Nico is what he is THIS year......

[farmdogvol]

The premise of this thread is flawed.

It assumes Nico doesn't change. It assumes that he is "this year" what he is "this year." That assumes he doesn't grow and learn and evolve as the year goes on.

Me, I'm gonna make the opposite assumption. I'm going to assume that December 2024 Nico will be significantly different than August or September 2024 Nico was. And I'm further going to assume that the change is in the direction of growth and improvement.

Really bad premise, OP.

Go Vols!

The 2nd half Bama and Uk Nico is not the same as the Arkie Nico. He already has shown growth and development. Arkie game he was Milton level, he has risen above that. Is he at Hooker level, no but Hooker wasn't either his first year. By the end of next year Nico will be at the Hooker level of Hooker's 2nd year..

 

[ArmchairQB]

Iamaleava 2024: 65.4% completions, 8.2 yard average per attempt, 144.7 rating
Dobbs 2016: 63.0% completions, 8.3 yard average per attempt, 150.6 rating
Bray 2012: 59.4% completions, 8.0 yard average per attempt, 146.3 rating

The main difference is just how often we're going to it, not how good he is at it. Kentucky is the first time Nico has even attempted more than 30 passes in a game for us, and he went 28/38 for almost 300. That's without even getting into woulda-coulda about drops. We have one of the best rushing attacks in the country and we've had the luxury of bringing him along gradually. And we're winning.

 

[BigALWiLson]

A QBs starting record is the dumbest stat to lead with. Do you honestly think he is responsible for those 8 wins?

No but he played a part just like the rest of the TEAM

 

[Tenacjim]

Not totally. It’s a team effort, but he’s managed the games pretty well. A 158 passing rate is perfect. Nico is at 143 (144 this season) for his career. He hasn’t made a ton of splash plays but he’s a solid qb, and he’s improving. Not sure what more we can ask for.

I don’t blame Kits for the drop Saturday because that was a great defensive play, but the other two drops were dots.

Furthermore, I’d argue that a QBs record as a starter is pretty important considering that’s the most important stat. Who was the last good QB who had a crap record?

College uses a different passer rating calculation than the NFL and 158 isn’t a perfect rating in college. There are 15 college QBs with a rating above 158 and Jaxson Dart leads the country at 192. Conversely, Lamar Jackson leads the NFL with a rating of 120.7 (174/255 2379 yds 20 TDs and 2 INTs). Nico is 38th in the NCAA at 144.67. Definitely “solid” although in conference games, the rating slides down to 126.6 (10th in the conference).

NCAA College Football FBS current individual Stats | NCAA.com

Discover the current NCAA FBS Football leaders in every stats category, as well as historic leaders.

www.ncaa.com

NFL Conference Passing Stat Leaders, 2024 Regular Season - ESPN

ESPN is the place for NFL stats! Discover the Offense Passing stat leaders of the 2024 NFL Regular Season.

www.espn.com

 

[NcVolfan24]

I have not been following the boards as closely this year so not sure if someone posted this earlier in the year if they have I am sorry.

Nico is NOT going to have a 400 yard game. Nico is NOT going to have a 3-4 TD game this year. He is NOT going to go 28/38. He is NOT going to "breakout" in the post season or anytime else this season. We are not going to score more than 35 points (not counting UTEP) on anyone this year with Nico. I LOVE Nico and what he brings to the table and he has a SUPER HIGH ceiling and can lead this team to a great season NEXT year or the year afterwards, but just not now. He has some growth to do he has put the ball on a frozen rope and has had flashes of greatness in him. Most football players see the most growth between their freshman and sophomore year (or 1st and 2nd year in the system/coach). I think he will make great improvements during spring/summer workouts and then fall camp. He has the talent we all saw it at Oklahoma, NC State, and flashes of it (Some of it was NOT his fault TWO TD's dropped one by a hit and one by the ground). He will only get better as he plays in this system his 2nd year. IF......IF he is doing the same things next year of overthrown balls, not throwing to his checkdown passes or missing open recievers THEN we can start having conversations about his future with the team, but that is a LOOOOOOOOONNNNGGG way away from today.

 

[#1HomeGrownUTVOL]

Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston both won the Heisman as a redshirt freshman. Winston went undefeated and won a national championship. Tua Tagovailoa was a Heisman runner up and played in the national championship.

As true freshmen, Jalen Hurts was SEC player of the year and made it to the championship game. Trevor Lawrence won a national championship as a true freshman. Nico isn’t having a year anywhere close to what any of those guys had.

