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New Story Still More Questions Than Answers In QB Competition

Adam Jacobi

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Dec 30, 2022
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IOWA CITY — Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz press appearances are like jazz: they're notable for the things he doesn't say.

At Iowa's annual Media Day Friday, the first question Ferentz received was about the QB situation. With just 22 days until the season opener against Illinois State, if there's a clear answer at QB1, Ferentz isn't eager to let it on.

"It's like all positions, we'll make decisions here as we go along," said Ferentz. "But the room overall is a lot more competitive than it was certainly at the end of last year, last December. That was the goal: try to get a room where you've got good competition."

The less said about last season's QB room the better, of course. Few need the reminder. While Iowa's current quarterback situation in and of itself certainly makes the offense more competitive than 2023's version, most coaches would likely prefer more certainty. And though Ferentz didn't give any indication that Sullivan's ahead on the depth chart at this point, he didn't do much to tamp down expectations for his transfer quarterback from Northwestern either.

"We're eight days into [camp] right now, so not making any proclamations other than he's done a really great job," Ferentz said of Sullivan. "He's off to a great start, and he's a good athlete and he's versatile. Seems to be really poised under pressure, and he's feeling some pressure — like he's getting it from the defense. So it's good to watch guys react."


 
Ferentz also mentioned that Sullivan was playing "catch-up" as well, having only recently joined the team in the spring, but he also kept the door open for creating a specialty package for the ultra-mobile Sullivan.

"If you've got a guy who can do something, then you maybe try and carve out a package or at least be ready," said Ferentz.
:oops:
 
Actually, Kirk is right most of the time. But not always.
He was right when he split time with Brad Banks junior year? He was right with Christensen over Stanzi? He was right with Ruddock over Beathard? He was right with Petras over anybody? He was right with the guy he snatched from Fordham who started 10 games last season and is now at Utah Tech?
 
Actually, Kirk is right most of the time. But not always.
His QB recruiters have forced him to choose the tallest midgets over the [more recent] years - And our tallest midgets have been pretty darn terrible, unfortunately.

KF needs to let his OC have complete control of all the offensive pieces.
 
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He was right when he split time with Brad Banks junior year? He was right with Christensen over Stanzi? He was right with Ruddock over Beathard? He was right with Petras over anybody? He was right with the guy he snatched from Fordham who started 10 games last season and is now at Utah Tech?
Now do all the other quarterbacks in Kirk's tenure. I think you'll find the "right" quarterback was starting most years.
 
"Ferentz also mentioned that Sullivan was playing "catch-up" as well, having only recently joined the team in the spring, but he also kept the door open for creating a specialty package for the ultra-mobile Sullivan.

"If you've got a guy who can do something, then you maybe try and carve out a package or at least be ready," said Ferentz."

This is good to hear. I would have liked to have seen him do that last year.
 
I'm starting to wonder: What _kind of "package" is KF/Lester building Sullivan?
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He was right when he split time with Brad Banks junior year? He was right with Christensen over Stanzi? He was right with Ruddock over Beathard? He was right with Petras over anybody? He was right with the guy he snatched from Fordham who started 10 games last season and is now at Utah Tech?

Kirk was right with Petras. That’s been very clear over the past couple years.
 
Kirk was right with Petras. That’s been very clear over the past couple years.
Exactly, and from what I've heard Banks was lost when he got here from Juco, and Stanzi would be the first guy to tell you he wasn't ready early on either. Ruddock was the incumbent and wasn't that bad a QB when he had some talent around him, (see his year at Michigan) and Beathard had some growing up to do when he got to Iowa as well. Hill was a miss on evaluation, and unfortunately we had no one behind who stood out either...
 
He was right when he split time with Brad Banks junior year? He was right with Christensen over Stanzi? He was right with Ruddock over Beathard? He was right with Petras over anybody? He was right with the guy he snatched from Fordham who started 10 games last season and is now at Utah Tech?
Yes, he was right. Those were all the correct decisions when made and when changes needed to be made, Kirk made them.
 
He was right when he split time with Brad Banks junior year? He was right with Christensen over Stanzi? He was right with Ruddock or Beathard? He was right with Petras over anybody? He was right with the guy he snatched from Fordham who started 10 games last season and is now at Utah Tech?
Banks - McCann was a senior and had a very high QBR rating that year (148.5). Banks admitted he wasn't ready. Why would you bench a senior having a great year?

Stanzi - Christiansen was a senior, Stanzi coming off a freshman season in which he admitted he wasn't serious about football. They split time for 4 games (3-1) and Stanzi was handed the reigns. Hawks proceeded to lose 2 in a row. I don't understand why people are still upset about this one.

Ruddock & Beathard was a toss-up in 2014. They had similar QBR ratings that year.

Petras was the best they had. Last year they had no QB's.
 
Being a realist means you base your decision on facts. Facts are he's healthy and practicing.
Someone posted in another thread that they had a source in practice that said he is limping around a lot.

Take that for what it’s worth. He apparently moved around ok yesterday at the open practice.

In my opinion, the staff should be heavily prepping Sullivan, as (in my opinion), it is a question of when…not if…Cade goes out with an injury. Hope I’m wrong.
 
