Article ( QB discussion)

[THPaladin]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.greenv ... 1793339001

Good article. My take..... it all comes down to three weeks in August. If Shiflett picks up offense and performs he will be for sure in the mix and could be the starter when we get into conference play. May see multiple QBs initially. Grainger is leader going into camp . If it appears Shiflett will not be QB at some point in season I bet he plays some at WR. Assuming all are healthy by end of season Grainger or Shiflett will move to another position if one of them is the clear starter. Not discounting Sisson at all... he could be solid and appears to be more of a game manager. Grainger (if he improves in the turnover area) and if Shiflett gets command of offense each have potential to be a more of a game changer type of QB. From the little I have heard ( and Hendrix alluded to it in article) Shiflett is super athletic with excellent speed and quickness. It will be fun see how it all plays out. I don’t think we will have a clear cut starter until October assuming no injuries.

[apaladin]

I think if we don't have a clear cut starter by October we will be in trouble. We play almost half the season in September.

[THPaladin]

Mercer September 21. We will have one by then but don’t be surprised if multiple qbs are used. Just my opinion

[apaladin]

From Scott Keeler's report: In two-plus seasons at Northwest Whitfield High (Class 4A), Shiflett threw for more than 5,000 yards and 52 touchdowns and rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. As a senior in 2018, he was his region's player of the year in football and basketball.

Pretty impressive stats, over 7,000 yds, of offense and 77 TD's. Didn't realize he was his regions player of the year in both football and basketball. Must be a pretty darn good athlete. Anxious to see how this QB battle will go. Hope to attend a few practices unless they practice at 6AM, then I am out, LOL.

[The Jackal]

From Scott Keeler's report: In two-plus seasons at Northwest Whitfield High (Class 4A), Shiflett threw for more than 5,000 yards and 52 touchdowns and rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. As a senior in 2018, he was his region's player of the year in football and basketball.

Pretty impressive stats, over 7,000 yds, of offense and 77 TD's. Didn't realize he was his regions player of the year in both football and basketball. Must be a pretty darn good athlete. Anxious to see how this QB battle will go. Hope to attend a few practices unless they practice at 6AM, then I am out, LOL.

It's always good that if you are going to discuss someone's writing, put a link to the article.

http://www.furmansportsreport.com/2019/ ... polls.html

[FUpaladin08]

I’m hoping Shiflett picks it up quick and becomes a Chris Forcier type QB for us. Excited what any QB will be able to do with the OL in front.

[The Jackal]

I’m hoping Shiflett picks it up quick and becomes a Chris Forcier type QB for us. Excited what any QB will be able to do with the OL in front.

I've noticed three things in reading pre-season interviews with Clay Hendrix:

1. Furman has put a lot of work in this summer. I truly expect that we will have the biggest, fastest, fittest team we've seen in years.

2. Hendrix at least appears to be unconcerned with the QB situation. He notes we have a lot more talent this year than in years' past, and that they know what these young guys are capable of. As I've argued before, the best thing you can do for a young QB is stick him behind a veteran OL, give him a strong running game, and support them with a strong defense and kicking game. None of these guys are going to have to carry this team.

3. For the first time since taking the job, Hendrix isn't talking about how thin we are at certain positions. That used to be a staple of every interview - youth and depth.

[Jasper]

I don't expect Shiflet to be an impact player at QB in the immediate future. CCH has indicated that he will certainly be given an opportunity to compete for the job but Clay is focusing on having 2 QB's ready for our first game in a touch more than 4 weeks from now. He has 3 players who have been in the system for a full year and know it well so I have to think he is focusing on that group, with Grainger and Sisson being the leading candidates for his efforts. If Shiflet is as good an athlete and QB as his history indicates, that will surely become apparent in time but I don't think it will be for Week One. Remember, it took Forcier a long time to actually get on the field.

[gofurman]

I’m hoping Shiflett picks it up quick and becomes a Chris Forcier type QB for us. Excited what any QB will be able to do with the OL in front.

I've noticed three things in reading pre-season interviews with Clay Hendrix:

1. Furman has put a lot of work in this summer. I truly expect that we will have the biggest, fastest, fittest team we've seen in years.

2. Hendrix at least appears to be unconcerned with the QB situation. He notes we have a lot more talent this year than in years' past, and that they know what these young guys are capable of. As I've argued before, the best thing you can do for a young QB is stick him behind a veteran OL, give him a strong running game, and support them with a strong defense and kicking game. None of these guys are going to have to carry this team.