5 is not many my guy…

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

5 is not many my guy…

I named 5 from recent memory who did “everything you could ask for” in winning a lot and putting up huge numbers off the top of my head. I’m sure I could find several more examples if I put more thought into and looked into some stats. In any case, Nico is a far cry from those guys to this point, so he has not, in fact, been everything we could ask for.

Nico was higher rated out of high school than most of the guys I named and is coached by someone who is supposed to be an offensive mastermind. If I had suggested we would go over a month without scoring in the first half, that Nico would take until November to throw for 200 yards in a SEC game, that he would pull a Joe Milton and run out of bounds with no time left to lose a game we were 2+ TD favorites in, etc, I would have been met with outrage and called all sorts of names. No Vol fan thought he would struggle this much. Not one.

 

[jwells]

I got Bru and Thornton right now. Brazzell actually has been getting open a lot lately and making some catches. I think his drop was an anomaly. I think Squirrel would be playing much better if his shoulder wasn’t messed up. Nimrod needs to take a backseat to someone on the slot. Matthew’s is gonna have to learn that position quick or Staley is gonna have to get healthy.

Bru has been banged up all year. Idk if he's remotely close to the snap count of the guys I listed. And with Squirrel hurt, I'm not sure there's a go-to guy at WR for half the plays. Feel like we transitioned the TE there and he thrived.

 

[jarnol32]

Nico may still be the guy he is just a freshman.

 

[jarnol32]

Tee Martin was not average statistically nor when the game was on the line.

1998 Martin threw for 2100 yards 19 tds 6 interceptions. Pretty average even by 90s passing standards. 1999 he threw for 2300 yards, but only 12 TDS along with 9 interceptions… He did make some big plays, but statistically he was average.

 

[ftsandersvol]

Nico is going to get more and more comfortable the more games he plays. He’ll have some ups and downs as we’ve seen, but in the end he’ll be himself which can only be described as a winner.

 

[sjt18]

I have not been following the boards as closely this year so not sure if someone posted this earlier in the year if they have I am sorry.

Nico is NOT going to have a 400 yard game. Nico is NOT going to have a 3-4 TD game this year. He is NOT going to go 28/38. He is NOT going to "breakout" in the post season or anytime else this season. We are not going to score more than 35 points (not counting UTEP) on anyone this year with Nico. I LOVE Nico and what he brings to the table and he has a SUPER HIGH ceiling and can lead this team to a great season NEXT year or the year afterwards, but just not now. He has some growth to do he has put the ball on a frozen rope and has had flashes of greatness in him. Most football players see the most growth between their freshman and sophomore year (or 1st and 2nd year in the system/coach). I think he will make great improvements during spring/summer workouts and then fall camp. He has the talent we all saw it at Oklahoma, NC State, and flashes of it (Some of it was NOT his fault TWO TD's dropped one by a hit and one by the ground). He will only get better as he plays in this system his 2nd year. IF......IF he is doing the same things next year of overthrown balls, not throwing to his checkdown passes or missing open recievers THEN we can start having conversations about his future with the team, but that is a LOOOOOOOOONNNNGGG way away from today.

Nico is growing and developing. I've been critical. I always am. You never know if guys will develop or if they'll be like JG. That said, he was good enough for a 400 yd 3 TD game last time out. I haven't bought into blaming the receivers but he wasn't the issue last game.

BTW, speaking in absolutes like you did is pretty stupid for a teacher. Unless you control everything about a situation... you can't speak in absolutes. Heupel says they're close. I'll trust that for now.

 

[JRich]

Nico is NOT going to have a 400 yard game. Nico is NOT going to have a 3-4 TD game

Could have happened last week but his receivers dropped the ball.

 

[C-south]

Nico may still be the guy he is just a freshman.

He had a year to just sit and learn. The pundits on secn were talking the other day and picked Van Buren over Nico. I know it’s irrelevant lip service but a lot of people are seeing what many are.

 

[igotworms]

The premise of this thread is flawed.

It assumes Nico doesn't change. It assumes that he is "this year" what he is "this year." That assumes he doesn't grow and learn and evolve as the year goes on.

Me, I'm gonna make the opposite assumption. I'm going to assume that December 2024 Nico will be significantly different than August or September 2024 Nico was. And I'm further going to assume that the change is in the direction of growth and improvement.

Really bad premise, OP.

Go Vols!

Typical "vol fan" crap

TN sucks
And if they winning or grow as a player, then it's simply the other team sucks

SSDD