Alabama's 2009 Quarterback
by rhinoskin on Oct 29, 2008 12:13 PM CDT
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PrintEdit: Added high school stats to the table (where available), removed Fanuzzi.
Let me first apologize if this has been bludgeoned to death already, but I haven't seen it.
With all of the turmoil (love it!) in the plains due to a little quarterback controversy earlier this season, I've often wondered about the Tide's direction for next year. Just to state the obvious, we're going to be losing a solidly consistent (finally) senior quarterback who has been an outstanding game manager, committing few if any big errors this season. He hasn't been a game changer, but that's not what we have needed this year.
So for 2009, where do we go? Below is our probable 2009 quarterback corps:
| # | Name | Pos | Yr | Games | P-Yards | TD | INT | PASS | COMP | R-YARDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19A | Ross Applegate | QB | SO | 0 | 960 | 7 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 16A | Thomas Darrah | QB | SO | 0 | 2,870 | 23 | 11 | 355 | 220 | NA |
| 13A | Robert Ezell | QB | FR | 0 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2 | Star Jackson | QB | FR | 0 | 1894 | 11 | 202 | 116 | 224 | |
| 12 | Greg McElroy | QB | SO | 2 | 4687 | 56 | 9 | 450 | 321 | 700+ |
| 10 | Morgan Ogilvie | QB | FR | 0 | 1121 | 9 | 5 | 128 | 80 | -9 |
| ? | A.J. McCarron | QB | REC | 0 | 2532 | 26 | 3 | 232 | 145 | NA |
Obviously, the current notables here are McElroy, Jackson, Fanuzzi, and possibly Darrah. Last but not least, incoming true freshman A.J. McCarron.
Granted, we haven't had enough 'free' game clock where Saban could throw these guys out there for experience, nor would he want to burn certain red shirts for players like Jackson. But as far as I know, McElroy is the only available quarterback who could start next year that has seen any game time.
So the questions are thus: With what little we know about our quarterback options for 2009, who is the starter? What is the depth chart? Is Jackson a play-maker but also prone to error, or do we stick with a JPW-like 'game manager' in McElroy until one of the freshman steps up?
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Who transferred to Rice?
I thought it was Fanuzzi?
Morgan Ogilvie – any relation to Major? Pretty unique last name.
Yep
It’s his son, If I’m not mistaken, he’s a walk-on.
Maybe one of the options should be “Morgan Ogilvie channels his fathers football magic and becomes an All-SEC Quarterback Machine”!
I wasn’t aware of Fanuzzi, but after looking, you appear to be correct.
Nick Fanuzzi Will Transfer
Jackson starts with McElroy as backup. McCarron redshirts.
This is by far our best chance next year. Star is the future and should start next year. This will mean a drop off in performance but a upgrade in ability. With how sick our defense, o-line and RB core will be next year, i say throw him in the fire and see how he handles it.
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
I agree...
Plus we have an amazing WR corps. We only lose Nikita Stover and Will Oakley meaning that Julio Jones, Mike McCoy, Marquis Maze, Earl Alexander, BJ Scott, among others, will all be back. Hell, Chris Todd could win throwing to those guys!
KAREEM JACKSON!!!! THATS MY BOY!!!!
And
I know we lose Nick Walker and Travis McCall, but Brad Smelley has looked really good and senior transfer Colin Peek was a good pass catcher at Georgia Tech. Not to mention all the RBs will be back. I think we will be fine.
KAREEM JACKSON!!!! THATS MY BOY!!!!
well my crystal ball tells me...
it is going to be between McElroy and Durrah for the starting job next year – but I have not seen Jackson play and am going on what I have seen in the last spring game. I have not been too impressed with McElroy and Durrah showed in the spring game that he has the ability to be a college QB. So maybe a 2 QB system with Jackson and Durrah.
If I'm not mistaken
Darrah is still a walk on, and hasn’t thrown a pass is a collegiate game, so I don’t see how he surpasses anyone in the depth charts for next year. If anything, I think he drops back further in the depth chart next year, at least now he’s third (probably fourth if we had another Spencer Pennington situation), but next year he’ll be behind McElroy, Jackson, and most definitely McCarron even if he redshirts. But I could be way off, as some would say he had the best performance at A-day of all the QBs.
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
I am
gonna go with McElroy with Jackson as the backup and McCarron does indeed RS.
Auburn fans are like slinkys... not really good for anything but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
i want to see star...
at least get some sort of shot. too much talent to let him sit behind a ‘game-manager’.
Basis?