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Hill was a miss on evaluation, and unfortunately we had no one behind who stood out either...
Last year I would have loved to seen Kirk and Brian play Marco at least some and give him rollouts and bootlegs to both the left and the right, make those big overweight Dlinemen chase him play after play and get them tired and winded.

That is what I would have done, Hill was not very good so what is to lose. Marco running the ball a lot would have been better at getting positive yards than Hill throwing at a 40% clip.

Plus it gets your #2 qb experience. Kirk has just never had his #2 QBs ready to go.
 
Kirk was right with Petras. That’s been very clear over the past couple years.
Right with Petras? LOL

That kid never should have been given a scholarship let alone start at Iowa for three years. That Petras may have been "better" than the other Iowa QBs says one thing: KF doesn't know QBs if those are the kids he's giving scholarships to. Somebody has to play . . . thus, you end up with kids like Petras and, ugh, Deacon Hill, the refugee from Fordham who's now at that national power Utah Tech. LOL again.
 
Yes, he was right. Those were all the correct decisions when made and when changes needed to be made, Kirk made them.
Yah, like last year when he signed off on giving Deacon Hill a scholarship, snagging him from Fordham (and he's now at mighty Utah Tech), and playing him every damn play until the final moments of the bowl game. KF did that even though Hill was an embarrassment to major college football, was slower than the Kinnick statue, was inaccurate, had no touch, and was a turnover machine. If you don't have anyone on the roster better than that, then you failed miserably in every aspect of QB recruiting.

Hell, if Lainez only knew four plays, he would have given Iowa "the best chance to win" because he could run. We finally saw that when the season was over. Spin it however you want. KF hates offense, doesn't know squat about QBs, and is too stubborn to let someone who does know something run things.

Any head coach who would make Brian Ferentz the OC and the QB coach is oblivious to that side of the ball.
 
Think it’s best to let the past QB judgment go for now.

The pressing issue is how the staff has completely whiffed on finding even slightly average Div 1 QB since CJ

Iowa is three weeks out and the QB1 is struggling so bad that maybe our best bet is a guy who’s only practiced for a week. Another QB who’s been in the program a few years who couldn’t beat out the worst QB we’ve ever seen….still not progressing to have a chance

Up to the punter and defense again
 
Think it’s best to let the past QB judgment go for now.

The pressing issue is how the staff has completely whiffed on finding even slightly average Div 1 QB since CJ

Iowa is three weeks out and the QB1 is struggling so bad that maybe our best bet is a guy who’s only practiced for a week. Another QB who’s been in the program a few years who couldn’t beat out the worst QB we’ve ever seen….still not progressing to have a chance

Up to the punter and defense again
Stanley was absolutely average/above-average, which sounds like I'm slamming him but I'm really not. Not in comparison to the guys who came after him. I didn't know how good we had it with Stanley. Little did I know that, after he graduated in 2019, we'd be going on damn near 5 years of subpar quarterback play - arguably the most important position in a KF offense.
 
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Stanley was absolutely average/above-average, which sounds like I'm slamming him but I'm really not. Not in comparison to the guys who came after him. I didn't know how good we had it with Stanley. Little did I know that, after he graduated in 2019, we'd be going on damn near 5 years of subpar quarterback play - arguably the most important position in a KF offense.
Nonarguably the most important position...period.
 
That was ugly. No doubt about it. But ya know what? It was one practice. It was a QB who's coming back from serious injury and who hasn't played for basically two years. A guy who helped Michigan win a Big Ten title. And Sullivan, Lanizez, and Jackson Stratton are all athletes who can run and scramble, which no Iowa QB has been able to do for four long years. And the freshman, Resar, has track speed.

Evaluating the QB play after this one practice is like watching one spring training game in which a star pitcher coming back from injury gets hit all over the ball park. It doesn't mean much of anything.

I'm willing to see what Iowa looks like in 3 weeks when it starts counting. I remain optimistic.
 
IOWA CITY — Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz press appearances are like jazz: they're notable for the things he doesn't say.

At Iowa's annual Media Day Friday, the first question Ferentz received was about the QB situation. With just 22 days until the season opener against Illinois State, if there's a clear answer at QB1, Ferentz isn't eager to let it on.

"It's like all positions, we'll make decisions here as we go along," said Ferentz. "But the room overall is a lot more competitive than it was certainly at the end of last year, last December. That was the goal: try to get a room where you've got good competition."

The less said about last season's QB room the better, of course. Few need the reminder. While Iowa's current quarterback situation in and of itself certainly makes the offense more competitive than 2023's version, most coaches would likely prefer more certainty. And though Ferentz didn't give any indication that Sullivan's ahead on the depth chart at this point, he didn't do much to tamp down expectations for his transfer quarterback from Northwestern either.

"We're eight days into [camp] right now, so not making any proclamations other than he's done a really great job," Ferentz said of Sullivan. "He's off to a great start, and he's a good athlete and he's versatile. Seems to be really poised under pressure, and he's feeling some pressure — like he's getting it from the defense. So it's good to watch guys react."


"That was the goal: try to get a room where you've got good competition"

That's not a goal. That's a strategy. The goal is to not suck at the QB position. Again.
 
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