3. For the first time since taking the job, Hendrix isn't talking about how thin we are at certain positions. That used to be a staple of every interview - youth and depth.

Agree w most of this. Two positions we are still thin or young at .. QB (deep but really young) and Strong Safety - some talk of a freshman possibly making some starts there.

[apaladin]

The season will be unique. I doubt we have ever started a season where all the QB's on the team have so little game experience. Grainger had all of that. All QB's are virtually in the same year(R-Fr or Soph), so second year for all. No junior or senior QB's.

[The Jackal]

The season will be unique. I doubt we have ever started a season where all the QB's on the team have so little game experience. Grainger had all of that. All QB's are virtually in the same year(R-Fr or Soph), so second year for all. No junior or senior QB's.

In 2018 (just last year) we had Harris Roberts, Darren Grainger, and Hamp Sisson. Roberts had, to that point, basically only played mop up duty, had never started, and had 14 career pass attempts.

In 2012 we had Dakota Derrick and Reese Hannon. Hannon was a true freshman and Derrick had played sparingly as a backup.

In 2010, we went in with Chris Forcier (who was lost early in the season to injury) and then played with Cody Worley, who had seen sporadic mop-up duty.

In 2006, we had Renaldo Gray and Jordan Sorrells. Sorrells was a freshman and Gray, a converted running back, had seen little time as Ingle Martin's backup.

In 2003, we had Bo Moore and Josh Stepp. Moore was a little-used backup to Billy Napier (and, admittedly, more suited as a punter). Stepp was a freshman.

[The Jackal]

A few other things:

First, if this was any other year in recent college football, Grainger would be classified as a sophomore (the redshirt rules changed in 2018). So, while yes, he is technically a freshman, he'd historically been classified as a sophomore this season. If Furman's likely starter was a sophomore who saw significant time playing as a freshman, would there be so much handwringing?

Furman did not heavily go after a QB in the 2019 class. They had a few targets early on, but you did not even see reports of offers to QBs for most of last year and through the recruiting period. If Furman was concerned over the QB position, I imagine you would have seen a lot more scholarship offers out to QBs (which you are seeing for the 2020 class).

The rumors prior to Jemar Lincoln's departure was that he was being asked to move to safety. Again, if you are concerned about QB depth and experience, you don't take your most veteran QB remaining on the roster and move him to defensive back.

I don't know the timeline, but I assume that Shiflett took the scholarship spot vacated by Lincoln. Shiflett was known to our staff (they recruited him in high school), he is athletic, versatile, and can play a number of positions. I don't think they added him to the roster because of a concern at QB, but more as a guy that can really help us out on offense. I don't know the answer, but if Lincoln doesn't transfer, maybe Shiflett isn't a Paladin.

Young QBs are a part of college football. Every team every few years has to break in guys without much experience. This isn't the NFL where one QB can stay for 10-15 years with one team. In college guys move on and they have to be replaced with guys with less experience.

[Paul C]

Jackal - I don't care if Grainger is a R-Fr or a Soph, I'd be equally concerned. Not to rehash the arguments made but regardless of his classification he's raw, inexperienced, and full of potential.

Agree with the point about Lincoln, if he was the answer they wouldn't have tried to get him to switch positions. And also agree that any decent QB we'd have recruited would have been scared away by the depth chart....so smart to save that QB spot for this year's class.

And I like where we are at QB...rarely, if ever, have we had 3 QB's with the potential and/or pedigree of Grainger, Sisson and Shiflett on the roster at the same time. It's just that unless Grainger has made some big steps in the offseason (which is very very possible) we might still have to endure some growing pains at the most important position on the field. The good news is that all 3 of them have 4 more years in the program (if Shiflett RS's this year).

So hopefully this is the last year for some time that we have this offseason concern...

[apaladin]

Agree with PC. Regardless of the arguments this season is unique and we have never entered the season without a QB being in the program more than a year.

[The Jackal]

Agree with PC. Regardless of the arguments this season is unique and we have never entered the season without a QB being in the program more than a year.

I guess I just don't get all the teeth gnashing.

Yeah, sure, it'd be great to be returning a redshirt Junior All American at QB. We don't have that. Most teams don't. Samford returned the nation's best offensive player at QB and finished 5th in conference play. A lot of good it did them.

UGA started true freshmen QBs in 2016 and 2017. They played in the national title game in 2017.

Young QBs are part of the game. I'd be a heckuva lot more worried if we had an experienced QB and lacked a veteran OL, strong defense, or lacked a running game.

These QBs will have more talent around them than probably any Furman QB since Ingle Martin.