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Ferentz QBs

iowalaw

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2015
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Scottsdale
As improbable as it sounds, in 17 years of coaching, Ferentz has not produced a single QB who took a snap in the NFL. So where do we rank the top QBs under Ferentz/O'Keefe/Davis' guidance?

1. Brad Banks - my all time favorite Hawk. If he wasn't pulled in the 3rd quarter in blowouts or relegated to hand off duty, the guy would have won the Heisman trophy. It's pretty amazing what an athletic qb can do in college football. Sadly, we have not had one since.

2. Nathan Chandler - chandy was a stud. I can still remember how we were automatic on 4th and 2 in every game, because our 6'8 qb would just sneak for a first down. He was a little overshadowed by what Banks accomplished, but he still made us a top 10 team with less fan fare.

3. Stanzi the manzi - guy was a competitor. Good arm. Good vision. Good attitude. Won the Orange Bowl. Great kid for a low touted recruit.

4. Tate - pretty highly touted (i believe an elite 11 qb). Guy had moxy. Could run the ball and would throw in traffic. A little too small to be a major QB, but he did the best he could with his abilities. Did not improve much after his soph season. May have been that he was not coached up.

5. Vandenberg - who knows what could have been. Had a great jr season and a horrible sr season. What changed? The offensive coordinator.
 
KF's offensive philosophy does not have top talent clamoring to play for Iowa...we have to rely on sleeper recruits a lot of the time at several positions. I remember Tate being pretty highly sought after but only ending up at Iowa after a coaching change at A&M, and JC being well thought of during recruitment. But most of the time during the KF era...it's second and sometimes third tier talent at the position. I like the list though...but it's kinda sad.
 
Banks - He had about all of the accolades except the Heisman
Tate - Could've been Banks if he had that 2002 team, played hurt but was a stud
Stanzi - Won three bowl games
 
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No athletic qb since Banks? Come on man.

Curious, how many qbs have taken snaps in the NFL in last 17 years? Realistically it isn't that high of a number. ISU has had two in that time frame, but Iowa has had better qbs overall.
 
Did Sherman, Rogers or either Hartleib take a snap? If not, you'd have to go back to Vlasic and 1987.
 
I think Rodgers played for a cup of coffee.

Hartleib didn't but seems like he made a lot of $ from some NFL settlement about backups???

Tate, KF's best IMO, is still hanging in the great white north.
 
Vlasic I believe even played in a playoff game at some point for KC - blew his knee out twice in his career if my memory is good. Long played of course. But there were no other Fry QB's taking regular season NFL snaps unless you want to count Dan McGwire.

I would also contend that Chandler and Tate were certainly as effectively mobile as Banks was, with the caveat that their teams did not need him to "be Brad Banks" and did not have arguably the best o-line in modern Iowa football history plowing the road.

Not nearly the natural athlete Banks was for sure, but they both were a lot better passers than Banks was too.

I'd rank 'em...

Stanzi
Tate
Banks

Banks effectively was a 1 year player. Yes, he had the best individual season of all the choices, but Stanzi as well as Tate get career achievement points and as well delivered in bowls big time.
 
Not nearly the natural athlete Banks was for sure, but they both were a lot better passers than Banks was too.

.

No they werent. Those guys couldnt make the throws Banks could. Against NW, Banks threw across his body to Mo Brown for a 50 yard td on the money, no chance in hell Stanzi couldve made that throw. I loved Stanzi and Tate, but anyone picking someone other than Banks is suffering from memory loss or is legally blind.

 
Watching that video makes me want to cry. So much talent on that team.....could you pick an all-star team from over the last 5 years that would even come close to that group?
 
I agree that Tate was by far our best quarterback...he did a lot basically by himself. If he had the supporting cast of some of those others it would be a no-brainer.
 
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Epenesa...raw talent, raw athletic ability, nobody is claiming otherwise.

I just would have liked to see Chandler and Tate operate behind that line with those weapons Banks had. And since we can't do that, everybody's claim here is pure guesswork at best.
 
As improbable as it sounds, in 17 years of coaching, Ferentz has not produced a single QB who took a snap in the NFL. So where do we rank the top QBs under Ferentz/O'Keefe/Davis' guidance?

