Matthew Stafford

[Ben E Lou]

Jeez. I just watched video on this kid to see what all the hype was about. My thoughts?



He has a freakin' CANNON for an arm. I hope he doesn't break up with his girlfriend--at least before February. Wow.

[Noop]

If I had to guess rigth now I think he is FSU 55% UGA 45%

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Noop

If I had to guess rigth now I think he is FSU 55% UGA 45%

Yeah. It sure doesn't seem like he's that interested in Texas. What is FSU's current QB situation? The Dawgs have two highly-regarded youngsters in Cox and Barnes, but Stafford looks like he's on a completely different level.

[Noop]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Yeah. It sure doesn't seem like he's that interested in Texas. What is FSU's current QB situation? The Dawgs have two highly-regarded youngsters in Cox and Barnes, but Stafford looks like he's on a completely different level.

We have three scholly QB's on the roster. Wyatt Sexton, Drew Weatherford, and Xaiver Lee. I took a quick glance at your roster/incoming recruits I figure as of now its equal. Because in my opinion I doubt he will come to Florida State and beat out Drew and Xaiver who by next year should be poised to lead the Noles to a championship run.(This is dependent on one of the two freshman starting) And at UGA he would be in the same situation where he would be battling to QB's with exp and talent. I consider it a wash but the reason I put him 55% FSU is because he admitted he grew up a huge Florida State fan and his parents are also grads. Oh and as for Texas I think they will land a 5 star QB maybe Stafford if he is serious about playing time.

[Tigercat]

When will colleges that are on top of the college football world actively recruit guys like David Green, Philip Rivers, and Major Applewhite? Sure they are going to be harder to find, its more obvious when a guy can throw 70 yards downfield. But there must have been something to guys like that when Georgia, NC State, and Texas are offering you schollys when other teams aren't because of a percieved lack of arm strength. But yet today, with the programs recruiting the way they are, I am not sure that Texas would offer a scholly to a guy like Applewhite, nor am I sure Georgia would offer one to a guy like David Green. They would continue to offer schollys to guys like DJ Shockley and Chris Simms, however. I guess if I was a head coach at a major school I would use those resources to find the qualities that make those accuracy and smarts first QBs great and have my coordinator look for those qualities first. Then when you found a few of those guys, go with the guy with the best arm amongst them. It just seems the arm strength comes first too often in college recruiting today, and I say this while my team is banking the future of its programs on a guy with the golden cannon for a arm...

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Tigercat

When will colleges that are on top of the college football world actively recruit guys like David Green, Philip Rivers, and Major Applewhite? Sure they are going to be harder to find, its more obvious when a guy can throw 70 yards downfield. But there must have been something to guys like that when Georgia, NC State, and Texas are offering you schollys when other teams aren't because of a percieved lack of arm strength. But yet today, with the programs recruiting the way they are, I am not sure that Texas would offer a scholly to a guy like Applewhite, nor am I sure Georgia would offer one to a guy like David Green. They would continue to offer schollys to guys like DJ Shockley and Chris Simms, however. I guess if I was a head coach at a major school I would use those resources to find the qualities that make those accuracy and smarts first QBs great and have my coordinator look for those qualities first. Then when you found a few of those guys, go with the guy with the best arm amongst them. It just seems the arm strength comes first too often in college recruiting today, and I say this while my team is banking the future of its programs on a guy with the golden cannon for a arm...

Have you seen Stafford, though? I'm amazed by how many clips there are of him being just deadly-accurate. It would be one thing if there were only 8 or 10 plays shown in the Rivals clips, like there are for many prospects. This kid, however, has over 70 clips at Rivals, and another 10 or 15 that don't look familiar at Scout, and in nearly all of them, he puts the ball dead on the money. The most impressive one (shown in every single Rivals Amp feature on him) is when he's rolling left, leaning back and to the left as he's running away from the pass rush, and hits a guy dead in stride who is sprinting toward the right side of the end zone. Unbelievable.

That being said, my guess as to why is that you're dealing with the QB version of the old adage that "you can't teach speed." I would imagine that the college coaches feel like that with enough reps and coaching, the rifle-arms can become accurate, but that the accurate guys will never be both rifle-armed AND accurate.

[Ben E Lou]

Noop:

If you're still around the computer, they're interviewing a guy from warchant.com on Rivals Radio right now. You're a subscriber, right?

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Have you seen Stafford, though? I'm amazed by how many clips there are of him being just deadly-accurate. It would be one thing if there were only 8 or 10 plays shown in the Rivals clips, like there are for many prospects. This kid, however, has over 70 clips at Rivals, and another 10 or 15 that don't look familiar at Scout, and in nearly all of them, he puts the ball dead on the money. The most impressive one (shown in every single Rivals Amp feature on him) is when he's rolling left, leaning back and to the left as he's running away from the pass rush, and hits a guy dead in stride who is sprinting toward the right side of the end zone. Unbelievable.

That being said, my guess as to why is that you're dealing with the QB version of the old adage that "you can't teach speed." I would imagine that the college coaches feel like that with enough reps and coaching, the rifle-arms can become accurate, but that the accurate guys will never be both rifle-armed AND accurate.

That was more of a random rambling on the state of recruiting QBs than a specific one on Stafford.

Speed would seem to be a good comparison, but its odd, because you don't always see the speed guys get recruited for their speed either. For instance, LSU will have 3 guys on the team next year that will be Olympic sprinters one day if their careers in football don't work out, but only one of those players was that heavily recruited. And yet all three did pretty well statistically in HS. I have yet to see a QB that has done average or better in HS and had a rocket for an arm not get a ton of offers. Personally, I think it has something too do with the arrogance of OCs and coaches in college. Every HS QB needs a good bit of coaching up, and since they all need that, college coaches assume that they can get any HS QB thats willing ready to play college ball. Some players are more able to take up that coaching and make the leap, however, and it just seems that college coaches don't take that into account enough. I don't think its a coincidence that the lightly recruited lesser armed QBs I listed above all were ready to start as true freshmen!

[Huckleberry]

No they weren't.

Applewhite was a redshirt freshman and wouldn't have been near ready his true freshman year. And the reason those guys aren't heavily recruited is simple. Once teams started blitzing Applewhite, he was toast. No offensive TDs last 3 games of 1999. 6 turnovers against Kansas State, etc.

For a weak-armed immobile QB to succeed, he has to have excellent performances from his OL, his RB, and his WRs. It wasn't hard to throw it deep in 1998 when opponents had 9 in the box against Ricky Williams.

[Tigercat]

Well maybe I hung around with his HS teamates in college too much, but Major said that the coaching staff always praised him with the fact that he was ready to be a college QB as soon as he stepped on campus, and Major isn't the type of guy to make up praise for himself. Green and Rivers were ready as true freshmen for sure.

And as far as Major's mobility, yea that was a clear problem. But not all noodle-armed QBs will have mobility issues.

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry

No they weren't.

Applewhite was a redshirt freshman and wouldn't have been near ready his true freshman year. And the reason those guys aren't heavily recruited is simple. Once teams started blitzing Applewhite, he was toast. No offensive TDs last 3 games of 1999. 6 turnovers against Kansas State, etc.

For a weak-armed immobile QB to succeed, he has to have excellent performances from his OL, his RB, and his WRs. It wasn't hard to throw it deep in 1998 when opponents had 9 in the box against Ricky Williams.

And to be fair, Green wasn't weaked armed (maybe by pro standards) nor that slow. He was decently recruited, but he earned the position by hard work and consistency on the practice field. Honestly, though, it would be hard to tell how successfull a guy like Green will be untill he gets a shot. Compare that to a guys that already have class A tools, and your going take the guy that "should" be better.

[HomerJSimpson]

And Green was a redshirt also. He beat out true freshman (at the time) Shockley for the starting job after QC left. Shockley then red-shirted which is why he is there to start this year.

[Noop]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Noop:

If you're still around the computer, they're interviewing a guy from warchant.com on Rivals Radio right now. You're a subscriber, right?

I am a subscriber..but i missed the interview what was said?

[Ben E Lou]

Not much of substance. They were mainly just talking about the FSU glory days of the 90's where every kid in the country wanted to come there.

[Noop]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Not much of substance. They were mainly just talking about the FSU glory days of the 90's where every kid in the country wanted to come there.

How I long for those days....

Also I think some of you guys should check out Tim Tebow.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Noop

How I long for those days....

Also I think some of you guys should check out Tim Tebow.

I've watched all of his videos, too. That is one big, strong, fast mother. How long before they start calling him the left-handed Matt Jones?

[Ben E Lou]

Stafford has called a 3pm press conference today to make his announcement.

[Noop]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Stafford has called a 3pm press conference today to make his announcement.

Ah Skydog from what I am hearing he is a Bulldog. If he had decided to make his choice much later in the season then I would have said Seminole all the way but since FSU hasn't really started recruiting him he is a Bulldog or a Longhorn.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Noop

Ah Skydog from what I am hearing he is a Bulldog. If he had decided to make his choice much later in the season then I would have said Seminole all the way but since FSU hasn't really started recruiting him he is a Bulldog or a Longhorn.

