I had a whole piece planned for this morning, but From Old Virginia already did it and did it better, so here's a link to their excellent post on the subject.
I agree with just about everything said in that piece, by the way. I think it's a really excellent write-up overview of the situation at hand. Please tap the link and read it.
I love that post. Best thing I've seen breaking down Sims-to-UVA. However, I might adjust his percentages of opinions to the following:
A) 20% think Sims should instantly be named the starter, or are so certain that he'll win the QB1 battle over Rocco that the contest is merely a formality.
B) 50% think Rocco will be defending his job in fall camp in an open competition, and will probably lose that competition to Sims, who is the more talented player and who brings more to the table in terms of upside and potential overall growth of the program.
C) 25% think Rocco will be defending his job in fall camp in an open competition, and will win the competition due to his on-field experience, success over the second half of last season, familiarity with Lazor's playbook, and command of the offense.
D) 5% think this whole thing is going to cause such a hassle and potentially disrupt chemistry so severely that it's not worth it, and wish Sims would just transfer to Richmond or ODU instead.
Personally, I probably fall in with the 50% at option 'B.' But I could also see 'C' happening, because Lazor will value the kid he's spent the last two seasons building up into his triggerman. Many people will claim they don't fall into 'A' camp, but they do. I can't really blame them -- Rocco had his struggles last season, and Sims brings the kind of talent (and hype) that can quickly put stars in your eyes. The people who fall under 'D'... well... I think they are just over-thinking this thing too much. You have a chance to add a 5-star quarterback who is considered a legend in your most important recruiting region, you freaking do it without hesitation.
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| Tom Hauck for ESPN.com |
Adding Sims to the roster is an easy decision. It's a no-brainer. But figuring out what to do with him once he's here is a tricky situation, and it's vitally important that Coach London handles all of this correctly, lest he'll give rival recruiters plenty of ammunition to use against us.
If he shows any sort of favoritism toward Sims, it will reinforce the assertion laid out recently by Jared Green, that London is a shameless 757 homer, and will give the Hampton Roads kids an unfair advantage within his program. To that point, Green said:
"[Mike London's] agenda was to play receivers from the Tidewater area because that’s where he recruits. I went home that summer and told my parents I wanted to transfer. My mom said, ‘No. You’ve got two more semesters. Graduate from UVA.’ I said, ‘OK. Who knows? This coach might be an awesome guy.’ He wasn’t. Coaches can manipulate your mind and tell lies. They can hide behind the program and make a kid look like an outcast."
Harsh words, but an overarching message that you can be sure Hokie recruiters have already printed on tee-shirts and posters for their anti-London recruiting campaign. It's a concept they will certainly use against us in our battles to land any/all non-757 recruits.
However, if London overcompensates the other direction, and gives Rocco too much leeway in the inevitable competition with Sims, then that 757 pipeline could quickly dry up just as easily as it began flowing. And make no mistake -- if Virginia wants to become a nationally-relevant program, talent from the Tidewater has to be its lifeblood. Richmond, DC-Metro, and out of state recruits are important, but it's Hampton Roads that will make our program great... or cripple it.
So this whole thing will end up being bigger than Phillip Sims, Mike Rocco, and the decision on who will be our starting QB for this season (and beyond.) It could end up deciding the ultimate success or failure of Mike London as UVA's head coach.
It's a riveting story to follow this summer. Can't wait.
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