The Rise of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans (NCAA Football 07)

[redsox907]

Lots of changes upcoming for the Tartans after such a successful season, but growth is apart of progress. Excited to see who gets pegged to lead the next chapter in CMU history

[Bigsheen]

This seems like the perfect time for this level of change in a program. It's going to feel strange, for sure, but a breath of fresh air. However, not too deep of a breath as you're going to have your hands full facing the Big 10 powers with a new offensive scheme and some studs to replace.

Can't wait to see the next step in CMU's future!

[Careless Whisper]

Gerald Culver Transfers to Ohio State
Former CMU quarterback Gerald Culver will be immediately eligible through the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule



Rising senior quarterback Gerald Culver started eight games for Carnegie Mellon during his career. (Ashley Black / Getty Images)

by Alicia Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Two days after Carnegie Mellon lost its head coach to another job, it has lost its projected starting quarterback to a school in its new conference.

Rising senior Gerald Culver has announced his intention to transfer to Ohio State following his graduation from CMU this May. Culver, a former one-star recruit who started eight games at quarterback between 2011 and 2012 for the Tartans, would have been the lone signal-caller on the 2013 roster with any experience, as holdovers Eric Frederick and Cody Foster both redshirted during their 2012 freshman campaigns.

Thrust suddenly into action in a 27-23 loss to Kent State in 2010, Culver played a big part in Carnegie Mellon’s rise to the national rankings. The Perrysburg, Ohio native threw for 1,425 yards and accounted for 16 touchdowns (13 passing, 3 rushing) as a sophomore in 2011, starting four consecutive games before being benched in the Tartans’ regular-season finale against Northern Illinois.

This past season, Culver replaced an injured Kevin Wilson against Idaho and threw for five touchdowns in a 52-7 victory, then took his spot after leading CMU on a second-half comeback versus rival Pitt. He started the next four games for the Tartans before Wilson replaced him for good in a 42-35 win against Miami (Ohio). Culver had a 186.5 quarterback rating, 1,366 passing yards, and accounted for 20 total touchdowns (16 passing, 4 rushing), while cutting his interception number from 13 to six.

A two-time Mid-American Conference (MAC) Offensive Player of the Week, Culver joins a quarterback room at Ohio State that features rising redshirt seniors Tajh Boyd and Richard Lawson. Boyd has thrown for 1,071 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions over his career, while Lawson has not recorded a statistic.

With Culver’s departure, the aforementioned Eric Frederick and Cody Foster are the only two quarterbacks currently on Carnegie Mellon’s roster. Frederick was the Tartans’ top recruit from the Class of 2012, earning a consensus four-star ranking and the No. 7 quarterback slot nationally following his time at West Monroe (La.) High School. Foster was a two-star recruit and the No. 70 quarterback after playing his high school career at Hershey (Pa.) High School.

Gerald Culver
- 2010: 66.0 QB rtg., 4-8, 39 yards, 1 INT; 3 carries, -3 yards
- 2011: 133.9 QB rtg., 95-173, 1,425 yards, 13 TD, 13 INT; 77 carries, 202 yards, 3 TD
- 2012: 186.5 QB rtg., 85-129, 1,366 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT; 50 carries, 135 yards, 4 TD
- Career: 154.0 QB rtg., 184-310, 2,830 yards, 29 TD, 20 INT; 130 carries, 334 yards, 7 TD
- Awards: 2x MAC Offensive Player of the Week
- Ratings: 88 OVR, 84 SPD, 62 STR, 72 AIG, 74 AGI, 72 ACC, 56 CTH, 52 CAR, 82 JMP, 52 BTK, 98 THP, 82 THA, 85 STA, 82 INJ

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Author's Note: I teased the graduate transfer idea during the end of the 2011 season when it looked like Kevin Wilson was going to be the odd man out after his struggles and Eric Frederick coming in, but he then played well enough against NIU and the bowl to stay on board. With Nottingham leaving and Frederick as the future, it felt as good of time as any to try this out - so I recreated Culver in the recruiting pool as a JUCO senior with the same attributes, saw him sign with Ohio State, and then cut the version I had off my roster once we got to that point of the offseason. Plan on doing this sometimes to clean up the roster and for any potential storylines moving forward. I haven't seen if we play Ohio State yet in the Big Ten schedule, but that would certainly add a twist to this!

[studbucket]

Love that you did a grad transfer there. What are the chances he starts at OSU?

[Careless Whisper]

Quote: Originally Posted by studbucket

Love that you did a grad transfer there. What are the chances he starts at OSU?

Pretty high, I think. He comes in with a higher overall rating than Boyd and Lawson, but they'll get an offseason ratings boost. I think the gap is enough where he should start regardless, but it would be a little disappointing for him to sign there and not play much.

[Deuce2223]

Quote: Originally Posted by Careless Whisper

Pretty high, I think. He comes in with a higher overall rating than Boyd and Lawson, but they'll get an offseason ratings boost. I think the gap is enough where he should start regardless, but it would be a little disappointing for him to sign there and not play much.

I assume this move is going to open the door for Frederick to become the man...

Hopefully Culver.gets a chance. Pretty cool story for a former 1* to get a opportunity to start for a program like Ohio State. Almost like a little Rudy story.

I will say that is one thing I wish the new game did a better job with on Portal transfers. I see so many QB and RB sign with schools where they never play again. When they are higher rated then half the guys starting for other teams

[Deuce2223]

Quote: Originally Posted by Careless Whisper

Pretty high, I think. He comes in with a higher overall rating than Boyd and Lawson, but they'll get an offseason ratings boost. I think the gap is enough where he should start regardless, but it would be a little disappointing for him to sign there and not play much.

I assume this move is going to open the door for Frederick to become the man...

Hopefully Culver.gets a chance. Pretty cool story for a former 1* to get a opportunity to start for a program like Ohio State. Almost like a little Rudy story.

I will say that is one thing I wish the new game did a better job with on Portal transfers. I see so many QB and RB sign with schools where they never play again. When they are higher rated then half the guys starting for other teams

[Careless Whisper]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

I assume this move is going to open the door for Frederick to become the man... Hopefully Culver.gets a chance. Pretty cool story for a former 1* to get a opportunity to start for a program like Ohio State. Almost like a little Rudy story. I will say that is one thing I wish the new game did a better job with on Portal transfers. I see so many QB and RB sign with schools where they never play again. When they are higher rated then half the guys starting for other teams

Indeed it is. As fun (and maddening) Culver is to play with, this feels like the perfect spot to make the switch to Frederick - and that's something that may not have been so realistic to do if I kept Culver on the roster, since he has started before and has a higher overall rating.

The Rudy analogy is a good one for Culver with how he's emerged from one of the weirdest one-star generated prospects I've ever seen (A+ throwing power, D- accuracy, A- awareness - and he was listed as an ATHLETE) to now the projected starting QB at Ohio State. I agree with you that it's frustrating to see guys transfer to places and then not play (or sign somewhere and NOT transfer despite you not playing) - even in this report it has happened with someone like Terrelle Pryor, who signed with Texas Tech along with Andrew Luck and RG3, then I cut him from there and remade him as a JUCO recruit, only for him to sign with LSU and be a backup there to Mike Glennon.

Also, Culver won't make the NFL file due to his rating and Frederick could be my starter for 2/3/4 years, which would likely have him make the Madden dynasty and be my first CMU pro quarterback. Having him sit a year or just play half the games with Culver next season would hurt that from happening, and it will be good for me to (hopefully) finally have some stability at the position after the last few seasons.