The Texas fans and even Texas Rivals and Scout writers seem to think that is the case. I'm not going to let myself believe it until I hear it from his own mouth.

[Buzzbee]

As a Tech fan...I hope he goes to Texas.

[Ben E Lou]

Ugasports.com is going to be sorely disappointed if he announces another choice. They've got a on the ground who'll be at the high school in the next 10 minutes, and then another guy from rivals.com "will be posting from the high school throughout the day with any news." Also, Stafford is giving a post-press conference exclusive interview to ugasports.com.

I really hope he isn't yanking all of our chains.

[Ben E Lou]

I don't think I've ever seen the member board worked into a frenzy like this. Nearly every user-started thread is about Stafford...

	Topic	Started By	Posts	Last Post
	Stafford reaches decision	Todd Unzicker	1	5/13/05 9:47 AM
	Big news on Matthew Stafford!	Todd Unzicker	37	5/13/05 1:20 PM by lakejacksondawg
	Pennsylvania DL with a UGA offer...	Chad Simmons	3	5/13/05 12:39 PM by 10,000...s Dawg
	AMP: Vote- Five great Noel Devine runs	Steve Patterson	1	5/13/05 10:08 AM by Steve Patterson
	This is good news for us either way folks. If Stafford commits	Coyote89	1	5/13/05 1:25 PM by Coyote89
	OK, I don't want to be a wet blanket, but re: Stafford's decision....	HuntinDawg	12	5/13/05 1:25 PM by elvis skinner
	Does the timing of the Stafford announcement mean anything?...	2Tommy	8	5/13/05 1:23 PM by davedawg13
	Perfect Timing, if it is UGA!	ryandeene	5	5/13/05 1:20 PM by HuntinDawg
	Chad: Couple recruiting questions...	Radson	3	5/13/05 1:17 PM by Radson
	? for Chad	J.R.B. Bulldog	5	5/13/05 1:15 PM by J.R.B. Bulldog
	Man, days like this make me just want to leave and start tailgating...	bpcdawg	2	5/13/05 1:01 PM by DawgSpiel
	If Stafford doesn't commit to UGA today, I feel sorry for his sister..	kckd	12	5/13/05 12:56 PM by CrowleyDawg
	Even if MS decideds UGA today, I think he redshirts next season	BigDrewUGA	14	5/13/05 12:52 PM by ugagirl5
	AJC article today regarding GT scheduling......	Dawget...oreFun	7	5/13/05 12:43 PM by Capt. Kirk
	I'm in the cloak room in Mat Stafford's English Lit class. My	dogonenuts	3	5/13/05 12:33 PM by elvis skinner
	Should be an interesting contest for QB next year, especially........	kckd	8	5/13/05 12:31 PM by msdawg48
	Stafford had some quick, sure-handed WR's on that team too	p-44DAWG	3	5/13/05 12:30 PM by kckd
	113 (interesting, huh?) days, folks!!!***	sweetriverdog	3	5/13/05 12:28 PM by sweetriverdog
	MR's play-calling will maximize DJS's effectiveness this fall....	tuskydawg	2	5/13/05 12:26 PM by elvis skinner

[korme]

So for the 2005 season, if he were to go to UGa, would he redshirt? Good enough to start as a true freshman?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

So for the 2005 season, if he were to go to UGa, would he redshirt? Good enough to start as a true freshman?

He's a Junior. 2006 season. Supposedly, he is good enough to step in and compete for the starting job as a true freshman, although Joe Cox (incoming freshman) and Blake Barnes (red-shirted in 2004 season) were both Top 10 QB's in the nation. Stafford will probably be the #1 QB in the nation when the rankings come out.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Also, Stafford is giving a post-press conference exclusive interview to ugasports.com.

Where would this rank on "most awkward interviews of all time" if he picks Texas?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Where would this rank on "most awkward interviews of all time" if he picks Texas?

It would definitely be up there.

[Ben E Lou]

Matt just arrived to a standing ovation.

[Ben E Lou]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[st.cronin]

I'm guessing he's not going to Wisconsin.

[Ben E Lou]

They brought out a cake with a big ol' "G" on it.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I'm guessing he's not going to Wisconsin.

Sorry.

[HomerJSimpson]

Is this an actual early signing, or is this just a commitment? I'm guessing a signing.

