In answering question, Saban basically said AJ McCarron is a co-No. 2 QB now ... said he has played...

In answering question, Saban basically said AJ McCarron is a co-No. 2 QB now ... said he has played his way off of the scout team.

Twitter.com: Gentry Estes

As I mentioned yesterday, A.J. McCarron is probably your back-up quarterback now. If he's running the second team in warm-ups, signaling in plays from the sideline, and now your coach says he is a "co-No. 2," that ought to tell you what is going on.

I'll reiterate again what I said last night: If we need a quarterback for mop-up duty the rest of the way, then either Jackson or Darrah will likely get the snaps. On the other hand, though, if we find ourselves in a meaningful situation where we need a quarterback to come in for McElroy -- whether it be for injury, poor play, or for any other reason -- then McCarron is likely the man.

4 months ago outsidethesidelines 19 comments 0 recs |

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I personally put

a lot of value in what players say about certain players, and if you remember some of the reports from this summer, Rolando McClain said A.J. McCarron was the most impressive freshman. Some of the other players and some of the coaches also indicated how impressed they were with McCarron.

He’s skinny, but he can sling the ball around. Hopefully he turns into an elite quarterback for us in the future.

MATRIX: Bennett, I thought you were--

BENNETT: Dead? You thought wrong. Ever since you had me thrown out of the unit, I've been waiting to pay you back. Do you know what today is, Matrix? Payday.

by Bamagrad on Nov 11, 2009 7:23 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

kid is real skinny

he was sitting real close to us when we were at the 07 UT game, he kept walking up and down the aisle with some of the other recruits. i remember thinking “so this is the stud of next recruiting class? good thing he’s got 2 years to grow”… but by all accounts he hasn’t got much bigger, however his arm seems to be just fine as is.

welcome to the SEC kiffykins...

by tempebamafan on Nov 11, 2009 9:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

His arm...

…is special…amazingly quick release…which I hope to not see again until he performs mop-up duty…next season….

"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban

by NiceLittleSaturday on Nov 11, 2009 9:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

ding ding

if he comes in…bad things happened

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.

by IHC800 on Nov 11, 2009 11:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm afraid he may do like...

Jordan Jefferson did against us… Get hit a few good times and give up… I hope not but he is very thin for a qb at this level… In the SEC!!

by BamaBoy777 on Nov 11, 2009 11:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

As

long as we keep him upright, it doesn’t matter how skinny he is.

"A demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." -H. L. Mencken

by Bens4vcobra on Nov 12, 2009 11:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I was on the sideline

for the LSU game, and he is not skinny at all. I am 6’4" 210, and he is every bit as big as me. His is bulkier than Brodie. Looks like he is about 6’3" 210-220. He’s got the right size.

by BigChief on Nov 12, 2009 7:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I really wish...

Star is our number 2! If McCarron is better for the team then I agree, he should be number 2.. I just hope Star is good enough. He is a great person & very polite! Would love to see him do great on the field as well!

But yes, McCarron is very skinny! I couldn’t believe it was him when I saw him up close for the first time! I’m pretty skinny but he makes me look pretty hefty. He needs to get on T. Richardson’s workout plan for about a year!!

by BamaBoy777 on Nov 11, 2009 9:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I actually

think Saban would take the red shirt off AJ if GMac was blowing the game and we were 2 TD’s behind in the 2nd qt. and just give AJ a shot. I think he would do this at MSU or Auburn, against UF and if we made it to Pasadena he would even do it there. I don’t think he would play him in the Sugar Bowl against TCU if we were behind there.

However, I’m not sure AJ would be able to do much as he has never played. I wish we had let him play against NTex, FIU, and Arky. As the season goes along it becomes clear the GMac cannot carry this team. He is a game manager. That will win you alot of games with Ingram and our D, but will it win it all? Probably not. To win it all you need something more at QB than a game manager. Plus, you really do need to be able to throw the ball down the field. UNLESS you have Herschel Walker in the backfield. In that case you could win pounding the ball and playing D. I don’t think Ingram is Herschel Walker.

Anyway, at least we do have AJ, untested youngin that he is, as an option. I really don’t think Star is that good or much of an option and could not see him coming in for McElroy.

I hate the NCAA more than UT & AU combined. At least with UT & AU you got a fighting chance.

by 5026 on Nov 11, 2009 9:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

GMac...