I just want to ask everyone who’s speculating about this what their basis is for making the guesstimations. McElroy hasn’t hardly thrown any passes, and none of the other guys have even seen the field. Saban closes practices so nobody knows how the quarterbacks are progressing, anyway. I think, when you consider those facts, the plausible answer is McElroy, if only because he’s been in the program longer. But there’s still no rhyme or reason to predicting who’s going to start next year.
by Bama philosophe on Oct 29, 2008 11:03 AM CDT reply actions
Speculation = Being a Fan
I agree, we know so little. As you said, even what we do know is likely small and skewed relative to the entire process of developing a quarterback.
All we really can go on is the spring game and who’s seen time this year. Based on that, I agree you have to look towards McElroy as the guy, but for how long? Darrah (correct me if I’m wrong) has seen snaps (Tulane?), but hasn’t made any passes, therefore isn’t showing in the stats. Is Saban trying to give Darrah those snaps to develop him as a backup, or to surpass McElroy next year?
Ultimately, we’re not looking forward, we’re not placing false hope or building expectations, we are simply sharing opinions about what we have seen versus what we have not. It is what fans do, right?
Darrah took snaps against
Western Kentucky, all of which were handoffs to Demetrius Goode. I don’t think that Saban is trying to develope Darrah for the future, I just think he’s trying to get him some playing time and game experience, because… you never know. If you recall, against Southern Miss a few years back, Croyle was already out, Guillion was fighting a back injury, Pennington was hurt for some reason, so it was down to Avalos, the 4th string QB. I think that’s the reason you see Darrah playing when he does, simply in case we hit a string of really bad luck. Everyone below him is redshirting anyway, I believe, so he’s the bottom of the barrel without putting in a redshirt.
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
My Basis
is strictly on McElroy time at Alabama over the rest but, I am willing to beat it will be a open pos. for them to battle out.
Auburn fans are like slinkys... not really good for anything but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
My basis comes from
What we heard from practices right before the season started. That Star was looking impressive and heard very little about McElroy. Also when either Todd or OTS was doing a breakdown on who could possibly replace JP if he had another bad season, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of faith in McElroy.
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
McCarron
There was an article in the Mobile paper a few months ago about McCarron and he was quoted and said he’d like to play baseball, if he gets the right offer.
marycontrary
I think that was somewhat misquoted...
The reporter asked him stictly about baseball, saying something to the effect of, “Hey, you’re a pretty good baseball player too, have you ever considered playing baseball over football if you get drafted high enough and the money’s right?” To which he gave that response. It wasn’t something he just came out and said, and it’s not something he’s anticipating, but who wouldn’t take first round money if that happened?
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
Star Jackson
He was on the sidelines at the Tennessee game. Does that mean he won’t be red shirted this year?
No
He can travel all he wants, but as long as he doesn’t play he’ll still have his red-shirt.
by Bama philosophe on Oct 29, 2008 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions
From what they tell us on campus
it’s McElroy’s to lose.
If I had a steamboat I could make it to London in 60,000 minutes.
uh
i had no idea mcelroy had such ridiculous stats in high school. a 56-9 td/int ratio? a 71.3 completion percentage? over 700 yards rushing? seriously?
can anyone tell me why this kid (i’m only looking at those monster stats, mind you) was only a 3 star recruit? can someone tell me why he’s apparently not so awesome right now? did he just play bad teams in high school or what?
Basically...
McElroy played high school football at Carroll High School, the undisputed 5A powerhouse of Texas football. The problem was that he only started one year (as a senior), and with the program they have, he should have put up big numbers.
His first three years of high school, he rode the pine behind Chase Daniel, now the Missouri quarterback. Daniel was only a three-star recruit, so honestly it only follows that the kid he was beating out all of those years would be no more than that.
Finally, in a more fundamental sense, McElroy honestly just didn’t have the physical tools to be all of that highly-touted. His arm isn’t anything overly special, and physically he is a bit on the small side. Moreover, though he has some athleticism he won’t wow anyone with that, and he didn’t have an elite offer list.
For all of the foregoing reasons, he was a three-star recruit.
by outsidethesidelines on Oct 29, 2008 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Saban
made the comment when arrived that redshirting isn’t a luxury Alabama has right now. I think he’s right except when it comes to QB’s. If you look at Saban’s career he has always favored experienced QB’s. I say McElroy starts but Jackson gets some snaps. Not a true “2 QB system” but I bet they both play.
If Andre Smith comes back...
…I have decided that I will play QB next year. I still have four years of eligibility left and will be quite comfortable hiding behind Smitty and Mike Johnson.
by NiceLittleSaturday on Oct 30, 2008 5:11 PM CDT reply actions
heck yeah
Add in that monster from Foley on the O-line and suburban housewives like myself will volunteer for Qback
marycontrary
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