's guy. I hope he has an o-line too. 

On a side note, I don't know if Mac thinks a lot before he speaks. Speaking about how behind a player is instead of expecting great things out of him is not a great way to motivate. It gives the appearance of playing favorites and at the end of the day its bad leadership. Publicly he should have spoke about how talented he is, what a great recruit he is, the great news of his eligibility and privately he should have spoken to the player about expectations and goals. That's just me though...

​You could also flip that around and say that he is using it to motivate DS by reminding him of how he put himself behind by failing to take care of business in the classroom, and that he will have to work overtime to catch up. 

Part of leadership is to put your key people under a little stress and see if they focus, or fold.