…doesn’t have to carry the team. He is a game manager…and a playmaker…and a first-year QB who is still learning to play a complete game at the position. His only real shortcoming is relative inexperience.

The last time we won a national championship, we won with Lassic (who was no Herschel Walker or Mark Ingram, but a very good back) and great D…and an inexperienced ‘game manager’ at QB. That QB played a horrible game, and we won by three scores. We did have to fight our a$$es off in the SECCG vs. Florida, a game in which our QB made some key throws, which GMac will likely have to do in Atlanta.

As for Star, none of us really know jack about him, so let’s not start kicking him around just yet..if ever.

"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban

by NiceLittleSaturday on Nov 11, 2009 10:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm basing

my evaluation of Star on (1) His A-Day game which was not that good, (2) The fact that earlier this year he was beat out by a walk-on, (3) The fact that a true freshman has pulled even with him.

To me that says he is not really that good. If he were good he would be the clear #2. After all he has more “experience” than the other back up qb’s.

And people keep saying how Star is a great runner and very athletic. What are they basing that own? Well, I did not see him run that much in the A-Day game and he did not even run that much in high school. If you look at him you might say this guy can run, but to date I have yet to see it. I think want him to be a good runner, but I don’t think he is.

And yes we did win a NC with a game manager at QB. But I would submit we do not have a 92 defense right now and we certaintly don’t have the DB’s we had in 92. Furthermore, look back at NC teams since the BCS began. I don’t think you will find any NC teams that won with a game manaing QB. The closest would probably Krenzel at Ohio State in 02. Other than that all the QB’s have been studs. And even Krenzel was probably better the GMac, at least better than GMac has been recently.

I hate the NCAA more than UT & AU combined. At least with UT & AU you got a fighting chance.

by 5026 on Nov 11, 2009 11:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

2003 and 2007 LSU

Matt Mauck and Matt Flynn were not stud QBs. I see what you are saying though. Mauck and Flynn were good QBs but not as good as a Tebow or McCoy.

This upcoming season I'm gonna refer to Julio Jones as "The Magic Man" and Trent Richardson as "El Diablo"

by AlabamaTitans2009 on Nov 11, 2009 11:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I looked

up their stats and in 2003 Mauck threw 28 touchdown passes so he was pretty good but in the National Championship game Mauck threw 2 interceptions and no TDs. In 2007 Flynn had a 56.3 completion % and threw 21 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. In 2007 LSU pretty much won it all with Jacob Hester and a damn good defense. I think we can win it with Ingram and this defense as long as McElroy doesn’t throw a lot of interceptions and kill our chances.

This upcoming season I'm gonna refer to Julio Jones as "The Magic Man" and Trent Richardson as "El Diablo"

by AlabamaTitans2009 on Nov 11, 2009 11:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Matt Mauck

Mauck was a really good quarterback in 2003. I think that was his junior year, and he left to go to the NFL the next year. He was a good bit better than Flynn, and at least so far a good bit better than McElroy.

I will say that from what I remember that McElroy has been better so far than Flynn was his senior year. It should probably be pointed out though that LSU did use a lot of Perriloux as well. I think a Flynn/Perriloux combination is better than what McElroy has done so far this season.

by Kenny483 on Nov 12, 2009 6:26 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I

am not saying McElroy is better than Mauck or Flynn. I was just saying that they aren’t all world stud quarterbacks like a Matt Lienart, Vince Young, or Tim Tebow. They were just good solid quarterbacks.

This upcoming season I'm gonna refer to Julio Jones as "The Magic Man" and Trent Richardson as "El Diablo"

by AlabamaTitans2009 on Nov 12, 2009 12:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sticking by

what I said. We need better QB play to win a NC.

Mauck was very good in 03.
Flynn was better than GMac, at least “Red Zone GMac” who is terrible. Flynn threw for 4 TD’s in the game against OSU. We’d proably settle for 4 FG’s.

And Star is not the answer. The only answer that makes sense is for GMac to be better. I’m not sure it is possible but better protection would help him some.

I hate the NCAA more than UT & AU combined. At least with UT & AU you got a fighting chance.

by 5026 on Nov 12, 2009 6:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Star

has played well when he has gotten PT. Of course that was against North Texas but still, he did a good job leading the offense. He was (I think) 8-13 with about 100 yards.

36-0

by Bamabrave4 on Nov 11, 2009 10:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs