Top QB Battles To Watch As 2025 Spring Practice Gets Underway | Cover 3 College Football Podcast

Summary

Cover 3 College Football Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Top QB Battles To Watch As 2025 Spring Practice Gets Underway
Date: March 24, 2025
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell, Bud Elliott

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Episode Overview

The Cover 3 crew dives deep into the most intriguing quarterback battles as spring practice for the 2025 college football season ramps up. Beyond listing competitions, they debate how the transfer portal, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), and modern coaching philosophies are changing the way programs handle the most important position on the field. The hosts go program by program—especially among the nation’s top contenders—but also highlight under-the-radar situations that could shape the season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Impact of NIL and the Transfer Portal on QB Battles

• Will QB battles become a novelty?
  • The transfer portal and NIL are making it more likely that high-profile transfer QBs, often the most highly paid, are installed as starters—with 'battles' serving more for PR and player motivation (10:21).
  • "I think in fact what he's referencing is, is it going to be the highest paid guy is going to be the starter? And I think he's on to something there." (Danny, 10:24)
• Coaches still hype up 'battles,' but true competition at top schools is rarer—especially when high-value transfers come in. The conversation is different for bluebloods (Ohio State, Michigan) than for programs like Purdue.
  • "If you're Purdue, you're probably still going to have real quarterback battles. But if you are Ohio State, probably not." (Tom, 14:47)

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2. Big Ten Quarterback Battles

Ohio State

• Julian Sayin vs. Lincoln Kienholz vs. Tavien Sinclair
  • Consensus: Sayin, the highly touted young QB, is the heavy favorite ("it's his job to lose"). High-level reports from players and practice reinforce this.
    • "Since the moment Julian Sayin has stepped on campus after changing his mind, everything you’ve heard has been positive." (Danny, 16:44)
  • Kienholz’s transfer risk is discussed—the loser likely moves on.
• Discussion of Sayin's Style:
  • "Not a great athlete, I think he moves in the pocket. He is tiny though…so the balls got to get out quick." (Bud, 16:18)
  • "He must be great in practice, which is really good." (Danny, 16:44)
  • Considerations on Sinclair’s rawness and lack of 'spring ball' experience in Ohio (18:07).

Michigan

• Mikey Keene (veteran transfer) vs. Bryce Underwood (high-profile recruit)
  • It’s a “when, not if” scenario for Underwood. Keene likely starts the season due to experience, especially given Michigan's front-loaded schedule (Oklahoma early).
    • "My gut here is Sherrone Moore...will start Mikey Keene early in the year and Underwood will come in in packages." (Tom, 23:01)
    • "If you only see one for Michigan, I would bet it would be Bryce Underwood." (Danny, 24:25)
  • Underwood’s upside discussed in strong terms: "He’s probably the closest quarterback prospect we've seen to Cam [Newton], and he's not Cam. Okay. He's not that level, but, like, he is really damn good." (Bud, 26:30)
  • Expect both to play in September, with Underwood’s role increasing unless Keene excels.

Oregon

• Dante Moore vs. Austin Novosad
  • Genuine competition anticipated. Moore has the pedigree, but Novosad is reportedly highly regarded by coaches.
    • "I think this is going to be Dante Moore’s job." (Bud, 28:03)
    • "This one might be one of the more real battles...kind of is open." (Danny, 28:47)
  • The hosts riff on 'quarterback names,' poking fun at who has the 'face/haircut/name' of a winner (31:02).

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3. Notre Dame Quarterback Battle

• CJ Carr vs. Steve Angeli vs. Kenny Minchey
  • Real battle. If Carr wins, optimism is warranted.
    • "If CJ Carr beats [Angeli] out, it's time to get really excited about CJ Carr." (Bud, 34:48)
  • Angeli gets more respect from the hosts than from some fans; seen as a solid 'floor' option.
    • "I am on the other side of the Steve Angeli haters ... this is a player who can still get Notre Dame to where Notre Dame wants to go." (Chip, 37:23)
  • Carr’s higher physical upside discussed—winning the job would mean he’s mentally ready, too.

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4. SEC Quarterback Battles

Alabama

• Ty Simpson vs. Austin Mack vs. Keelon Russell
  • Three-way battle in the true sense, with Simpson facing questions after so many years as a 'contender' but rarely taking the top spot.
    • "Ty Simpson cannot be this much of a quarterback battle in this many spring practices and be bad, right?" (Chip, 41:46)
  • "I don't think it'll be Ty Simpson though... Austin Mack followed [the staff] from Washington. There's a reason he wanted him to come with. He clearly likes him." (Tom, 42:31)
  • Keelon Russell—true freshman—would need a strong camp but could force movement in the room if he impresses.
  • Alabama’s receiving corps (including portal additions) will ease the new QB’s transition.

Georgia

• Gunner Stockton vs. Ryan Puglisi (and Ryan Montgomery)
  • Stockton is the presumed starter—has program experience, played well in relief, and fits Kirby Smart’s 'veteran preference.'
    • "I would think Stockton... I do think he showed some pretty interesting flashes when called upon. I think he's got a very strong arm." (Tom, 51:05)
  • Puglisi has higher upside and could push Stockton, but is less likely to seize the job before fall.

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5. Other Notable Battles

Colorado (Coach Prime Era)

• Kaidon Salter vs. Juju Lewis
  • Salter, the Liberty transfer, gets a fresh start after a turbulent 2024. Lewis, a highly rated freshman, offers a high floor but has size/physical questions.
    • "Juju is very much like a high floor quarterback. ... The ceiling is an open question because of the size and maybe some of the physical limitations." (Bud, 55:04)
  • The offense (run/pass balance, loss of top WRs) makes this battle extra unpredictable.

Other Programs—Quick Hits

• Auburn/Oklahoma: Jackson Arnold expected to start unless something goes off-script.
• Iowa: Mark Gronowski (transfer) likely to start, "it better be" him (Bud, 60:34).
• Mississippi State: Blake Shapen likely starter, but freshman Chris Parson could push for reps.
• Maryland: Justin Martin (UCLA transfer) and highly touted Malik Washington ("save Mike Locksley's job type of signing" Bud, 61:42).
• UNC: Max Johnson favored, no-name/no-number jerseys serve to keep battle open.
• USC: Jaden Maiava favored, but promising freshman Julian Lewis in the mix.
• Syracuse: Michael Johnson Jr. vs. Ricky Collins (LSU transfer) after massive roster turnover.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the effect of NIL:
  "I do think you’re going to see, unless it’s egregiously bad, the guy that makes the most money— the big portal signing— will get the first opportunity and probably multiple games." (Danny, 10:24)
• On the illusion of some battles:
  "Every coach loves to hype up a battle because...it makes your players rise to the occasion...But I think most of the times the coaches have a pretty good inclination who they're going to have." (Danny, 11:22)
• QB Names running gag:
  • "Austin Nova said not a good quarterback name when compared to Dante Moore. Quarterback name Austin is a fine name for a quarterback that can work. The Nova sad part just doesn't really sell me." (Tom & Chip, 30:44)
  • "I'm gonna have a T-shirt made up with a cannon on it that says Cannon Kannell." (Danny, 31:43)
• On Georgia’s Gunner Stockton:
  "I think it's probably his job Week one. Kind of like you got to screw it up, you know, in order for him not to be the starter." (Danny, 51:05)
• On Colorado’s battle:
  "Juju is very much like a high floor quarterback... I would be surprised if he sucks in college. I think the ceiling is an open question because of the size and maybe some of the physical limitations that he has." (Bud, 55:04)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• NIL/Transfer Portal & Modern QB Battles: 10:21–14:53
• Ohio State QB Situation: 14:53–19:40
• Michigan QB Situation: 21:12–27:22
• Oregon QB Battle: 28:03–31:49
• Notre Dame QB Battle: 33:53–39:55
• Alabama QB Battle: 41:11–47:14
• Georgia and Quick SEC hits: 48:07–53:40
• Colorado (Coach Prime) QB Battle: 54:12–58:52
• Around the country – Rapid-fire Other Battles: 59:22–65:49

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Recap: Patterns & Takeaways

• At bluebloods, the portal/NIL newcomer almost always gets the nod unless there's a special in-house talent.
• At mid-tier and Group of Five programs, QB competitions remain authentic and vital.
• Longer-term program trends (injury risk, staff loyalty, practice vs. games) still matter.
• Names, rumors, and even player marketing/personality all find their way into the discourse.