[JeeberD]

Heh, I heard an attractive girl in her late teens telling her boyfriend about the signing at a nice Italian place that my girlfriend and I went to last night. Blew my mind that a girl that looked like that knew about college football recruiting...

[digamma]

Originally Posted by HomerJSimpson

Is this an actual early signing, or is this just a commitment? I'm guessing a signing.

There is no early signing period in football. Texas and others will have nine months to try and pry him away from the dark side.

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by digamma

There is no early signing period in football. Texas and others will have nine months to try and pry him away from the dark side.

Are you sure? Because I knew a kid that signed with Vandy before his junior year. Signed, not committed.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by HomerJSimpson

Are you sure? Because I knew a kid that signed with Vandy before his junior year. Signed, not committed.

If he's saying he did so in football, then either it was a direct violation of the rules, or he's flat-out lying to you.

Not worried about Stafford. My understanding is that he told Richt that he has his word, and it's stronger than oak.

[JeeberD]

"Sniff if Maguire is in the room."

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

If he's saying he did so in football, then either it was a direct violation of the rules, or he's flat-out lying to you.

Not worried about Stafford. My understanding is that he told Richt that he has his word, and it's stronger than oak.

OR, I just misunderstood what happened. That is the most likely.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Heh, I heard an attractive girl in her late teens telling her boyfriend about the signing at a nice Italian place that my girlfriend and I went to last night. Blew my mind that a girl that looked like that knew about college football recruiting...

I hope you told that boy how lucky he was.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by digamma

There is no early signing period in football. Texas and others will have nine months to try and pry him away from the dark side.

Glad you have the same understanding we all do...

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by HomerJSimpson

OR, I just misunderstood what happened. That is the most likely.

OH yeah. I didn't think about that possibility.

[Buzzbee]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Heh, I heard an attractive girl in her late teens telling her boyfriend about the signing at a nice Italian place that my girlfriend and I went to last night. Blew my mind that a girl that looked like that knew about college football recruiting...

If she swallows, that guy should marry her tomorrow.

[IMetTrentGreen]

curse of greg davis strikes hard, once again. we are beyond fucked if vince leaves before he does. we are a twisted ankle from 8-3

the staff is putting all their eggs in mitch mustains basket this year, which is fine because he's good and all, but it really bit them with bomar (and perrilloux, but that wasn't really their fault ($ . . . $ . . . $)

[IMetTrentGreen]

also, i've never really seen what the big deal with richt is. the best thing he's ever done was hire van gorder. every georgia game i've ever seen was won by their defense, or lost by the offense

i'm going to be interested to see what happens with them now that van gorder is gone

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by IMetTrentGreen

curse of greg davis strikes hard, once again. we are beyond fucked if vince leaves before he does. we are a twisted ankle from 8-3

the staff is putting all their eggs in mitch mustains basket this year, which is fine because he's good and all, but it really bit them with bomar (and perrilloux, but that wasn't really their fault ($ . . . $ . . . $)

Oh give me a break on the $ crap. Ryan P WANTED to go to Texas, he and his family were wearing Texas gear 95% of the time through the process. So if ANYONE gave Ryan P. money throughout the process it was Texas. The only reason Ryan P. switched schools is because Saban left and a coach that told him he could compete for a starting job right away, which Saban wouldn't tell him, and understably so, came to LSU. Not to mention LSU is a lot closer.

If the QB situation at the 2 schools was equal and the two schools were of equal distance he would have went to Texas. He became a Texas fan. (I think part of it was because he was one of those kids that didn't want to go with the overwhelming favorite school/team of the locals.) Personally, I think he should have went to Texas if thats the school he really enjoyed. And I don't think Miles should have promised him a chance to compete right away to start. Its unrealistic. I also think he has to work on his attitude a bit more on and off the field to be ready to put the mental effort necessary to be a big time QB.

Or I could stop trying to be levelheaded and just say "RP will be the best QB EVER! The only reason he was leaning to Texas for so long is because Mack Brown tried to pay him! The true story will come out, and the NCAA will come calling, just wait and see!"


As an aside, RP's brother died a week or two ago in a car accident. I've met members of his family, grew up not too far from them. Hopefully they are doing well.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Noop

How I long for those days....

Also I think some of you guys should check out Tim Tebow.

Battle of the marquee QB's the next 3-5 years. He committed to the jean shorts today.

[sovereignstar]

psst.. who are the jean shorts

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

psst.. who are the jean shorts

HINT: We also call them UFAG.

[vex]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

psst.. who are the jean shorts

Hell Atlantic.

[sovereignstar]

lol.. gotcha