OK, so the manning speculation got me going, and I took a look at players in the top 20 nationally in QB ratings who are listed as JRs or below.
Mensah from Miami & Sayin are the highest rated. Manning is not rated in the top 50. Others are:
5. Marcus Stokes, 6'2" Memphis, Jr.
6. Braden Atkinson, 6'1", Oregon St.
7. Kamario Taylor, 6'4", Miss St.
12. Gio Lopez, 6'4", Wake
13. Tavian Jackson, 6'4". NT St.
15. Blake Baker, 6'5", Louis. Tech
16. Lincoln Kienholz, 6'2", UL
17. Michael Hawkins, 6'1", WV
18. Brad Jackson, 5'11", Tex. St.
19. Drew Mestemaker, 6'4", OK. St.
20. Ethan Grunkemeyer, 6'2", V. Tech
Jackson is listed as a JR eligibility wise, but has been around for 5 seasons starting in '22. I assume he is not eligible for another?
Assuming Taylor, Kienholz, Mestemaker, Grunkemeyer are not available, the ones who look interesting to me are
--Stokes--67% completion rate, 18 TDs/6 ints, 15.2 YPC...has 200 rush yards
--Atkinson--69%, 24/2, 13.8 YPC, 2604 pass yds. A gunslinger, but only 6'1" and not a runner. Listed as a Soph
--Lopez--68%, 17/1, 13.9 YPC, 1947 yards. Only 6'0", but has 253 rush yards
--Hawkins--58%, 10/1, 1519 yds passing, 749 yds rushing, 18.3 YPC, listed as a Soph. 6'1"
If Taylor, Kienholz, Mestemaker, Grunkemeyer WERE available, I'd have it as I'd have it as 1. Taylor; 2. Mestemaker; 3. Kienholz, with Grunkemeyer mixed in with Stokes, Atkinson, Lopez, and Jackson (if eligible). But that's going solely on the Hs as I've only seen Taylor, Jackson, Kienholz, Mestemaker, Grunkemeyer. I'm leaving Arch out for now.
Who have you guys seen, & liked?
Is that Tayven Jackson at Univ of North Texas?
I can’t see how he’d have any eligibility left.
If I had to call 1 of 2 shots, it would be CJ Bailey or Arch.
I wonder if the 24 team setup will change Cig and the staff's approach, at all? Maybe they'll feel a little more comfortable rolling with a younger kid next year, with a little more cushion to make the CFP? I personally would not pay the astronomical amount of money that Archie will likely command. But I'm sure there will be other, more affordable and more proven guys available. In the end I don't really care, I've enjoyed Rourke, Mendoza, and now Hoover... but it would be nice to play a frosh or soph, at some point, and follow him for multiple years.
I wonder if the 24 team setup will change Cig and the staff's approach, at all? Maybe they'll feel a little more comfortable rolling with a younger kid next year, with a little more cushion to make the CFP? I personally would not pay the astronomical amount of money that Archie will likely command. But I'm sure there will be other, more affordable and more proven guys available. In the end I don't really care, I've enjoyed Rourke, Mendoza, and now Hoover... but it would be nice to play a frosh or soph, at some point, and follow him for multiple years.
To be fair, maybe Arch is more worried about his progression as a QB and less about the $ at this point. As wild as it sounds, he's probably made quite a bit if you consider all his endorsement deals on top of his NIL. He may just find it worth passing on a couple million to be tutored by IU's coaching staff.......Now, whether Cig even wants him or not might be the more important question.
I don't know that our offense is viewed as the ideal training ground for the NFL. Read negatives about read option and fewer snaps under center, when Rourke and Mendoza's evaluations were out there.
Of course both those guys were drafted, are in the NFL , one of them won the Heisman and was the overall top pick. 🤣 So I guess draft analysts have to post something negative.
Sort of surprised that I haven't heard one single CFB media personality correlate TKRs six for six injunction for Kansas and the apparent Big 12 Commish blessing of the roster add with the CFB portal which begins officially in about 6 weeks and unofficially is ongoing.
If I had to call 1 of 2 shots, it would be CJ Bailey or Arch.
Very interesting call on Bailey. Haven't followed NC St much, but it looks like their defense has been horrible and their O pretty good. One thing I've noticed---his yards per catch or attempt are pretty mediocre. If you've watched them.....is that due to a lack of explosiveness from the WRs, a poor OL, trying to keep the D off the field....what's the story there?
