Critique of Nico’s throwing motion

[JRich]

This is a tired offseason topic. Everyone’s throwing motion is different and can be “critiqued” by someone. Just go with what works. There are several successful QB’s that don’t have a traditional or generally accepted throwing motion-whatever that is.

 

[tone357]

I think some of you may not be aware that, the open windows at the highest levels of football are considerably smaller than they are in high school. To be able to fit a catchable ball in a small window requires excellent mechanical skills. Most of it goes unnoticed by the average football fan. They notice when the guy misses, but they don't know why. As far as Tebow goes, do you guys think that he would flourish in a Heupel offense? Anyone with a spec of knowledge knew that he would not be a good NFL quarterback unless he was playing in an extremely run heavy offense. The guy simply couldn't throw but he was a number one pick! In fact, the 2010 draft may have been the weakest draft for quarterbacks in the history of the league! I can't believe how few there were! 2010 NFL Draft Listing | Pro-Football-Reference.com

This is a tired offseason topic. Everyone’s throwing motion is different and can be “critiqued” by someone. Just go with what works. There are several successful QB’s that don’t have a traditional or generally accepted throwing motion-whatever that is.

Can you imagine the quality of football if coaches took this approach? LOL!

 

[-WillthaThrill-]

He’s not wrong. They definitely need to work on his mechanics. It’s just another great sign of this kid’s potential though that he’s still so raw.

 

[VolinMichigan]

don’t mess with anything until you have to. He’s probably used to having way more time to throw in high school. He’ll tighten things up here and adjust to the speed of the college game. Good thing our HC played QB. I trust Heuple’s evaluation.

 

[JoAllan]

As a sophomore & Junior

60%
50 TD’s
2 int’s

Something wrong?

 

[peaygolf]

I'm not knowledgeable enough to critique throwing motions, but I do have knowledge about changing things that seem to work.

In golf, there are some really great players that have "awkward" positions and movements in their swings. They might not be "text book," but they make it work. If they were to try and make their swings "look better," and be more fundamentally sound, they would play worse. I never try to "fix" what works. Sometimes you need to leave well-enough alone, and do what you do best.

If it ain't broke..............

 

[tone357]

don’t mess with anything until you have to. He’s probably used to having way more time to throw in high school. He’ll tighten things up here and adjust to the speed of the college game. Good thing our HC played QB. I trust Heuple’s evaluation.

When you “have to” is usually when things aren't going well. They've got at least a year to work on his mechanical issues before he’ll be in the mix to start. I say do it now! Apparently, some people think the kid is good enough to start right away! They are completely forgetting that he will be competing against a level of competition that he's never seen!

 

[tone357]

As a sophomore & Junior

60%
50 TD’s
2 int’s

Something wrong?

Nothing is wrong with that, but pump the brakes. 95% of the guys he did that against will never see a Division 1 field.

 

[JoAllan]

Nothing is wrong with that, but pump the brakes. 95% of the guys he did that against will never see a Division 1 field.

more than 50% will never see a D1 field that played vs just about everyone who will.

50 vs 2 is still 50 vs 2

 

[tone357]

more than 50% will never see a D1 field that played vs just about everyone who will.

50 vs 2 is still 50 vs 2

50 vs 2 in a 1A school is not the same as 50 vs 2 in a 6A school. Those school designations indicate the level of competition. A D3 star player is not the same as a D1 star.

 

[JRich]

Can you imagine the quality of football if coaches took this approach? LOL!

Not sure what your point is or why you are laughing at my comment.

Many coaches have a hands off approach when it comes to players abilities. One example that comes to mind is Andy Reid at KC. Mahommes is doing just fine with his side arm. Aaron Rodgers has an unorthodox release and “poor footwork.” Tua at Miami releases the ball what seems like 3 feet to the side of his helmet. I can go on and on, but you just keep on critiquing and I’ll just keep taking a player’s ability for what it is.

Every player can and should improve their game, but for fans and media to critique their athletic ability is asinine. Either you can throw it, or you can’t.

 

[JoAllan]

50 vs 2 in a 1A school is not the same as 50 vs 2 in a 6A school. Those school designations indicate the level of competition. A D3 star player is not the same as a D1 star.

Ok

But that’s not what you said. You said 95% of the guys he played against wouldn’t see a D1 field……your right. Is also the same with just about everyone else.

50 td’s vs 2 int’s is amazing in any level……if it weren’t we would probably see it a lot more often than we do……. seeing as their are thousands of QB’s in high school.

I highly doubt he would be the #2 overall rated player if he wasn’t at least “thought of” as going to be very good……….but hey you probably know more about it than 247.

 

[tone357]

Ok

But that’s not what you said. You said 95% of the guys he played against wouldn’t see a D1 field……your right. Is also the same with just about everyone else.

50 td’s vs 2 int’s is amazing in any level……if it weren’t we would probably see it a lot more often than we do……. seeing as their are thousands of QB’s in high school.