1. Brad Banks - my all time favorite Hawk. If he wasn't pulled in the 3rd quarter in blowouts or relegated to hand off duty, the guy would have won the Heisman trophy. It's pretty amazing what an athletic qb can do in college football. Sadly, we have not had one since.

2. Nathan Chandler - chandy was a stud. I can still remember how we were automatic on 4th and 2 in every game, because our 6'8 qb would just sneak for a first down. He was a little overshadowed by what Banks accomplished, but he still made us a top 10 team with less fan fare.

3. Stanzi the manzi - guy was a competitor. Good arm. Good vision. Good attitude. Won the Orange Bowl. Great kid for a low touted recruit.

4. Tate - pretty highly touted (i believe an elite 11 qb). Guy had moxy. Could run the ball and would throw in traffic. A little too small to be a major QB, but he did the best he could with his abilities. Did not improve much after his soph season. May have been that he was not coached up.

5. Vandenberg - who knows what could have been. Had a great jr season and a horrible sr season. What changed? The offensive coordinator.

Vandenberg reminds me of a poor man's Rudock. No way would I rank him as one of Ferentz's good QBs. Hard to judge him his junior as he filled in a few games for Stanzi and had a good game against OSU. His senior year was more on him than the new OC. Couldn't read defenses, would panic, and end getting sacked or throw a terrible pass. My big problem with Ferentz and Davis that year is that they didn't pull him and give the backup a chance.
 
Banks was the best athletic talent IMO. He would've been all conference at RB/WR/DB if he wasn't our QB. One of those Florida kids with amazing natural ability. That 2002 team executed well and went against tendencies sometimes to throw off our opponents. 2005 really took the wind out of our sails and we've never been the same since. IIRC that 2002 team totally destroyed NW. We couldn't do that now because we have to take a knee at the end of both halves to win the non-existent "classy" award in every contest.
 
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Banks was phenomenal, balance of deep throws, touch, escapability and running ability - had outstanding weapons. No NFL but had decent CFL career.

Tate was pure Moxie as stated above, great thrower and by far the best escape artist we have ever had, hurt by AIRBHG. No NFL but also showed flashes in CFL.
 
he coaches OL, footwork and hand placement.

QB? not so much. he's 60 and still can't teach a 2 min offense. it hasnt happened yet it aint never going to happen. Any exceptional QB play comes from previous to Iowa coaching and or natural ability.

Look how awful Vandenberg looked when his head was filled with Iowa QB coaching. so full of self doubt. playing not to lose. fear.

Kirk does not inspire confidence. It shows at QB every stinking year. Any QB displaying confidence or talent is at odds with KF. remember what Tate said after he left. It wasnt easy to play QB at Iowa.

CJB in the Ball State game comes in moves the chains, throws a TD pass to Powell, gets benched. Unbelieveable really. Un freaking believable.
 
I can't believe my eyes when I watch that Banks video. To think we had talent and play makers like that back in the day. Those were good times. Sigh.
 
I agree that Tate was by far our best quarterback...he did a lot basically by himself. If he had the supporting cast of some of those others it would be a no-brainer.

This is correct.

The talent around Tate wasn't even close to Banks and Stanzi.

I'd rank them.

1. Tate
2. Banks
3. Stanzi
4. Chandler
5. Vandenburg
6. Rudock
7. Christensen
 
1. Brad Banks - If he wasn't pulled in the 3rd quarter in blowouts or relegated to hand off duty, the guy would have won the Heisman trophy.

Tommie Frazier won the national championship game MVP 3 times against guys like Warren Sapp and Ray Lewis; and over Charlie Ward and Danny Wuerffel (both Heisman winners). Won 2 undefeated national titles as a starter and was a FG miss away from 3 undefeated national titles. Conference champion all 4 years as a starter and was the QB of an offense that scored more points per game than any team in college football history, was the QB of an offense that gained more yards per game than any team in history, and was the QB of arguably the best team in college football history (Ranked #1 by NFL.com and #2 by ESPN).

......and Eddie George won the Heisman; he wasn't even the best player on Ohio State's team (Orlando Pace). The Heisman is a joke award. Always has been; always will be. Charles Woodson over Peyton Manning? lmao.The last thing one should do is point to that POS as meaning something. And what they do in the NFL means a whole lot of nothing.

FWIW, I remember that Tate kid and think he's the best because of his moxy. Banks the most natural talent.
 
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