Personally, I couldn't agree more with what he's saying. OL recruiting has been criminally sub-par under London. And though we've lured in a few studs on the DL, there's no reason we should be flirting with disaster with such a thin depth chart.
I'd like to add one more beef with London's recruiting: the quarterback position heading into the 2014 season.
So right now, we have incumbent David Watford, who can throw but isn't a passer; who is fast but isn't a runner. He's not a QB we can win with, in my humble opinion. Then there's Greyson Lambert, who really looks the part... until you begin to factor in the way things look when he's on the field. Also, reports that he's struggled with confidence do very little to entice me into confidence that he'll ever be "the guy" at UVA. (A quarterback with a fragile psyche is exactly the opposite of what we need right now.) Then there's Matt Johns and Brendan Marshall. Who knows how good these guys might be? But I do know that it's pretty clear they were brought in to be career backups. And finally, Corwin Cutler. They say he's got the goods. We'll see, I guess. But I can tell you that we're doomed to failure if a true freshman wins our starting quarterback job in 2014.
Newsflash: WE NEED A FUCKING QUARTERBACK. LIKE, RIGHT FUCKING NOW.
Are there no graduating seniors with a post-grad year of eligibility floating around out there? Like Wisconsin with Russell Wilson? Are there no FCS-level gunslingers we could bring in and not have to worry about them sitting out a year as per transfer rules? Are there no JUCO kids ready to get behind center at UVA?
For all the shuffling of deck chairs on the Titanic London is doing on the recruiting trail right now, it mystifies me - nay, it INFURIATES me - that we're not kicking the tires on veteran quarterbacks who could step right in and start for us in 2014.
Lots and lots of problems are going to add up to Mike London being fired in November 2014. Gross mismanagement of the quarterback position is chief among those problems.
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I think the Sims debacle left a bad taste in my mouth, but I don't see a QB transferring in as a huge step up behind our dumpster fire of an offensive line next year. Lambert is probably our best option, and it's kind of unfair to judge him on the limited minutes he got in garbage time this year. It's terrifying to me that the only starter we can really pencil in on the OL next year is Eric Smith...
ReplyDeleteI have to think London would only risk his job with a transfer QB if that was the only position that was missing from the offense. The above poster is correct, if the line is not fixed we could have Peyton Manning back there and it wouldn't matter.
ReplyDeleteAgree that nothing matters if the line isn't "fixed," but an experienced QB is sorely missing from the offense, good o-line or not. I fail to see how London would be risking his job with an experienced transfer. I think he's risking his job WITHOUT one.
ReplyDeleteNot like he's going to keep his job, anyway. Let's not be coy.
The tenor of the discussion on recruiting should reflect the "state of the program".
ReplyDeleteHow can we expect London to bring in a QB to save the program next year, after a 2-10 season? It is hard enough to find a QB that can play right away when your ship is upright.
Name one quality assistant coach, recruiting-wise, on the offensive side of the ball. Obrien (the lethargic, "I'm in retirement mode" recruiter who blessed NC State recruiting with its last 4 recruiting eggs)? Fairchild the run establisher? (actually a liability)? Hagans? Offensive recruiting this year, especially at the skill positions, reflects our offensive assistants and our on-field results.
Remove two five stars from this class then evaluate the class. You can look at it two ways. We are blessed to have two five stars, but they are obscuring a VERY weak class.
Recruiting is beginning to our on-field results, and we are beginning to see London have to go to B-level talent. While this won't effect London, the weakened recruiting will effect the next coach's efforts to right this ship.