I wonder if the 24 team setup will change Cig and the staff's approach, at all? Maybe they'll feel a little more comfortable rolling with a younger kid next year, with a little more cushion to make the CFP? I personally would not pay the astronomical amount of money that Archie will likely command. But I'm sure there will be other, more affordable and more proven guys available. In the end I don't really care, I've enjoyed Rourke, Mendoza, and now Hoover... but it would be nice to play a frosh or soph, at some point, and follow him for multiple years.
Interesting thoughts.........my cable company's in a fight with Disney/ABC so I haven't had a chance to watch him much this year, so I'm wondering about his problems. I know he's always been overhyped, but it was at least my sense of things that he had really come into his own the last 4 or 5 games last year? What little I saw of him at the end of the year.....was that he was running a lot and also passing a lot in scramble situations.......it appeared that when was running/scrambling he was really a load and that he had a big arm off the scramble.....that was my sense of things.....is it in any way accurate? If it is, would he be best used in Cig's rather buttoned-down, orchestrated O?
I wonder if the 24 team setup will change Cig and the staff's approach, at all? Maybe they'll feel a little more comfortable rolling with a younger kid next year, with a little more cushion to make the CFP? I personally would not pay the astronomical amount of money that Archie will likely command. But I'm sure there will be other, more affordable and more proven guys available. In the end I don't really care, I've enjoyed Rourke, Mendoza, and now Hoover... but it would be nice to play a frosh or soph, at some point, and follow him for multiple years.
I liked your thoughts about possibly going with a younger QB with the 24 team playoff....but after doing a little looking its very unlikely for next year.
We have Cherry, Jacob Bell and Jameson Purcell for next year. Just based on observations, I don't think Cherry's going to be the guy. The other 3 guys we need to look at are Bell, Purcell, and Lukas Prock in '28.
Of those 3 Bell was the least recruited, then Purcell, then Prock. Prock is now rated as high as #4 QB nationally, top 50 overall player. By contrast, Purcell is considered a top 33-35 QB in his class. Bell a top 60-65 guy.
All 3 guys are the same body type---6-2 to 6-3 with a little muscle. All are mobile, but don't run very often. Statistically, Bell & Purcell are 63-65% guys, Prock is 73-74%, the difference continued for their HS careers........so, if Cig has thoughts of turning the program over to any young QB, Prock in '28 would seem to be the obvious choice.
At some point I want them to run with our guys and use the portal as-needed. Its going to be impossible to recruit/retain guys (especially at positions with fewer guys on the field) if they have to have experience to get playing time but cant get playing time because guys are being brought in on final year of eligibility.
especially at QB. You HAVE to have something on tape to get paid your 4th & 5th years. If you don’t bet on yourself somewhere along the way to get playing time, you’ll miss out on your ability to earn potentially life changing money.
@mushroomgod Yeah, was thinking Purcell maybe. But obviously no idea if he has the ability or moxy to handle it. All the stats and attributes you listed matter, but I think probably more important is the mental makeup/moxy to take on that role early on. High school stats can also be misleading, both ways, depending on the programs they play in, the competition levels, etc... My local high school has an absolute stud sophomore quarterback. He sure seems like he's gonna be a high major prospect, but then its really hard to tell that when he's playing the competition level he does up here in Northern Indiana.
Maybe another portal guy next year, and then Prock in 28, if he's as good as his rankings say he might be?? It'd just be nice to get a quarterback that plays multiple years, like a CJ Carr or Julian Sayin, to follow along with their career.
Not sure that our QB recruiting started off hot enough under Cig to be worrying about who's not getting game reps.
Be interesting to see if Cherry or Bell or other can fend up off a portal transfer this winter, but I doubt it. IMO if Cherry wasn't the backup this year, then Cig isn't seeing it.
Next year with Purcell, then 2028 adding Lukas Prock. Should start to really heat up.
I hated to lose Alberto, but like said above, he had to go play. He's not elite but he's pretty good, he'll keep getting paid.
@openwheel Guessing the most likely scenario that leads to a freshman/sophomore IU recruited QB taking the reigns, is a transfer portal QB getting injured, or just not panning out unexpectedly... and then a guy like Purcell or Prock taking over and never giving the job back.
@gros-louis I like Bailey last year, haven't watched NC St this year, but he does have "the bonehead play" from Vandy hanging over his head. Also really liked the MD QB, Malik Washington, when we played them last year. Not looked at stats for either, but both are athletic with good size and tools.