I highly doubt he would be the #2 overall rated player if he wasn’t at least “thought of” as going to be very good……….but hey you probably know more about it than 247.

I've never said the kid isn't good! Obviously he is, at the level he is at. Will it translate to Division 1? That remains to be seen. Some can do it, most can't. Just as a lot of us have seen collegiate superstars flameout in the NFL.

 

[JoAllan]

I've never said the kid isn't good! Obviously he is, at the level he is at. Will it translate to Division 1? That remains to be seen. Some can do it, most can't. Just as a lot of us have seen collegiate superstars flameout in the NFL.

and YOUR the one that said “pump the breaks” ……..when I simply showed his soph & JR stats.

He’s exactly the type of QB Heupel wants……and he has him. 247 has him as their #2 overall……..I wish the kid all the luck in the world; however the NFL is a few years away and most of us simply want him to be good at Tennessee. Which he certainly “should” be especially with “Heupel” development.

 

[Manchester Vol]

A 5* QB is here - let’s take a dump on him.

 

[GVF]

No offense, and I don't know who that entity is, but does it really matter? There have been a lot of great QB's with less than ideal throwing motions. As long as it gets there on time and in the right spot, I'm not sure why it matters. Hell, there are some fantastic golfers who have absolutely crazy golf swings, but it works for them and they're on tour doing quite well. You start monkeying with something like a throwing motion and you'd better be really sure of what you're going to get. Personally, if Nico gets the ball out quickly and on target, I say leave it the hell alone. Until it's "broke", don't fix it.

The gist of it at it's core is mechanical basics. I can teach a guy pitching, and hitting. Done both at HS level as a volunteer. And took that back to rec ball and helped create a feeder system for the HS program so they were already doing things the way he wanted rising players to execute. Intent is never to overhaul a person unless they really need it, and are seriously wanting to change their game. I believe in leaving natural motions alone and adpting mechanics to that. I'm a personal example, and a lefty that had a backward breaking natural fastball that ran away from righties. I didn't have a pitching coach, so when I tried to learn to through curve balls, I was convinced it was supposed to break in on a righty. I did two things. Flattened out my pitch for long ball enthusiasts, and wore out my rotator. Why? Because I changed my natural 3/4 motion to over the top on curve balls and other pitches instead of adapting mechanics to my natural tendencies. and fixing little things. If I had had a pitching coach to help me with little things, I might not have thrown out my shoulder in my freshman year of college trying to make the spring squad. While I would not argue any of your points, as I mostly agree with them, for longevity, and consistency, and knowing what you will get when doing certain things certain ways, it has to be coached up and adapted to each indivisual. Just part of getting better. It would be a disservice to such a talented arm, to be left alone till it's broke and be no better as a senior than a freshman. Main reason to employ coaches actually. To teach. THose crazy swing pro golfers...all have swing coaches.

 

[JoeMiltonsAgent]

" Smoothest, cleanest, one of the best releases in college football".

Sounds good enough to me. The footwork and base can be tweaked a lot easier.

 

[GVF]

I'm not knowledgeable enough to critique throwing motions, but I do have knowledge about changing things that seem to work.

In golf, there are some really great players that have "awkward" positions and movements in their swings. They might not be "text book," but they make it work. If they were to try and make their swings "look better," and be more fundamentally sound, they would play worse. I never try to "fix" what works. Sometimes you need to leave well-enough alone, and do what you do best.

If it ain't broke..............

Agree to a certain extent. But, in Nico's case for example since the video was posted, you can take what works, and clean it up and make it even better without messing him up or trying to fix what ain't broke. But, we're talking going from HS to SEC in an instant. I'd wager Nico is expecting to be coached up and made even better. And I'd also wager if the QB coach and CJH are worth their alt in knowledge and experience, they'll be tweaking certain things, not fixing or overhauling. I took the video as showing that although he was a really good QB, and the guy said so several times, he was loose on a couple things that he could clean up. Never said he was broke and needed overhauled. Let's face it. Nico went from HS to P5 SEC. He was never broke. He is gifted beyond many.

 

[bpalmer28]

THAT'S NOT HOW YOU SAY HIS NAME!!!

 

[tone357]

A 5* QB is here - let’s take a dump on him.

Nobody's taking dump on the young man. Most of hope he has a spectacular college career! But the very nature of the position he plays is heavily criticized when he fails, and it gets the lion's share of praise when it's done well. Some of these guys appear to think we should just bring in a kid and don't change anything about the guy! Every single position player is taught and tweaked to make them better. Good in HS does not automatically translate into good in college. Almost no one comes in ready to dominate like they did in HS. Not saying it's impossible, but its unlikely.

 

[Russdaddy2027]

Guarantano had great throwing motion...and pocket presents

 

[Carp]

I can tell that some of you have never seen a young man or kid injure his arm because of really bad mechanics. They can get away with it for a while, but when the volume of throws start to accumulate, damage can occur.