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Conclusion

The Cover 3 crew paints a nuanced portrait of spring QB competitions: many will be decided by the money and transfer movement, but several top contenders (especially at Oregon, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Georgia) have real decisions to make. The future of the sport is as much about roster management and culture as in-practice competition.

For die-hards, the message is clear: don't be fooled by every 'open' battle—look at the coaching staff's history, the transfer/NIL outlays, and what the remaining schedule will require out of the position.

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Subscribe and tune in to the Cover 3 Podcast for more on spring practice battles, coaching news, and the latest in college football.

Transcript

[A]

This episode is brought to you by PNC Bank. A lot of people think podcasts about in depth analysis on college football are boring. Sometimes, sure. But doing the research and understanding every game gives you the knowledge that you need to make small talk with any sports fan anywhere. It's like banking with PNC Bank. It might seem boring to save, plan and make calculated decisions with your bank, but keeping your money boring is it's what helps you live a more happily fulfilled life. PNC Bank Brilliantly boring since 1865 Brilliantly boring since 1865 is a service mark of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. PNC Bank National Association Member FDIC As.

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Of $34.50 per month. Sign up at NFLSundayTicket.com local and national games on YouTube TV NFL Sunday Ticket for out of market games excludes digital only games and commercial use terms and embargoes apply. Availability varies. Welcome Back to the COVID 3 podcast.

[B]

With your hosts Chip Patterson, Tom Fernelli.

[C]

Danny Cannell and Bud Elliott.

[B]

It's your call for the football coverage.

[D]

From national signing day to the national.

[C]

Championship and everything in between. CBS Sports presents the COVID 3 podcast.

[A]

And welcome back to the COVID 3 podcast here on CBS Sports. That's Tom Fenelli, that's Danny Cannell, that's Bud Elliott. I'm Chip Patterson. Come to you [e-mail] cover3 and everywhere you get your podcast on demand. Thanks for hanging out. So smash that subscribe smash that like and come and join us in the chat. Aka the COVID 3 tailgate where Vols Fan 98, an old friend at the tailgate jumped in at 8:37am and said Danny's got to keep his ammo in the drafts for at least one more weekend. Go Vols. SEC with 7 of the 16 in in the SEC in the suite in the NCAA tournament setting a new record, breaking the record previously set by the ACC with six six teams in 2016. Now we're gonna have them, some of them squaring off. So we will. We'll knock them out of this tournament one way or another. Danny, any response to balls fan98?

[D]

Yeah, I mean getting half your teams to advance, it's not bad. Same thing as The Big Ten did as well. They had half, I think the Big 12 had more than half of theirs. And do you know that in 2016 when the ACC had a record six advance that just was broken, that they only had seven teams in? So they had an 85 hit rate. So congrats on getting a lot of teams in and having half them advance. Like, we'll see. We'll see how it goes.

[C]

Here's good luck.

[B]

Here's a tweet for you, Danny. The SEC has lost more NCAA tournament games this year than the Big 12 and Big Ten combined.

[A]

Oh.

[D]

Can I steal that right now?

[B]

Yeah, go for it.

[D]

Send it out there to me one more time.

[B]

The SEC has lost more games in this tournament. Seven than the Big Ten and the Big 12 combined. Six perfect three each.

[C]

That's pretty solid.

[A]

Tom's been so on top of this that Brett McMurphy cited Tom for his conference scoreboard every year.

[B]

This is my favorite thing. I keep track of conference records in the tournament every year. But this year SEC fans were saying I was only doing it because I hate the sec.

[A]

No, you do it.

[D]

It's getting really annoying. Like I get it. Like I get a lot of stuff but you know, my, my mentions just rip my mention. So I just stay off. But it's ridiculous. But what I can't wait is like, who celebrates at the end? Like our Alabama fans gonna celebrate if Auburn wins? Are Auburn fans gonna celebrate if Alabama wins? Like, congrats. That's maybe what I'm saving in some of those drafts. So keep them coming. There will be some comeuppance. You better believe. I don't know what it's going to look like, but. Oh, it will come up. Let's go.

[C]

I, I did have a couple basketball related thoughts here that also relate to college football since the Chat wants us to get on to college football. Like, I, I think the lack of upsets bothers me a lot more in basketball due to like all these teams that used to pull up sets like the, the mid majors or whatnot, who used to be more, more experienced, more, more mature than some of these, like you know, loaded up but young P5 schools. I don't miss some of the crazy, crazy upsets in college football. Although we've actually had more of them in recent years due to some different factors. But like I, I think that's more essential to what the game is as far as the excitement of capturing casuals in college basketball is college football.

[A]

I think the tournament of the day, it's been, it's been fine. It's a. It's a fine NCAA tournament. Well, the Sweet 16 looks awesome. Andrew Stern is doing awesome. He's currently in first place in the COVID 3 Bracket Challenge. Reminder, the winner of the COVID 3 Bracket Challenge is going to get a full year of Paramount, plus a mountain of entertainment where you can watch Landman starring Billy Bob Thornton and others. Also, if you are in the top three, we might have additional prizes for you as well. Currently, we've got a tie for second between Bruce Keane, Joe Hartson, Jackson, Josh Job, and then right now, in fifth, hunting them down, Sam Fuhrman, Ben Drake, Dan Slade. So that's the top of the leaderboard. We had 430 actual brackets, 1.3 thousand signed up for the group, but half of y' all didn't even hit submit or fill it out all the way. Currently, the leader of the hosts is Mr. Tom Frenelli, currently in 48th place. He has 38 correct picks. Danny. Tom. I mean, Danny, bud, how are you? Have you all found yourself on the leaderboard yet? Do you know where you are?

[C]

I do not. Okay, Yeah, I meant to do it.

[A]

So you. So you are one of the hundreds that.

[C]

I could see it in his face.

[A]

And forgot to hit submit.

[C]

I'm first and last. Yeah, I'll.

[A]

I'll. I'll own this. Look, somebody said, you know, we need. We need to, you know, pin the host bracket. We need to razz Chip for having the ACC go too far. Well, you're damn right I deserve that razzing. Okay, I'm currently in 279th place. All four of my final four teams are alive. Seven of my eight elite eight teams are alive. However, I had North Carolina in the Sweet 16, I had Louisville in the Sweet 16, and I had Clemson in the Sweet 16. Oh, no. So as all of those teams failed to make it out of the round of 64, that was a big fat L for your boy, which has hurt me in terms of the correct picks and the round one and round two scores. But because of having all those. All those late teams still alive, you know what I'm. I'm actually about to do? I'm about to go on one of those, like, patented Rory McElroy backdoor T9s. Okay. Yeah, yeah. You know, like, you think I'm down and out and I'm not going to win. I'm not going to get any money, but I will have a respectable finish as long as the Duke Blue Devils win the National Championship.

[C]

We also call that like a Phenower rightly about early on the final day, like you go from like 25th to 4th and you collect a big check.

[A]

Patrick Cantlay also has done a lot of good. Like go really low. What we call them Wikipedia top tens, you know, shows up with the little. The little color, but that's it. So Danny, how's your bracket?

[D]

I am in 128, so I'm doing better than you. I have three out of my final four teams. Louisville was my Cinderella. You know, they kind of fell apart there.

[A]

So that one game of the whole damn first round.

[D]

Yes, a lot of people watching. Yeah, that was not a great look. Pat Kelsey getting, you know, teed up for bottles throwing on the court. It was a little bit of a mess. But I had Clemson in the elite eight too, I think.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

But I still have three out of the four final four teams and I still have the eventual national champion in there.

[A]

You, you, you and I going too hard on the ACC and getting burned for it. A tale as old as time. You know, this has been going on for years. So sincere thank you to all of you who signed up. You know, we asked you to sign up and many, many of you did again. Currently Andrew Stern, who's got 42 correct picks so far and the Florida Gators as his champion, so that he is who everybody is chasing. All right, we have a lot of quarterback battles to turn your attention to. So coming up on the other side, we begin in the big ten with the quarterback battles to watch our thoughts and more next.

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[A]

Offers back here on the COVID 3 podcast. Going to get rocking with a little bit of a thought starter that our own friend Jerry B. Provided in the tailgate. Will quarterback battles become a novelty in the nil transfer Portal era?

[B]

I think he's on shows, dedicated to it.

