A great point about J Russell and next year...

How do i hope you are right about that!


:geauxtige :crystal: :geauxtige :champs: :geauxtige :crystal: :geauxtige

 

It is a good point to ponder, but Russell has Cap One Bowl brilliance and Florida Game meltdown dancing in everyone's head. If Russell is not in gear, this offense will sputter. This team will win and compete either way, but their credibility as a true NC contender rests on the shoulders of one very erratic QB. All of this excitement and hype is out the window if Russell struggles. Time is running out on the "development process" with ASU and Tennessee coming in very early. Russell has been as awful as he has brilliant - who is the real JaMarcus Russell?

 

I am a little worried about JR.

I don't think anyone can say he doesn't have the tools and crunch-time skills to become an All-American but will he really put it all together next year?

He is just a sophmore and with that come mistakes and inconsistency.

 

While Russell did look great for 8 minutes in the bowl game, he still has to show consistency throughout a game, and even the season to be a great QB. I truely do hope he can be, but he really hasn't shown it yet.

 

I think we just need perspective sometimes - look at Chris Leak at Florida. That kid has amazing potential. He has been starting since early in his Freshman year and has an eternity of experience under his belt in comparison to Russell. Leak has lived up to the hype over two seasons and he's worked his tail off in the off-seasons. We are hoping / asking that Russell play extremely well in a potentially deadly, potent offense next year. I think he can get it done. I hope he will. But my point is that we often overlook things like playing time, experience, and a thorough understanding of the offense because we're blinded by blatant physical ability and the fact that the kid is surrounded by a world of talent.

 

Leak has lived up to his billing but has also lost 5 games the last two years.

I know, I know....UF had a terrible D and so forth...poor coaching and what not...but like you said...perspective

 

I hear ya. But that was what sharing time as a RS-Freshman was supposed to take care of, or at least "ease" thru the transition.

Will he make mistakes? Sure. All QB's do. Even Leak, David Greene and Matt Mauck made mistakes.

To me, it's not a matter of having a QB that won't make any mistakes--because with every QB on every team in every level of football, mistakes will be made. I want a QB that if he makes a mistake and turns the ball over, or misses an open receiver, I want him to forget about it by the time he walks back to the huddle, not worry about getting pulled if he makes a mistake (which I think is what happened last year).

Yes, there's going to be competition sitting on our bench no matter who our QB is. But I want the starter to have that "swagger" and confidence to not "hang on" to the previous play. Just go on to the next one.

If Russell, or if it's Flynn or RP, can display that confidence, then we'll be perfectly fine at the QB position.

 

Food for thought

David Greene won the SEC as a Sophmore
Casey Clausen won the East as a Sophmore

So...it can be done.

 

. Leak has lived up to the hype over two seasons and he's worked his tail off in the off-seasons"

I am just trying to figure out why Leak is always talked about in a positive way like he has passed some kind of test and has lived up to a certain level of hype? Don't get me wrong, I think the kid is a good QB, but to "live" up to
alot of hype I would think the kid would need some more wins under his belt. If not then why are so many people so hard on Russell who has about 2 years less playing time but should win every game. Leak may be good but what has he done to be accepted as "great" with the win-loss record that Florida has?
"

 

BTW, Rivals.com had Leak as a 4-Star QB