This isn't baseball. QBs rarely have significant non contact injuries to their throwing arms. They don't throw the ball nearly as often or near max velocity as often as baseball players do. This is absolutely NOT a big deal, at least at the college level. Now, needing cleaner mechanics for the NFL is another story, that's still more of a performance related concern than injury related.

 

[Remy]

" Smoothest, cleanest, one of the best releases in college football".

Sounds good enough to me. The footwork and base can be tweaked a lot easier.

THIS! Seeing how Nico is so wide in his stride probably putting some stank on a throw I suspect this where they'll tweak his game mostly. He's not going to have the time or space in the pocket to throw downfield with a long stride. He'll work every day on his 3, 5, and 7 step drops and I guarantee it will be much shorter thanwhat we see in the above photos.

 

[GVF]

50 vs 2 in a 1A school is not the same as 50 vs 2 in a 6A school. Those school designations indicate the level of competition. A D3 star player is not the same as a D1 star.

School designation indicates average daily attendance. 6A is gonna be a HS likely 3000+ students depending on how many levels there are in Cali. 6A in GA is not even the top class. My sons HS in TN was 2A cause they had only 450 students not because they were only intermittently good. It's not uncommon for there to be one dominant team in a large class/region/sub-region and the rest are crap. As long as they are playing within their class, competition is competition. 3A Upperman is a county HS in the same county as 6A Cookevile and beats them like a wet rag year in and year out. Like 4 years straight currently. Yet, CHS has no P5 players, and only a few in FCS or Ivy League. Judging a player by what class they're in due to size of HS is garbage.

Here's one for you. Jesse Tuggle was a franchise LB for ATL his entire career. Never played anywhere else. They called him The Hammer for a reason. We graduated together. He was completely overlooked in a 4A HS that has sent atleast 4 or 5 to UT over the years, more to Auburn, UGA, etc., and is the only HS in GA ranked nationally for the number of Alumni in the NFL. Ended up playing at DII Valdosta State, one of only two offers and both DII. Got overlooked in the draft. Coach hauled him up to ATL and told them they needed to look at him. He had a contract before his tryout as over and the rest is history. 5 time pro bowler. Played in SB XXXIII. CFB HOF. #4 all-time NFL tackle leader since 1987. Still not in HOF. One son played at KState and a few years in NFL (LB) before going north and is currently CFL. Other son played at Clemson (Jarrett) and is a DE with the Falcons. It's more about getting noticed than anything else.


[....In his 14 seasons, he recorded 1640 tackles (164 assisted), 21 sacks, 6 interceptions, which he returned for 106 yards and a touchdown, 10 forced fumbles and 37 pass deflections. He also recovered 10 fumbles, returning them for 155 yards and an NFL record 5 touchdowns.[10]
Tuggle also holds the record for most tackles from 1990 to 1999 with 1,293.[11] At the time of his retirement, he held the NFL record for touchdowns via fumble recoveries with five.[12]]

 

[tone357]

School designation indicates average daily attendance. 6A is gonna be a HS likely 3000+ students depending on how many levels there are in Cali. 6A in GA is not even the top class. My sons HS in TN was 2A cause they had only 450 students not because they were only intermittently good. It's not uncommon for there to be one dominant team in a large class/region/sub-region and the rest are crap. As long as they are playing within their class, competition is competition. 3A Upperman is a county HS in the same county as 6A Cookevile and beats them like a wet rag year in and year out. Like 4 years straight currently. Yet, CHS has no P5 players, and only a few in FCS or Ivy League. Judging a player by what class they're in due to size of HS is garbage.

Here's one for you. Jesse Tuggle was a franchise LB for ATL his entire career. Never played anywhere else. They called him The Hammer for a reason. We graduated together. He was completely overlooked in a 4A HS that has sent atleast 4 or 5 to UT over the years, more to Auburn, UGA, etc., and is the only HS in GA ranked nationally for the number of Alumni in the NFL. Ended up playing at DII Valdosta State, one of only two offers and both DII. Got overlooked in the draft. Coach hauled him up to ATL and told them they needed to look at him. He had a contract before his tryout as over and the rest is history. 5 time pro bowler. Played in SB XXXIII. CFB HOF. #4 all-time NFL tackle leader since 1987. Still not in HOF. One son played at KState and a few years in NFL (LB) before going north and is currently CFL. Other son played at Clemson (Jarrett) and is a DE with the Falcons. It's more about getting noticed than anything else.


[....In his 14 seasons, he recorded 1640 tackles (164 assisted), 21 sacks, 6 interceptions, which he returned for 106 yards and a touchdown, 10 forced fumbles and 37 pass deflections. He also recovered 10 fumbles, returning them for 155 yards and an NFL record 5 touchdowns.[10]
Tuggle also holds the record for most tackles from 1990 to 1999 with 1,293.[11] At the time of his retirement, he held the NFL record for touchdowns via fumble recoveries with five.[12]]

I recognize it's more about the number of students. But doesn't having a higher number of students increase the chances of finding talented kids to play?