[D]

Yeah. No, but I, but I. But I think in fact what he's referencing is it going to be the highest paid guy is going to be the starter, and I think he's on to something there because I do think you're going to see, unless it's egregiously bad, the guy that makes the most money. The big portal signing will get the first opportunity and probably multiple games to go. I don't know if that's exactly what happened at Florida State because it wasn't like, it was an overwhelming, you know, back up the tripe, back up the truck type of money for dju, but my goodness, it took forever to get him out of there, even though it was pretty evident that he was not going to get it done. And then, I mean, he saw some of the backup. But I would have gone to Cromen Hawk a little bit earlier.

[C]

Kind of nailed it. Yeah, I. Yeah, but I don't know if spring battles will become a novelty. Right. Because the spring Portal, I think there are still really some battles going on there.

[D]

Yeah, but are they real battles? But we've said this for a long time, like, every coach loves to hype up a battle because it does. It makes your. Your players rise to the occasion. They have to earn it. They have to go there. So I think there's oftentimes been QB battles that were covered. Like, they were really tight and very even. But I think most of the times the coaches have a pretty good inclination who they're going to have, I think. And that. I think that's one way we've discussed them on here before. The Portal in nil is. All right, is this really a battle or is he just saying this, you know, publicly? Wasn't Jamison a battle with, like, that was, you know, Jacob Coker. Yeah, with Coker. Like, was that real? Probably not.

[C]

I. I think it's super real. But. But Coker played well. Like, and he did win the national title. Alabama too, right? No, he. He lost. He was the starter when he lost to Clemson. Right. In 16 in Tampa.

[D]

No, he won one. Coker one.

[A]

He won in 15.

[C]

Yeah, Coker one in 15. Okay.

[A]

Jalen Hurts was a freshman and for the 16.

[C]

That's right. Okay, so Coker was on. On the Bama team that onside kicked.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Okay. Yeah. Okay, that makes sense. Yeah. That game was in. Is that a Fiesta Bowl?

[A]

Glendale.

[B]

It was one of them bowls because.

[C]

Because the, the past to the little white kid Clemson threw was in Tampa.

[A]

Correct.

[C]

And Clemson crushed him. It was in Santa Clara.

[A]

Correct.

[C]

So the, and the onside kick was an outdoor. It was an outdoor onside kick.

[A]

Right.

[C]

So it wouldn't have been Dallas or, or New Orleans. So it had to be Fiasco.

[A]

Okay. Or Rose Bowl.

[B]

No, they wouldn't have played.

[A]

They've never played a Rosewell national championship. That's not true. No, no.

[C]

Bama definitely has. When they placed, when they played Texas, that was a Rose Bowl.

[B]

Yeah. I don't think they played Clemson.

[C]

My brain doesn't think like the camera angle for the Rose bowl is, is the right one that we have.

[D]

What are you talking about? Which. Which one?

[A]

All right, hold on.

[C]

This is rabbit hole. All right.

[A]

All right. Jackson says Arizona. When I was doing, when I was pulling all this together, I found a lot of commentary which is schools who say we got our guy to the point of like NF nil transfer portal era, that someone is arriving, someone is new, someone who's never played there, but that the expectation around the program was we went out to get this guy to go be our starting quarterback. He should be our starting quarterback. And so in that way, the quarterback battle or the controversy or the debate for people like us is, yeah, definitely lessened a little bit. But that doesn't mean he won't go get hurt. That doesn't mean he won't go stink it up. And that doesn't mean that they won't look and then all of a sudden say that they're going to go out into the spring portal after spring practice is done.

[B]

I think the quarterback battles depend on the school. Like, I think there'll be plenty of QB battles at schools people don't care about. But when it comes to like the top schools, the guys that are competing for national titles and conference titles, they're. They're going to tend to have either like veteran transfers that have come in for the starting job and maybe they pretend that the, like last year will Howard competing for the Ohio State job or they lose that guy and they've got the five star freshman who sat on the bench last year is going to, you know, compete for the job this fall. Your Arch Mannings, your Julian Sayans, your Dante Moore's, that kind of thing. So if you're Purdue, you're probably still going to have real quarterback battles.

[C]

Right.

[B]

But if you are Ohio State, probably not.

[A]

We'll say, hey, well let's. Let's begin right there. Okay. Ohio State Buckeyes. We're going to start in the Big Ten. Is, is that absolutely set? Is this Julian Saiyan's job? And they're going to call it a battle. What are the chances that he doesn't end up winning it?

[B]

Does he get hurt? I think it's his job.

[C]

I think it's Sam's job as well. Okay. I won't say which one. And there's enough Florida kids on that team who. It won't give it away. But I did speak to a pretty good player for Ohio State last year who catches passes. And this was before this season and I was like, like, who do you like? He's like, well, saying those at the best by far. And that was. He was obviously like. It was his first semester on campus. So I've kind of had that in back of my mind, Mikey and I already shot the reel. It's like, hey, like why didn't Ohio State go to the transfer portal for a quarterback? Although we know there were rumors that like if yours was going to come back they would have been interested, you know, maybe in reuniting that. But ultimately and like I think there were some back smoke for a little bit, but I don't think that was actually real. I think it's saying, I mean saying was like 70 completions in high school. It was like a. It's like a 10 to 1 touchdown interception ratio. He did like 80 tuddies. It. He was like very, very good. Traditional, not a great athlete. I think he moves in the pocket.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

If you watch his high school stuff, like it's. He is tiny though. I mean he is probably how big. Shaun White, remember the kid from South Florida that went to Auburn? I would compare them like frame wise, like six feet. Yeah. Like saying is not real big and he is not broad. I mean he is kind of narrow. So the ball's got to get out quick. Which in high school it certainly came out on time.

[D]

Since the moment Julian Saying has stepped on campus after change his mind going from Bama to Columbus, everything you've heard has been positive. Like it's buzz worthy. Like everyone's like ooh, he might be the best guy on the roster. Even last year when Will Howard was taking him to a national championship, which still like. And I've seen great practice players and it is a great sign but you still don't know if he's going to do it. But that's why I do think he must be great in practice, which is really good. So like, that's why I think it's his job to lose because I think he's crushed it. I think he's doing the right things now. Can you go out and do it, you know, in real time with a lot of, you know, missing, you know, pieces of the puzzle that were there last year. But he still got one really good one on the outside and he's got a new offensive coordinator calling place for him and Brian Hartline. So I, yeah, I think I feel pretty confident to his job and he'll be the guy out there under center.

[C]

You know, week one is Lincoln kind holes good enough to lose this job and then go take over another starting gig at a P5 or sorry, a P4 in time for the season to start?

[B]

I don't know.

[C]

That might be the more interesting part of this battle.

[D]

The loser goes somewhere else.

[C]

So you're gonna how good is this kid?

[A]

Like how Claire to the side and you're just gonna say like, we're just gonna kind of get him ready, get him to go. Because I'll tell you what, when it comes to physical tools, we don't have any of those questions with him.

[C]

Correct. Tavian Sinclair is built, but also he is pretty raw. Like I, I completely understand and agree with the rating on him, but he is very raw. So I don't think that Sinclair is very likely to come out and win this job. As a true refreshment. I think from a polished standpoint, saying was much more polished coming out of high school than Sinclair. Also, like Ohio doesn't have spring football and I think that kind of like hinders some of these kids who play in Ohio.

[A]

Oh, interesting. Like they don't even do like spring practice or workouts or anything.

[C]

Yeah. But I, I don't know if they do want to do workouts, but I'm pretty sure they don't do like full on, like, like spring ball so you get fewer reps. And he's also not a kid who has played a ton of seven on, you know what I mean? Like when Jamis would miss, you know, some stuff with baseball. He also didn't play a lot of seven on, but he played a little bit, you know. And I'm just trying to like go back in terms of like multi sport guys who didn't play seven on. I, I think seven on helps you as far as your readiness. It probably doesn't help you with your ultimate Ceiling all that much. But it probably helps you with your floor as far as just you need more reps, just more ball, more throws, like more working with guys.

[A]

If you're Lincoln Kindholz, would you rather just stay.

[B]

Oh, let's see, he's like this is his soft. Is this his second or third year?

[A]

And then you'd be able.

[B]

Because basically you'd be sitting because Saying's got a lot of eligibility left.

[C]

So Heinholz was. Was after Devin Brown.

[B]

Yes, he's the 20. He's 20, 23 class.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So yeah, so he's going to be at least a sophomore here. Maybe even a, you know, red shirt sophomore or whatever. So I don't know, man like it. There's no saying he can't stick around. He might because, you know, like buds mentioned Saying's not huge, like injury risk is there. You could find yourself playing sooner rather than later. You could also see a situation where. I know they open with Texas, but you could see a situation where it's still somewhat open going into the season. You still maybe think you've got a shot to take that gig, but I don't know, it's just regardless of what each kid thinks or how they are or who they are, like Arch Manning is very much the exception to the rule these days. You do not see a lot of guys who have the Skill to be Power 4 starters sticking around waiting for a Power 4 gig to open up for them. They kind of just go find one.

[A]

Good point. All right, so we'll say right now, Julian saying in the front again, Ohio State. Julian saying, that's kind of been the way this is going. But they are the reigning national champions. They are replacing the starting quarterback among many other starters from that Buckeye squad, now their rival. Here's. Here's what we got. We've got the. The mystery door and then we've got the nice, easy, moving sidewalk. The nice, easy, moving sidewalk will get you to where you need to go at a steady pace to. Will not get there fast and you might not get there on time, but Mikey Keane can keep you moving right along. However, you do have Bryce Underwood, who might be worth every penny. What. How do we think this plays out in Ann Arbor?

[C]

Is the question when and not if, correct?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Can it happen now? Does it need to happen in August? Does it need to happen in October? Like, those are the. Especially with the way that Michigan season starts. Is Bryce Underwood ready to go? What do they want the offense to be? The pieces around it, like, there's. There's a lot that hinges on what ends up happening at the quarterback position here.

[C]

Well, right. I mean, you have New Mexico to open, which is friendly. And then you go play Venables in Oklahoma and like, enormous. Yes. Yeah. And I mean Venables for a young quarterback you like on. On Kublick and McElroy show. I've heard McElroy talk about how Tua discussed, like, just how much Venables saved for that game when Clemson blitzed them. Alabama in 2018 or whatever year that was for the Natty. And like, what stadium in Santa Clara.

[A]

We have coverage.

[C]

You know, and. And basically, like. Like how, you know, Tua said like. And I guess the staff said the same thing. Like they. Clemson just ran different looks out of these, like, different coverages out of these looks than they had shown, like, all year, you know, and you got to think that. That Oklahoma's gonna have something schemed up pretty good for this on defense. Like, that's a game that you could lose with a true freshman playing quarterback, even if he's really good. Whereas if your defense is still nails, Oklahoma's offense might suck, too. Now, everybody thinks it's going to be fixed, but it may not be totally fixed, especially not if Michigan is actually good on defense. So, yeah, if it's not that, do you. Do you play them against Central Michigan to get them ready before the start of conferences? Then you go to Nebraska, Wisconsin, usc, Washington. Like, none of those are guaranteed wins. You'll be favored in. In what, three of the four? Probably. But.

[B]

My. My gut here is Sharon Moore came up under Jim Harbaugh. I don't remember if stroen was the OC that season or the shadow OC that season, but I go back to J.J. mcCarthy's freshman year. They had Cade McNamara, the old veteran transfer guy, coming in. There's no questioning that JJ McCarthy was the more talented of the two. But who did they have start McNamara. And they had McCarthy come in in certain packages. I think Mikey Keane, coming from Fresno, with his experience, being the veteran. This is a team that, you know a tough start to the season. Mikey Keane will be your starter early in the year and Underwood will come in in packages maybe if the season derails, they throw them out there to get experience and become like, the starter. But I think Keane will be your starter and you will see doses of Underwood and that will increase as the year goes on. And then the plan will be for next year, it'll be the Bryce Underwood show. That's my gut. I don't Know if that's the right way to go about it, but that's what I think is going to happen.

[D]

Two quarterbacks, I think, I think you'll see them both throughout the first month of the season. Even against Oklahoma. I think you'll have a package for Bryce Underwood. You know, it might be very small, it might be similar to what we saw Arch Manning do with Texas at times throughout the year. But I do think you'll see two quarterbacks. If you only see one for Michigan, I would bet it would be Bryce Underwood. Otherwise, I think you'll see two.

[A]

I mean, Shernmore showed that he is more than happy to play Dosi Doe with the quarterbacks this year.

[D]

Exactly.

[A]

So do you think, much like we've.

[D]

Talked about, like they don't ask the quarterback to do a ton, it's kind of like don't screw it up, make a few plays here or there, don't turn it over. Like that's why I think you might, you have a better opportunity if you're Underwood. If things are going good, he's grasping the system. They're more likely to give him the opportunity.

[B]

Also, like, I'm not saying he's incredible, but if they had Mikey Keane last year, I don't think they're playing musical chairs. I think they had three Mac quarterbacks on that roster last year.

[A]

Hey, one of them beat Alabama though, and Ohio State. Do you think? All right. So based on my gathering leading into this, it does seem that Ryan Day has. Has indicated they do not plan to go back into the transfer portal in the spring window. That the quarterbacks they have are the quarterbacks they're going to run with for 20, 25. If Sherrod Moore has said that, I've missed it. Do you think Michigan's done? We're going to ask this for a couple of these teams.

[B]

Yeah, I think it's Keener Underwood who.

[C]

Would like, if you're coming into like to transfer to Michigan right now to start, you gotta, you gotta really have some goods to think that you are going to hold off Bryce Underwood for all his talent. And like, I mean guys, he. I know it's someone on, but he put up crazy numbers in high school as well. Again at the OT7 Championships there. No, he had an incompletion, but it was a freaking dime and the kid just dropped it. Like he basically went 22 of 22 and they scored every single drive and needed to score every single drive to win the damn thing and then hit like a crazy like standing backflip And I'm like, okay. Like, a lot of times the kids who do that kind of stuff, like the backflip afterwards, you know, don't also, like, have that kind of completion stuff. Like, this is. He's not Cam Newton, and I don't want to put that on him. But he's prop because Cam is just bigger. Like, Cam is just built like a dance.

[A]

He's a defensive lineman. He's.

[C]

If you see.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

You see Cam next to Julius Peppers. If you ever, like, next to the same dude.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

The Cavs are like, that's weird. Yeah. You know, but he's probably the closest quarterback prospect we've seen to Cam, and he's not Cam. Okay. He's not that level, but, like, he is really damn good. Yeah, I see the question, who's gonna hold him off? Like, who's gonna come in? Who's actually gonna be on the markets? Like, yeah, I got this.

[A]

Yeah. I think that it's. I think it's more of the idea that with some of these programs, like, you could. You could tamper your way to go, poach somebody if you wanted to. If what you saw in spring practice was so concerning, that you're like, oh, gosh, we've got problems. We need to, you know, go. Go and bring in another option here. But I think.

[D]

I think that's why you've got Mikey Keane. You've already got your insurance option. And, I mean, unless he's really bad, but I don't think he will be. I think. I think he'll be fine.

[A]

Like when Alabama panicked after watching Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson, and then they went and got a lacrosse player that didn't fix things either. So, boy.

[D]

Say Melrose pro day. Oh, boy, some team's gonna make a mistake on that one.

[A]

We'll get to the Crimson Tide also here in a little bit. Round out some of the. The Big Ten sort of headliners of note with the Oregon Ducks, Dante Moore, Austin Nova. Sad. Anyone got a lean one way or the other, or. What are you keeping your eyes on out there in Eugene?

[C]

I. I think this is going to be Dante Morris job.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I will say, though, that, like, I know some people who have talked to guys on that coaching staff.

[A]

Well, they. They.

[C]

Yeah, like, they do hype, Nova said. And to people that I don't think they would have actually a real reason to do so. You know what I mean? Like. Like, there's. I don't think, like, see what they gain from talking about how much they love Novasad. To these folks. So it wouldn't totally shock me, I guess, if Nova Said won that job and if he doesn't, if they're actually right, then this is one to watch, I think, for a spring window, like, if he puts on really good film and doesn't win the job because Dante Moore was simply better than him, then that could be a guy we look to for the spring portal window.

[D]

I. I don't know about you guys. I think this one might be one of the more real battles that's taking place where it kind of is open. I was doing some research on this and Dan Lanning and Will Stein were saying how. And it may have been one of the quarterbacks too, was saying how they're trying to split the reps as evenly as possible to give everybody the same opportunity. Now, granted, when you see that in the NFL, it means you're 100, a real competition. This also could be trying to keep somebody after the spring from leaving, keeping everybody in limbo. But I do think because there's only so many reps to go around, like if you have a lean towards your starter, you want to get him as many looks as possible against the first team defense, against the second team defense, whatever drill they're running. So you get the experience under center and that's the best way to learn when you're losing some of those reps and splitting those with somebody else. I do think that's an indicator of a more balanced competition, like a fair competition.

[B]

I don't know. Maybe I've been watching too much March Madness. Whatever the coaching staff says about Nova Said, I will take their word for it is his ability. It's just he looks like a point guard on Creighton. He doesn't look like a quarterback to me. He's got a name of a point guard on Creighton. You know what I'm saying? Like, just vibes wise, I don't know. Like Dante Moore, that's a quarterback to me. Austin Nova said, three point shooters, gritty as hell, first in the gym every day, last one out. I don't know. We'll see.

[A]

Hold on.

[B]

Look at him. His face and haircut. That is a point guard on Creighton. You can't tell me that's not the. That's not real.

[A]

Our friend Quantrell, before the show, I remembered him saying this. What are some of the best quarterback names you've come across? I think Aaron Noland is up there. I also remember Tom making a comment about dudes with the name George not being good quarterbacks. Austin Nova said not a good quarterback name when compared to Dante Moore.

[B]

Quarterback name Austin is a fine name for a quarterback that can work. The Nova sad part just doesn't really sell me.

[A]

Nova sound yeah, exactly.

[B]

Gus can scream that as he as he drills at three against Providence on a Wednesday night in January.

[A]

Gunner Keel. Did you not believe in Gunner Keel?

[B]

Gunner kills a cool quarterback name.

[D]

That's a great quarterback.

[A]

Yeah. Was Gunner kill the one that Les Miles said didn't have the chest cavity for the competition?

[C]

Yes, that's correct.

[D]

I still want to try for boys just so I can name a kid Cannon.

[B]

Would it have an O or a Y in it?

[A]

Wait, why would it have a Y?

[B]

N, N Y N Like like oh.

[D]

Like yeah, I have Cameron. She is R Y N I think.

[B]

Was it O or Y?

[D]

I'd go O. Spell it exactly like.

[B]

Can't answer for a quarterback.

[D]

I'm gonna have a T shirt made up with a cannon on it that says Cannon Canal.

[A]

Austin Nova side curling off a screen, letting it fly at the end of the shot clock. I'm not going to get over that. And also Nova said might not either. All right, coming up on the other side, we turn our attention to again another very interesting real competition for a national title contender. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They've got some good in house options. And then we move to the SEC where Alabama has a battle between some capable players. We've got an offensive coordinator change lots to get into and more nukes.

[C]

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[A]

See select stores for details Back here on the COVID 3 podcast, Andrew, before we got going said, I think the Notre Dame battle is interesting. If CJ Carr cannot separate from the other two, I would be more concerned than optimistic. Ryan also Saying it's got to be CAR if it's Angeli. I think Notre Dame is in for a long year. I met marked those comments not because I think they're wrong. It's spring practice. We're just kind of going through this. But I don't. I'm a little bit higher on Steve Angelli than it sounds like some of our friends. Okay.

[D]

Sounds like the Fighting Iris faithful just throwing a guy down the river who was loyal to your program. Didn't transfer when Riley Leonard came in. So stuck around, saved you in the final four in the end of the first half of that game to make sure you come back. Just no loyalty whatsoever.

[B]

The mystery box, the lure.

[A]

So what do we think in. In South Bend it's Kenny Minchi also like is there in the mix as well. How do we think this ends up playing out for. For Notre Dame?

[C]

I feel like this is a real battle.

[A]

Right.

[C]

It's fun. Yeah. I don't like Angeli. I don't think it's terrible. Guys.

[D]

They trusted him throwing the ball more than they trusted Riley Leonard and he started winging it around. The passing offense woke up.

[B]

So I'm saying he might not be like a first round pick kind of guy, but I think Angeli's plenty good enough to be the quarterback at Notre.

[C]

Dame if CJ Carr beats him out. It's time to get really excited about CJ Carr because I think we have enough of a baseline to know that like Steve Angelli is at least a decent quarterback for a college ball playoff team. So if you get a guy that actually beats him out in car who's younger, then it's like, oh, okay. Like we guys, we may have something here like. Like Notre Dame might have like a quarterback. Quarterback. Not. Not. I mean Leonard was great fit for them last year, but obviously couldn't throw the ball like 10 yards downfield. It was tough to watch.

[D]

Do you think? Because I agree. I think Angeli is the floor. I think he's the insurance option. I think cars the upside. What do you think happens if they like. See this is one where I think they might try to draw it out because what if Carr wins? It looks the part in the spring. Does Angeli go somewhere else or is he just a Notre Dame lifer who's already shown his loyalty to the school?

[A]

I'm not going to call anybody a life in 2020. Right.

[B]

Yeah. Because what year is he?

[D]

I think he's a junior.

[C]

I think what.

[B]

I would. I would just think if Angeli doesn't Win the starting job. I would bet there'd be interest elsewhere. It's just me. I don't know what does. Again, what does he value? Maybe he had. If he hasn't graduated yet, maybe he wants to get his Notre Dame degree and then figure it out from there as a grad transfer. I don't know.

[A]

I'm always on top of it, 100 reliable tailgate saying he's gonna have his degree in May.

[B]

So if he doesn't win the job and he's a grad, then I would expect he leaves in that case, because then you've still been pretty damn loyal. You stuck around a guy.

[A]

In that case, you definitely extend this to the fall. Here you have your, you have your blue Gold showcase and you come to the microphone say I love what we saw from all three of these guys. You know that now they're going to hit off season workouts, come back in the fall and you know, we'll let them continue to compete on into fall camp. That'd be my expectation.

[C]

Damn true. Media is being really slow. Somebody in the chat said like his, his sack avoidance stuff was, was Angeli's was problematic. Which my question is if it's compared to Riley, everybody's a problematic. That was at like the best thing Riley Leonard did was avoid pressure.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Not that Notre Dame gave up a ton of pressure, but he was an absolute wizard at making guys miss within the pocket or escaping it and just getting out and you know, making something decent happen. So.

[A]

I also mean Notre Dame blew the doors off so many opponents last year. Steve Angeli got a lot of burn and when he would get in there, he was not necessarily just handing the ball off and looking forward to punt. They would remain aggressive and he would be pushing the ball down the field in blowouts. I thought that that was to me an endorsement of the trust that they have in him to go with. As you mentioned, Danny, like the, the performance against Penn State where he had to come in and then was able to go out there and step up in the moment like this. I, I am, I am seem to be on the other side of the Steve Angeli haters, of which there seem to be many. To think that this is, this is a player who can still get Notre Dame to where Notre Dame wants to go. I don't think that they need, I don't think that they need more to be able to make the College Football Playoff and go make a run at this thing again.

[B]

I just want to point out Steven Jelly was sacked five times all Year, three times in the game against Purdue in which he came in and they were up by a thousand and twice against Penn State in the playoff. So the guy that might be the number one pick got to him. He doesn't know how to avoid sacks. Like come on guys, there's a little bit of confirmation bias there. He got sacked twice against Penn State. He has no idea how to avoid him.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And with your offensive line had kind of been torn, discharged by that.

[A]

So like Bud, what is the book on C.J. carr when you say like if C.J. carr wins this job? Well, what, what would he have shown to separate himself from Angeli?

[C]

I, I thought he made a lot of high level throws when I watched him in high school. Like he does have a good arm. He, he's able to actually make some of the more difficult stuff. I think he has more physical ability than in jelly. So if the mental side gets there, obviously like a very competitive kid, if that catches up, if he's going in the right place with the ball often enough that the Irish can trust him because they're going to be really good on defense again. And with Jeremiah Love and, and that, that offensive line, like you're going to have a serious run game again. But I think that the potential for this offense with Carr is higher, maybe by a lot.

[B]

Fun fact.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Just passing grades. Pff wise, limited sample sizes. Steve Angeli was the highest graded passer at Notre Dame last season. Tyler Buckner was second, Riley Leonard was third. Just maybe we shouldn't be so mean to Steve Angeli Irish fans. Maybe. Okay, than you think. Maybe it's just anti Italian discrimination going on here, huh? Typical.

[C]

The, the sack depression. Numbers loaded. Finally. Totally agree with you, Tom. Like it's, this is bad. But it's also such a limited sample. I don't think there's. Yeah.

[B]

In a blowout and against Penn State he got sacked.

