I'm not at all suggesting that Mauck be a "rent-a-QB" Coming off leading the Tigers to the NC he is da man. If he chooses to come back he will do whatever it takes to improve and come back even better than he was in 2003. His presence on the team can only help the young QBs to improve and refine their game. If Mauck comes back it is likely that he will be the starter in every game unless Nick Saban decides that one of the young QBs has progressed so much that he would be a better choice than Mauck. That is unlikely. BUT - Quarterback is a position that is prone to injuries. Lets say that Mauck got hurt bad enough to miss even one game or if he got knocked out of a game in the first quarter the way that Rohan did when Mauck had to enter the game in the 2001 SECCG. I would feel a lot better if JaMarcus and Flynn had some game experience even if it came in garbage time. Matt Mauck won't help Russell or Flynn to become a better passer but his mentorship to the young QBs WILL help them to become better players.
I hope I haven't come across as an anti-Mauck fan. That could be no further from the truth. The man is and always will be a Tiger god. BUT, it makes little sense for Mauck to return next year (hope I'm wrong). He's already been accepted to dental school and from what I hear, plans on gettin married. He's not an NFL prospect in my opinion and I doubt he would give pro sports another shot even if he was. Once again, in my humble opinion, if or when Mauk leaves Russell is our guy.
No, Mauck is not at the present time highly rated by the NFL. He dosen't have a cannon for an arm but then neither did Joe Montana or Kenny Stabler. Mauck has played a significant role in 22 games for LSU. He is 19-2 as a starter and he was the winning quarterback off the bench in the 2001 SECCG when Rohan got hurt. He has improved his game by leaps and bounds considering that he only played in 7 games in 2002 before the injury in the Florida game. Who among us would have believed that a QB who relied more on his feet than on his arm would come back from a season ending injury to lead LSU to the National Championship as an effective if occasionally inconsistent pocket passer. He is a great athlete and he has the intelligence and work ethic and leadership qualities to make him much better in the 2004 season than he was in this past season. I don't know how great his desire to become a dentist is but if Mauck were to have another great season next year he would greatly improve his NFL status. Probably not to the point of being a first round pick but he would get the opportunity to try to make the roster of an NFL team and due to his college accomplishments would be give a real shot at making a team. With an NFL salary and bonuses he could make a couple of million dollars even if he never becomes an NFL full time starting QB and a lot more if he makes it as a starter. If he chooses that option he would be 26 years old entering the NFL. If he chooses to go to dental school next year he would be 27 by the time he graduated from dental school. Dentists earn a very good living but I don't know how much a dentist makes in his first year or two out of dental school. It is a gamble and I'm sure he is weighing his options. If it was me I would play the extra year of college football and take my chances with pro ball. At the worst he would earn close to a $1 million if he hangs on with a pro team for a couple of years. He would still be 27 but a million dollars richer than he would be if he goes to dental school. At the age of 27 he may or may not still want to pursue the denistry option making him a first year dentist at the age of 30 but if he wanted to go into some kind of business in Baton Rouge after a shot at the NFL Baton Rouge has always opened a lot of doors for former LSU football stars. He will always be a legend in Baton Rouge. Since Billy Cannon played 11 years of professional football and still was able to find the time to go to dental school I would think that it would be quite posible for Mauck to work it into his schedule if he really wants to be a dentist someday.
The one thing Mauck has going for him as far as having a chance at the NFL is his mobility....it's underrated.....this guy has real good escapability....a required trait of NFL QBs these days. I agree that another year to hone his skills will go a long way in making Mauck a plausible NFL QB, especially with many more weapons, i.e., an improved Justin Vincent/Ally Broussard, the emergence of Jones as a another pass option at the FB/TE position, and the bevy of receivers LSU will have especially after Clayton decides to stay. Can you imagine defensive schemes having to decide whether they will cover Clayton one on one or Amp Hill?
If Hill and Spears come back to keep the DL solid, with the rest of the returning players, I could play quarterback and win. Just Kidding. Lets face it, the defense will be better next year if we lose no more that two Juniors on that side of the ball. On offfense, if we have a quarterback with a strong arm, we could have the most potent offense in the history of the SEC. Vincent, Broussard, Addai, and Edwards can all catch the ball out of the backfield. Jones and Zinger appear to be the best pair of receiving Tight Ends that I can remember playing for LSU. Vincent and Green have proven they are a threat to go the distance each time they touch the ball. The OL Could very well be the most dominant in the history of the school. We have proven replacements for the two guys leaving and a wold of quality depth. The number one recruiting class in the country, last year, has been getting stronger and learning the play book. I'm ready to "T" it up.
Mauck is a good leader but I do not think losing him would effect us to much in that department. One, because of the character our players have and two, because of Saban. With all the players returning from a championship team, next year's team will have many leaders with the clear 2 being Clayton and Spears. I think if those 2 guys return, we smoke SC in the orange bowl. Wonder if SC wants to play in Miami or L.A. next Jan? Hypocrites! I think Mauck leaving helps this team. We need to get these youngsters in, let them take a couple lumps in the early games, and I guarantee were back in the NC game again. Russell looks huge on the sideline, but Flynn just has that look of a winner. Not being able to see them in person out here in L.A., who looks more impressive in person? Wow, some good times ahead. Wish I could spend a couple of weeks in Baton Rouge, talk radio out here will drive you crazy.
The most difficult position to replace is the QB ... there is simply no substitute for experience! If given the choice between a PROVEN QB who led his team to the NC versus a talented redshirt QB who has ZERO experience ... well, it's really a no brainer! I hope Mauck returns, but I'm not expecting it...
