Depth Chart Analysis : Quarterbacks

My first post!

Hello Yellow Jacket fans!! I have been waiting for the right time and story to write my first post about. Finally, this moment has come, in the form of depth chart analysis. On Tuesday, the coaches released the ‘official’ post-spring practice depth chart. I will be doing an analysis of the depth chart for each position. I will also be including the incoming freshman and will determine their chances on cracking the depth chart. I will be focusing on one position with each post, and am looking for feedback, comments, or questions from everyone, so please post your thoughts and comments.

Quarterbacks

Pos Depth Number Name Year Height Weight GP GS Change QB 1 9 Josh Nesbitt So 6 ft 1 214 11 0 Same QB 2 16 Bryce Dykes R-Fr 6 ft 1 181 0 0 Up QB 3 18 Calvin Booker R-Sr. 6 ft 4 234 5 0 Down

As you can see, as a group, our returning players have very little experience. This is both a negative and a positive. The negative is that, in essence, each of our QB’s are inexperienced players, and have no experience with leading the team in close games in hostile environments. The positive is that for Nesbitt and Dykes, they are still early in their careers so learning an entirely new offense should not be as much of a challenge for them as it is for Booker, who will be working with his fourth different offensive coordinator in four years. The quarterback situation will be a dynamic one in the fall, as no starter firmly entrenched himself as the one to beat. The desired skillset for the quarterback in this offense is a combination of athleticism, decision-making, leadership, passing, and toughness. Each of the current quarterbacks have a different combination of strengths and weaknesses that makes a true starter hard to determine.

Starter- Josh Nesbitt

Passing Statistics: 5-13 (38.5%) – 93 yds – 1 TD – 2 Int’s
Rushing Statistics: 53 Atts – 339 yds (6.4 avg) – 0 TD
Positives- Athletic ability, Running
Unknowns- Passing, Leadership
Weaknesses- Decision Making, Running Offense

Josh Nesbitt’s experience was running one primary package, which pretty much consisted of one basic play, though it was pretty successful. How his run up the middle routinely gained 5 yards every time we ran it, I will never know. His athleticism, strength, and running attributes are exceptional, which will definitely translate to success in the new offense once he is able to grasp it. That’s his only problem, though: the ability to understand the new offense and make timely decisions. In the spring practices, it seemed that he was always hesitant and doubting his instincts. It’s one of those things were he is focusing SO hard on what he has to do (footwork, timing, read assignments, pitch techniques, etc.), that he isn’t able to make the quick decision required for a successful play. Sometimes his gifted athleticism was able to mask his wrong decisions, but at other times, his decisions would lead to costly turnovers. His passing, although raw, seems to find the receiver and appears to be a strength, though he could improve consistency. In summary, his athleticism is a proven commodity, his passing is adequate, but his true success will be determined by his ability to grasp the offense and run it based on instincts. As long as he keeps having to focus so hard and concentrate on every aspect, technique, and read on every play, his decision making will appear slow and inconsistent.

First Backup- Bryce Dykes

Positives-Decision Making, Running Offense, Leadership
Unknown- Athletic Ability, Running
Weakness- Passing

Bryce Dykes has zero college experience in his career. Although this may be a negative to his resume, he actually runs the offense the best of the three available quarterbacks so far. The majority of his reps in spring scrimmages were against either the 2nd team or 3rd team defense, but he still had success in his limited reps against the first team offense as well. He answered questions on his athleticism when he ran a 55 yard bootleg for a touchdown against the first team defense. He also gained some respect (and questions on his sanity) when he absorbed two hard hits, including one which knocked his helmet off, on a 25 yard run. His skillset is close to being the exact opposite of Josh Nesbitt, in which his greatest strength is decision making and running the offense, he has adequate athleticism, and his greatest weakness, by far, is his passing ability.

Second Backup- Calvin Booker

Passing Statistics: 11-21 (52.4%) – 167 yds – 1 TD – 1 Int
Rushing Statistics: 8 Atts – -24 yds (-3 avg) – 0 TD
Strengths-Leadership, Passing
Unknown- Athleticism
Weakness- Decision Making, Running Offense

Calvin Booker appeared to be the odd one out after spring practice was concluded. In his fifth year, he has now learned from four different offensive coordinators in his last four years: Borges at Auburn in 2005, Nix (though he didn’t play) in 2006, Bond in 2007, and now Johnson in 2008. Because of this, and mainly because this new offense is vastly different then his previous ones, he appears confused and hesitant on the field. Although Nesbitt can mask his indecisions and mistakes by his athleticism, Booker cannot overcome any mistakes or hesitation, thus this makes him ineffective in the new offense. This is particularly frustrating because he appears to be a leader on the field, where his personality and work ethic are contagious among other players. His passing, although raw, was successful in his limited playing time last year. It seemed that he would simply loft the ball up for grabs, yet a Georgia Tech receiver (BeBe) would usually come down with it. Whatever works right? Unfortunately in the new offense, his decision making and athleticism are the most important attributes, and those are currently weaknesses for him.

Since no player has shown the desired combination of attributes or even been consistent in running the offense successfully, a freshman can come in and make a statement. The two freshman coming in at quarterback are Jaybo Shaw and Tevin Washington.

Jaybo Shaw, 6 ft 0, 190 – Flowery Branch, GA (Flowery Branch HS)

Ramblin Wreck Link:

“A dual-threat quarterback who could fit nicely into Georgia Tech’s offensive scheme… utilizes his athleticism to avoid the rush and buy more time in the pocket… good at improvising when play breaks down… throws well on the run… does a good job of reading the end on the option… fundamentally sound son of a football coach”

Rivals Link *** #10 Dual Threat QB #33 top prospect in GA
Scout Link: *** Ranked #56 QB – 4.60 Forty, 4.22 short shuttle

“Very good mobility, but pass-first….Makes really good decisions with the ball. And he throws the ball real well and has a strong enough arm that he can be a factor in the passing game.”- Scott Kennedy

Tevin Washington, 6 Ft 1, 205- Wetumpka, AL (Wetumpka HS)

Ramblin Wreck Link:

“…posted career numbers of 5,042 yards passing, 2,097 yards rushing, 42 passing touchdowns and 25 rushing TDs… rushed for 1,088 yards and 14 TDs as a senior… led Wetumpka to a 10-2 record in 2007… passed for more than 200 yards five times in `07, including a season-high 254 yards in the second round of the state playoffs… rushed for more than 100 yards in five games, including a season-high 214 yards vs. Fairhope HS”

Rivals Link: ** Not ranked as a QB
Scout Link: *** # 60 QB
Strengths: Accuracy/Consistency, Field Vision, Running Ability/Mobility
Weaknesses: Size, Technique

“A pass first quarterback with excellent mobility, Washington uses his elusiveness to scan downfield first, then to take off and run second. He has a quick release and is accurate on the short and intermediate routes. He has nice touch on the long ball, but struggles just a bit if he has to muscle up on a deep out. Deceptively fast, he’s not a shake and bake type of runner, but possesses tremendous open field speed” -Scott Kennedy

Both of these players appears to be the perfect match for the Paul Johnson offense. How their athletic ability matches Josh Nesbitt remains to be seen, but if they are the elusive combination of athleticism and decision making, I could see either one of these players playing. If Nesbitt cannot overcome his decision making, and if Dykes does not improve his passing, they are both leaving an opportunity for a freshman to take the starting position. This is definitely a position to watch in fall practice, not only because of how dynamic the depth chart may be, but because of the overall importance of the position to the success of the team.

Some questions that will determine the outcome of who is starting and their success:
Will Josh Nesbitt turn the corner and start making the right decisions?
Is Bryce Dykes athletic and talented enough to be a BCS quarterback?
Do you see Paul Johnson going with a true freshman?
Are there any genetic devices out there that can morph Josh Nesbitt’s athletic abilities with Bryce Dykes decision making to create the ULTIMATE quarterback for this offense?
…Let me know what you think