[A]

Don't, don't kick the guy with angel in his name to the curb. Okay. You want that guy in your locker room? Let's go. All right, let's turn our attention to the Southeastern Conference. Let's, let's start with Alabama. The Alabama Crimson Tide have I think a pretty interesting quarterback battle. One that even you know, has might, might have differing opinions here. So you've got, you've got the guy who's been around since Dagum, the, the before Jalen Milroe was even named the starter. Right. You know, Ty Simpson and former five star prospect this, that or the other. And he's still there. You've got Austin Mack who Kaylin DeBoer recruited to Washington. He followed DeBoer and also don't forget new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb or returned offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb also a part of that recruitment as well. You also have a very, very promising freshman in Keelan Russell. Ty Simpson, Austin Mack Keel on Russell. What, what do we think happens with the Crimson Tide?

[C]

This is one that I think a lot of people thought it would be be Simpson, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And now there's some positive reports about Mac and I really don't think we can write off Russell. So I mean this is maybe legitimately a three way battle.

[A]

I think so. I think there's got to be some like we talk about practice versus performance and like all the different ways and the things that we try to do to read into what coaches are telling us, what beat writers are telling us. Ty Simpson cannot be this much of a quarterback battle in this many spring practices and be bad. Right?

[C]

Yeah, I like that logic there.

[A]

I can't, I can't, I can't believe that all of these years against all of these different starting quarterback competitors, you, at this time of year you are hearing people, which means a couple of things. Like my spidey senses would say, number one, there is promise there that coaches or people around the program are just trying to like will or speak into existence or squeeze that olive. Like just, we know we just need him to flip a switch. We just need him to take that extra step. But then the fact that he's not showing up on the field in a Crimson Tide uniform as QB one year after year after year, why does that not happen? So can it be this spring? And if not, then I think we start to get into that conversation with an Austin, Matt Keel and Russell type situation.

[B]

I don't know who wins this job. I don't think it'll be Ty Simpson though. I think if you just look at the way things tend to work throughout history, Ty Simpson's been there a long time. Ty Simpson did not come to Alabama under this current staff. Kaylin DeBoer took over the job last year. Austin Mack followed him from Washington. There's a reason he wanted him to come with. He clearly likes him. They get Russell as a recruit. These are two of their choices to be running their offense. Not saying Ty Simpson doesn't have a chance. I would just be very surprised if he wins this job.

[C]

So I mean whoever gets this job is going to have a hell of a receiving core to throw to like, like other than Ohio State, who would you rather have receiver wise than this team because you get Bernard in the slot. They went out and got Horton from Miami to go to go be their big body outside guy. It lets Williams continue to be your move guy and they can set him up for favorable matchups which DeBoer does really well.

[A]

Right?

[C]

I mean tight end, I don't know, I don't know if I believe in their tight ends yet. But this, I do think that it's, it kind of leans more towards the thrower but all three of these guys can throw pretty well, so maybe there's no actual like edge to be gained as far as, you know, intel, you know, there as far as throwing. But like I think the passing offense is going to be back in a major way in Alabama. I'm just, reminds me of what he had at Washington.

[B]

I'm just, I'm just going to play the odds based on history and say I'd rather have LSU's wide receiver. I don't even know who it is.

[A]

All right. On top of my head I went.

[B]

Seeing those contracts that have been signed the last few months. Give me LSU's receivers, I was gonna.

[A]

Say Auburn and Clemson just to like participate in the conversation, but I, I, I get, I get where you're going, bud, on that.

[D]

With Ty Simpson, it could be a case. And I think this is kind of what you're alluding to, Chip. Like I think he's probably works really hard. I think he's a great teammate. Probably practice is awesome or else he wouldn't be in all these. But you want it to wait. You want to see it when the lights are on and when full contact drills, whatever it is, when you get your opportunity, you want to see it. And it just feels like because he's had a couple opportunities, hasn't really stepped up and really taken hold of it. So I don't know. The Austin Mack thing I think is really interesting. That guy's a specimen. He's long, he's got a canon. Starting to see him flash more in practice. And I also wonder if he's somebody reunited with Ryan Grub, if that's one thing that helps him kind of, you know, the familiarity that he's got with his old, you know, offense coordinate all the way back at Washington, now they're reunited, if that relationship could be a positive factor for him.

[A]

Zach in the tailgate saying Ty Simpson looking like a Ty Thompson, always in the battle but, you know, just can never quite, never quite punch your way through.

[B]

Maybe ties a name we have to add to the list.

[A]

No ties.

[B]

T Y T A I. You're still open. I'll still give you a chance. But Ty, I think, is proven to be a bust.

[A]

No, T A I as a pass catcher is a tie.

[B]

Streets is great. Yeah. Oh, man, you're right. But it's been.

[D]

But he didn't pan out in the NFL.

[B]

That's a 19 8. It's been years since we had a tie. I think that history has shown Ty is washed up.

[A]

Hey, I. I ain't naming my boy Ty. I'm naming him winner. All right.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

All right.

[D]

What.

[A]

All right, so what about Russell? What's the chance? Like, what are the chances Russell. Russell crashes through this store and ends up winning the job? Because if Russell grabs hold of this thing in the spring, one of these two guys is hitting the portal, and then all of a sudden, now we're starting to look at some dominoes. We might be. We might be looking at an Alabama quarterback hitting the portal. Anyway, regardless of what happens.

[C]

Yeah. There's no way Bama keeps all three of these guys on the roster.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I don't think. I mean, that would be. It'd be wild to me. I don't think Russell can win the job in spring. I think he would need to continue to play well in the fall. I mean, it's not impossible, certainly. But I will say, like, if you guys watched the. The all American game that Russell got. Got, like, destroyed in, that was the first year that they have the juniors and seniors mixed. And like, the kid who was trying to block for him just was not ready to play in that type of format. Like, I do think sacks are a quarterback stat within reason. But, like, the absolute offensive lineman doesn't touch anybody type. Sacks are kind of more offensive lineman to me, you know, like a free runner when it's supposed to be accounted for. Is. Is kind of not on you as the qb. I'm sure. I see Danny there, good athlete, but, man, he really throws the ball exceptionally well and like, competitive kid. I. I loved what I saw him. And he's just a really, really talented player.

[B]

Anecdotally, the best way immediately to decide if it's on the offensive line or the quarterback is if the quarterback is screaming at somebody. Once he's. When he's being picked up, it was on the offensive line.

[D]

Since you were talking about all star games. I played in the Florida Georgia all star game. And so some of those offensive linemen are just not ready. The defensive lineman, especially in coming out of high school like senior years are way ahead of the game. I was getting killed just. And I was supposed to be like, you know, big time recruit, Florida State.

[A]

It was awful.

[D]

The other quarterback on Florida's team was Tommy Frazier. I was like, why don't we just let him, Let him out there? Because the coach is like, we need to get you some more reps. Don't you want to get back in there? I'm like, no, no. He's doing just great.

[C]

He's.

[B]

He's built for playing behind this line. I am not.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, 100%. Let's look at the Danny Canal, Tommy Frazier sack avoidance. Pff.

[D]

Biggest disparity next to each other.

[A]

What about the. The Georgia Bulldogs. So Gunner Stockton obviously comes in for Carson Beck in the SEC championship game, but they are not able to punch their way through once they make it to the College Football Playoff, falling short against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. I guess he's running QB1, but I, I think we've got a situation here where I don't. I, I'm sounding like a Notre Dame fan. I just, I haven't. I don't know if I'm ready to like throw Stockton out there. Other options, based on what I can tell, Ryan Polisi and Ryan Montgomery. So do either of these Ryans end up taking down Gunner there in Athens?

[C]

It would not shock me if Puglisi makes a run at this. I would be pretty surprised if Montgomery is that guy as a freshman. I don't know that he has that kind of upside right now. They might like some of his long term possibilities, but Puglisi has some real juice. I know, like he threw the ball in baseball. He was like a night like mid-90s kid, apparently. So like, that's obviously pretty legit. I think he. I don't know. I don't think Stockton sucked. He played pretty damn well against Texas, but. And maybe he's just that dude. Georgia will certainly have a lot better receivers this year, I think, than last year. Because you're not asking some of these guys to play roles, you know, by which you never intended, assuming that, you know, Georgia's guys are on the roster, are still on the roster, you know, come fall. But like last year, the Mississippi State kid who they had to boot, and then the dude they took from Miami who ended up like, not being able to play for a while because the arrest thing, which I think got resolved.

[A]

Young.

[C]

Yeah, Colby Young. Isn't Colby back? And they went out and got Noah Thomas from Texas A M. So like whoever you're you're like, whoever is throwing the ball is going to have better guys to throw to.

