Areas where we are upgrading at QB with Milton

#51
#51
GUNTERSVOL said:
I THINK folks have put too much value on his PAST reps in evaluating the value add he has as a runner. Risk/reward is what it is and I BET his instructions when being inserted as the backup late in games was don’t get hurt trying to be a hero.

THEN when HH went down and he was the only game in town I bet he was also limited to exposing himself to only when contact would extend a series. PROBABLY why he looked more patient in the pocket than HH and threw some away rather than man up to pick up non impactful yards.

Back to starter with a complete knowledge of the playbook and a P5 level backup we shall get to see the complete QB, whatever that is. Including sneaks and powering for important yardage after bailing from the pocket or on planned roll outs on option plays.
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That's all we have to go on though. Maybe he really is just as good of a run threat as Hendon was but to date we just haven't had the opportunity to see it.
 
#52
#52
butchna said:
Agreed with all points. I’d add that in a short sample size, he spreads the ball around more and is less likely to zero in on one target. Let’s see how that plays out over an entire season. What Hooker was peerless at was keeping everything in front of him and decision making during tight situations. That’s the burden for Joe.
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Like to the fourth row, yes.
 
#54
#54
GUNTERSVOL said:
Right. No intelligent basis for projecting his capabilities. SO DON’T.
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Yeah I don't know. I think the reason we haven't seen it from him is it's just not part of his game rather than he's secretly capable but the coaches told him not to do it. Hendon came in when Joe got hurt back in '21 and was taking off and scrambling from the get go. If there was any time that the coaches would have wanted to rein the QB in to keep him healthy and ready to go it would have been then but he seemed to have the freedom to improvise if needed and that continued throughout the rest of his time here. When Dobbs was here, he never hid the explosiveness either, even as a freshman in that Bama game where they had already pounded us by the time he got in there.
 
#55
#55
I hope Joe knows how to SLIDE!!!

Hendon COULD NOT get his head around how to SLIDE!
 
#56
#56
knox-townVOL said:
Losing Hooker is a blow to the team, no matter which way you spin it. It would be a blow to any team, he was that good. And while Bazooka Joe has some big shoes to fill, it's worth noting the areas that I actually think he could be an upgrade.

Feel free to disagree obviously, but this is what I've observed:

1) Arm strength: I mean this one is kind of a gimme. No one in football at any level can air it out like Joe.

2) Pocket presence (presents 😀): Hooker wasn't bad in the pocket by any means, but when the pocket began to collapse he did start to shuffle and bit and try to create space. Usually this would end up in a sack. One thing I have to give Joe credit for, he stands in a collapsing pocket and trusts the line to protect him. Will this cause a few extra turnovers in the season? Probably, yeah. But it should result in far less sacks since Joe will give himself more opportunities to get rid of the ball if he stands strong in the pocket, which he typically does.

3) Straight line runner: Hooker's escapability was definitely an underrated aspect of how well he moved, and Joe isn't going to have that. But I do think Joe is actually a better straight line runner. I don't know the 40 times, but Joe is deceptively fast when he starts going downhill. It wouldn't surprise me if he is actually faster than Hooker in a foot race.

4) Sheer size: Granted we haven't seen Joe use this to his potential, but if he can develop an "If I can't go around you, I'm going through you" mentality, he's going to be really good at picking up some extra yards that wouldn't otherwise be there on QB carries/scrambles. Joe is an absolute tank.

It's hard to put a positive spin on losing a talent like Hooker, but I think if utilized correctly, we're actually going to be pleasantly surprised by some of the new advantages Joe brings to the offense.
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Disagree with your points 2 and 3. Number might be irrelevant---or might be a plus in short-yardage situations if Milton keeps the ball. He doesn't have more pocket presence than Hooker--and you merely have to recall Hooker's last second pass to Bru in the Alabama game that set up the winning FG to see that---the play of the year. I haven't seen Milton run much: He's certainly big but doesn't seem quick. We'll see what he does this season. QB mobility is a huge deal in the college game.
 
#57
#57
knox-townVOL said:
Losing Hooker is a blow to the team, no matter which way you spin it. It would be a blow to any team, he was that good. And while Bazooka Joe has some big shoes to fill, it's worth noting the areas that I actually think he could be an upgrade.

Feel free to disagree obviously, but this is what I've observed:

1) Arm strength: I mean this one is kind of a gimme. No one in football at any level can air it out like Joe.

2) Pocket presence (presents 😀): Hooker wasn't bad in the pocket by any means, but when the pocket began to collapse he did start to shuffle and bit and try to create space. Usually this would end up in a sack. One thing I have to give Joe credit for, he stands in a collapsing pocket and trusts the line to protect him. Will this cause a few extra turnovers in the season? Probably, yeah. But it should result in far less sacks since Joe will give himself more opportunities to get rid of the ball if he stands strong in the pocket, which he typically does.

3) Straight line runner: Hooker's escapability was definitely an underrated aspect of how well he moved, and Joe isn't going to have that. But I do think Joe is actually a better straight line runner. I don't know the 40 times, but Joe is deceptively fast when he starts going downhill. It wouldn't surprise me if he is actually faster than Hooker in a foot race.

4) Sheer size: Granted we haven't seen Joe use this to his potential, but if he can develop an "If I can't go around you, I'm going through you" mentality, he's going to be really good at picking up some extra yards that wouldn't otherwise be there on QB carries/scrambles. Joe is an absolute tank.

It's hard to put a positive spin on losing a talent like Hooker, but I think if utilized correctly, we're actually going to be pleasantly surprised by some of the new advantages Joe brings to the offense.
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For everyone arguing the pocket presence point, you're doing what a lot of fans do and you're specifically remembering highlight moments for Hooker. Hooker definitely had some amazing plays standing in the pocket, there's no doubt about that. Again, he wasn't bad in the pocket. I would actually say he was pretty good in it.

But anyone can see Milton trusts his pocket more. Hooker had a tendency to try to find the escape pretty quickly when the pocket started breaking down. Milton uses his size to his advantage and stands tall for longer in a collapsing pocket.

I kind of equate it Miami legend Ken Dorsey. One of the things he always did best was stayed tall and strong in tight pockets and used his height to survey the field. This is one advantage we get out of Joe. SEVERAL of his best throws have come from a collapsing pocket where I think Hooker would have tried to escape.
 
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#58
#58
BDP! said:
My opinion is we'll miss Hookers legs more than his arm.
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I suspect what we'll miss most was Hooker's pre-snap reads and decision making. Hooker knew both where and when to throw the ball. It's that old adage about the best QBs being those who know a guy is open before he is open. And if you have to wait for a guy to get open to see him, then he's probably not open anymore.

The big pass plays are great and all, but its that decision-making that put defenses on their heels and won the big games for us, and we're going to miss it. I just hope we don't miss it too much.
 
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#59
#59
#2 doesn't make a lick of sense.
How are you to trust your OL to protect you... when it's in the process of collapsing?
You also ding Hooker for trying to move in the pocket to avoid a sack/take off running yet you're glad Milton just stands there like a statue?
I'm really confused here.
 
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