[B]

I First of all, Puyisi, we know he wouldn't start at Notre Dame. The Irish fans would hate him.

[A]

All this anti Italian discrimination in South Bend.

[B]

My thought process here is like, we've seen Kirby tend to lean on the veteran guy. More like, I think Kirby values experience, particularly at that position, and we've seen him over the years go that way. So I would. I would think Stockton, because he's been there, has that kind of edge. But if Yisi plays well enough to kind of earn his way onto the field, that wouldn't shock me. But I do think come that first game of the season, it'll be Gunner Stockton because I do think he showed some pretty interesting flashes when called upon. I think he's got a very strong arm. I think he has a lot to learn about harnessing it and how to use it. But I do think that there's, you know, there's. He's got that kind of moxie factor that we've seen Georgia really appreciate in their quarterbacks. So I think he'll get it. I think he'll be the starter to begin the season. We'll see how it goes from there.

[D]

Yeah, I think he's going to get the nod. I think this is right up Kirby's alley, kind of chip on the shoulder guy because you have so many guys that are five stars player of the years, like future NFL prospects. To have your quarterback with that little chip on your shoulder kind of as a leader, you know, the speaker for the offense and really step up as leader on the team. I mean, the way those players talked about him last year was see a guy, they were in a rally round, you know, and it made you wonder what they thought of Carson Beck. I think we probably know that answer now, but I think it's probably his job Week one. Kind of like you got to screw it up, you know, in order for him not to be the starter.

[A]

Tiger Georgia, Raven county. You know, just like the. The definite. That that was such a.

[D]

He's not driving no Lambo around campus. Somebody I think even said that was like He's a Ford F150 guy and they like it was a badge of honor that he wasn't there. Was. There's something to that.

[A]

Yeah. The. Yeah. Culture clash. Ryan Polisi from. From Avon, Connecticut against. Against Goner Stockton.

[D]

My old neighborhood.

[A]

Let's. Let's see what happens. Shout out to Caroline.

[D]

Connecticut Yankee in Athens guaranteed the quarterback position Will be less douchey.

[B]

Yeah, it's a good one.

[A]

It's true. Adjust your power ratings, your chip olytics in the bud bot, you know, plug it in. We. We are taking the douche. The douche levels. You got to power it, throttle it down, as they say, for. For the Bulldogs.

[C]

Maybe we'll save this for a different episode because I think we have enough here for like multiple episodes on this. But Dylan Bell, who I think can go back to being a guy they scheme open, not have to run real routes. Colby Young's back. They got Noah Thomas from Texas A M. You get Zach Branch, who's a different kind of scheme at open for him type guy. Like, who do they really miss off this team? I mean, like, you might miss Aryan, but he's not that much faster than.

[A]

You're just talking about pass catchers, right?

[C]

Correct.

[A]

Yeah. I think they missed some offensive linemen and I think that, like, that is.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. Part of the. The Georgia. When we're talking about the. The small margins that take Georgia from being a monster to just being one of the very best teams in college football, being able to run the football effectively behind a good offensive line with good backs, that was something that I felt was missing. And I think that that's being more effective in the ground game is. Is on the checklist of what I would like to see Georgia do better if they're going to get back up to monster status and your two tight.

[C]

Ends don't suck like Lawson Lucky and Oscar Delp are both back.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So I. I like who you're throwing to.

[A]

All right. In. In the tailgate really early 8am our friend Jim jumped in and he had it. He said underrated QB battle cadence. Salter and juju Lewis in Boulder. He's absolutely right. Coach Prime. As Colorado is even considering whether they can play a spring game against another team, we'll see if that comes to fruition before maybe we. We expand on that. Maybe we'll do a live reaction to the Colorado Syracuse spring game. Who knows?

[D]

I'm here for it.

[A]

Tbd. I am, too. I think it's a. I think it's a pretty cool suggestion here. So what do we think? There we go. So what do we think ends up happening here as. As Colorado goes into the post Shador Sanders era with two gifted players. Kaden Salter did not play as well last season. You know, like he just. A lot. A lot of things didn't go well for Liberty as a team. But Kaden Salter, individually, big step back from where he performed when Liberty was winning the conference and making the Fiesta bowl is in the new year. 6. Juju Lewis, obviously highly touted prospect coming out of high school. Still a blue chip even as he arrives. What do we think happens there?

[C]

So I assuming Salter is like happier and I think that was part of it last year, right? He wanted to transfer to Auburn. I don't think he actually had the academics done when Auburn needed him to have him done and so it meant that he could not transfer to Auburn. And obviously like if your employer all of a sudden realizes, wait, you actually don't have any leverage to go anywhere. We don't really have to compete like nil wise. They're not going to break the bank for you if they know you're unhappy anyway and you can't leave. So I think that was kind of part of what was going on last year. So I'm not out on Kaden Salter as far as that. But like assuming he's like focused on and you know in like his head is in it, then I think he has a pretty good chance. But I will say Juju is very much like a high floor quarterback. I would be surprised if he sucks in college. I think the ceiling is an open question because of the size and maybe some of the physical limitations that he has. But I mean Juju is a guy who I think comes to compete right away for Colorado. So this is a battle that I think you have to watch.

[B]

What's interesting to me is how often will they run the ball? Will they go from running it 5% of the time to actually having balance on offense? And if so, why?

[C]

Well, maybe because you lose all those receivers too. I don't know, maybe not all of them, but Horn's gone, Lajante's gone, Hunter's gone, Miller's back. Who are we missing here?

[B]

They're all gone for the most part. But it's just, it's. This is. I do think Salter probably has an edge in that if he's transferring in. I don't think, I don't think anybody's guaranteed anything, but I think that there's kind of a expectation like if you're bringing in a transfer that means that you kind of aren't in. Completely in love with your options in house, I think is safe to say so. I do think Salter's got a decent chance of winning the job. I do think his experience will help him in this and come kind of like what Bud mentioned. I also not just whether he's mentally checked out. But I also think maybe this offense will be better suited to him than. Because, I mean he came up at Liberty under Hugh Freeze. Jimmy Chadwell comes in. I don't know if they were really running. It wasn't totally dissimilar, but it wasn't really suited to a lot of his strengths. I think they had him running a whole hell of a lot more than he wanted to be running. Especially maybe as Bud alluded to, for the paycheck he was receiving. So maybe if he's in this offense and they're allowing him to throw it a bit more, he'll be happier and a little more effective.

[D]

Man, I think this is going to be really interesting because Pat Shermer was brought in to run an NFL style system, right? We saw Shador, a lot of packet, a lot of pocket passing. Right. Did not run much. Now he's got a weapon in Kaden Salter, who we don't know how good he is just passing from the pocket. What's Lewis like is. What's his skill set like? But is he dual threat? Is he more runner, more passer or just.

[C]

He's more of a passer, Danny, like, like he can run around a little bit, but it's like quick, quick release, you know, ball out, like efficient guy.

[D]

So then that feels to me like he's a better fit for what Shermer does and has done throughout his career for what they want to do. But you're asking a freshman to get up to speed. He has been there, I mean practice the bowls in there for spring. So I would say it's probably his job just from the fit.

[B]

It's hard to be a pocket pastor when you're six feet tall though.

[C]

So. Oh, Will Shepherd's gone too?

[A]

Yep.

[C]

So they're all Draylon Miller and o' Marion Miller and then they got Adrian Wilson and Farrakhan and then. Yeah, I mean that is. I'm not gonna say the quarterback drop off is not as big as the receiver drop off but. But they are comparable.

[A]

I, I would think the wide receiver drop off might be more.

[C]

Okay, yeah, I mean that's like those.

[A]

Those are NFL wide receivers. Those are experienced NFL wide receivers that all played a lot of ball, you know, so I'm. It definitely something to look at when you're thinking about the future of Colorado's offense. All right, let's. Let's open the board. What are, what are some of the other. Some of the other quarterback battles that have your attention going into spring practice? Auburn okay, so Deuce Knight.

[C]

Deuce Knight is so raw to me. I'd be very, very shocked if he won the job as a freshman. I mean, to me he's like an all upside type of recruit ranking. Like, he is not somebody who, based on how he played in high school, is ready to step in and play right away. To me, it's like, it. How much more can I get out of Jackson Arnold? How much is the Stanford kid they brought in actually going to play? Because if he plays, I'm like, I think I'm out on offer. Right. If they unlock something with Jackson Arnold, and I don't think it's crazy to think that they could. I don't think Venables did a good job of assembling that offensive staff last year. And so, like, how much do you put on Jackson Arnold? How much do you put on. On Oklahoma's offensive staff?

[A]

You know, see, Jackson Arnold is a situation that we talked about earlier where I. If they're going to go get Jackson Arnold, I'm going to assume that's your QB one in spring practice. And if not, then something has gone poorly for Jackson Arnold with his ability to acclimate and get, you know, up to speed with what the offense wants to do. Like, that is a spring practice that has not gone according to plan the way that I look at it.

[C]

Agreed.

[A]

What do we think about Iowa?

[B]

Oh, it's Granowski.

[C]

Yeah. God, it better be.

[B]

It better be.

[C]

If not, then yeah.

[A]

But when Brendan Sullivan came in, we got excited.

[C]

Yes, but it's, it's over. Replacement. It better be Gronowski.

[A]

Okay. All right. Okay. What about Mississippi State?

[C]

I assume it's shaping right, Right?

[B]

I would think so.

[C]

But like, they also brought in Crominhoak. I, I don't know. Like, I, I think Chromebook's probably a sick guy, but maybe it's a battle.

[B]

And that was like really quick too. Was that, like, surprisingly quick?

[C]

Well, because LSU took Van Buren.

[B]

Okay. Another battle, like, under the radar that I think kind of matters because they had a bad season last year and their quarterback left Maryland. I'm. I'm interested in seeing what they're doing there because they've got the kid that came in from ucla, Justin Martin, but also like, they're kind of high on, on the quarterback that's coming in. The Malik Washington.

[C]

Yes. Yeah, that, that's a like, save Mike Locksley's job type of signing right there, guys.

[B]

Yeah. So it's like, I, I wonder if we could see because I think what they had such a terrible season last year. I wonder if we could see that them going straight with Malik because they feel like he has a higher upside that could play deliver right away. Maybe not right away, but you know what I mean? Just like he's somebody who can maybe.

[C]

Quote unquote save their season and they ease into it. Their opening schedule is fau, niu, Towson at Wisconsin, host Washington Post, Nebraska at ucla, host Indiana at Rutgers. I mean this is an opening anymore like at Illinois, host Michigan, host Michigan State. This is the schedule that Maryland prayed for. When, when the Big Ten east and Big Ten west went away, I was like, guys, you know who is gonna.

[D]

Be getting, who's gonna be getting chewed out from Bill Belichick? Is it Max Johnson?

[A]

I think it's. I mean he is separating from having his leg snapped.

[B]

I mean he's shoot out or not invited to the beach dates.

[A]

Listen, I think that Bill Belichick obviously respects experience. You know, he's looking for himself maybe not in his partner, but like. And you know, when he's looking for a leader out on the field, he wants somebody that's, you know, seen some things. Max Johnson has seen some things. So I, I mean he's, he's still not even like full. He's throwing on the sideline right now, you know, like it, it's. We'll see. But the. Unless they go hit the portal in the spring, it's either him or Ryan Brown from Purdue or Bryce Baker, the true freshman. I mean I know that Sam Howell started as a true freshman in Mac Brown's first year, but even Drake may red shirt it. So we'll see.

[C]

How much does the pieces surrounding the UNC quarterback matter here? Like what do we think this offense is going to look like?

[A]

Not, I mean it not overwhelming anybody.

[C]

O line is fine. Needs to be rebuilt or. Oh, okay.

[A]

No, no, no, no. I don't mean like good fine.

[B]

Like we have one.

[A]

Like we're talking like ACC good, you know.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

I mean this is a, this is a conference where I think there's only four teams with win totals greater than eight in the whole conference. True. I mean it. I, I think that, I think North Carolina can. And the schedule sets up is so easy. I, I think the pieces around North Carolina are seven win good. And if that's the case, Max Johnson probably gives you the ability to, you know, gives you the ability to be a bus driver, I think.

[B]

So is performance against your win total part of like the Rev shoe formula? Rev share. Sorry.

[D]

That would be great. If it was what.

[A]

So if you exceed your winter.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. You get an extra percentage point.

[A]

Yeah, that's. That's for sure. Yeah. My assumption is it'll be Max Johnson, but I also believe that they're probably going to do some. I mean, they're doing no names, no numbers on the jerseys. Like, it's. It's gonna be a thing, you know, like, we're gonna be wondering who North Carolina's starting quarterback is on Labor Day when they trot out there for the season opener on espn. And it'll be. It'll be as much air time as Max Johnson, Ryan Brown, and Bryce Baker will have gotten, you know, all season long.

[B]

Do you have to earn your tar?

[A]

Oh, my gosh, I hope so. That.

[B]

There we go. Let's get those shirts. Earn your tar.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. It's like the. The opposite of Jim Harbaugh, who's putting everyone's recruiting ranking on the locker to try to inspire greatness. You know, you got to earn your name. All right, any. Got a few minutes left in. Any other. Any other ones that we should have our eye on? Usc, you don't think that's Jaden Maeva?

[C]

I mean, Long Street's pretty good. I didn't see anything from my Ava that made me think he's awesome.

[A]

Like, that's fair.

[C]

100. It wasn't much better than Moss.

[A]

Long street was committed to Texas A M. Flipped to flip to usc. That was a big part of it. They're in the state. I think Devin Brown probably wins Cal. But remember Cal flipped the Oregon signee.

[C]

Oh, Jaron. Shoot. Ksp.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay. The last name is really hard for me to say. Yeah, there's a lot of letters Huffman can get.

[A]

It's like, it's a talele at the end. I know that we've got a tolele.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

I'll. I'll try to land that plane a little bit better once we get closer to the season.

[C]

Chip's like, please be Devin.

[A]

No, but he's a super talented player and a good sign for new offensive coordinator Brian Harson.

[C]

So the other thing on Devin Brown is like, that's back to back to back. Kids who come out of, like, Corner Canyon, that high school, they just put up crazy numbers in high school. So after a while, it's like, you know, like, Westlake had this for a while. It's like, yes, you're all putting up great numbers. You're all clearly talented, because they're not going to accept a quarterback at that school who's not talented. Like you have to have some kind of baseline level of high school talent to win this job. Like what are the differentiating factors? I don't know. I mean there were wildly different opinions on Devin Brown coming high school. Like some people had him the number one player in the country. Now we had him as like, like a mid, mid top 104 star, you know. But like he might be awesome or he might be a miss by the recruiting industry. I don't know.

[A]

Somebody in the tailgate mentioning Syracuse. I would say the two names to watch there are Michael Johnson Jr. Who is the backup from a cord last year, but they also got a guy from LSU named Ricky Collins. I think that that's the. The battle to see who takes over for an offense that is losing La Quint Allen or Ronde Gadsden. Like all of the production for that 10 win team is going to be gone. So a lot to rebuild there for Fran Brown squad.

[C]

I'm trying to think about the guy. There was a. There was a coach who got off to a crazy hot start. This is probably like late 2000s, early 2010s and it was like, yes, you. You start. You started too hot, right? Because your schedule and like the timing was great year one and then year two. Like you had a big backslide and wins and losses. Like are you really a worse coach right now or did you just lose a lot of guys in the schedule Got a lot harder because there, there's some of that vibes I feel like with Q's right now, you know, they're about to have a much tougher.

[A]

I think you would still take the splash if you were given the option at a place like Syracuse where you like, you're fighting against so much already that you would take the big splash and ride it for whatever you can so completely see on that one. All right. You got any others?

[C]

Is. Is West Virginia, Nico, for like college fantasy purposes. This is going to matter because like they. Because Rich. Rich Rod, he's going to run the hell out of the quarterback.

[A]

Like right.

[C]

Whoever wins this job is going to score a lot of touchdowns.

[A]

I do think at least a large.

[C]

Share of the touchdowns.

[A]

You know, I'm not sure. I do think Bo Prabula is the guy at Missouri.

[C]

Probably.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Yeah, I would agree. Okay.

[A]

We'll of course be keeping you up to date on all of these as the headlines start to come out in April. They might be getting rid of spring games, but we will get some scrimmages and some conclusion to be able to get better insight on how these battles go Again. Spring practice that already started or midway through at some schools. But over the course of the next couple weeks, we'll really see it pick up with the end of April being the conclusion of the spring session. And you can follow him on Twitter at time. For now, you can follow him at Danny Cannell, follow him@bud Elliott3. You can follow me at Chip underscore Patterson. Gentlemen, thank you very much.

[B]

Thank you.

[C]

See ya.

[A]

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Obviously, murder's not fun.