Nico's comparison to other qb's

[unfrozencvmanvol]

I think some of y'all are putting too much expectation on this kid for next year. He was a terrific high school prospect, but he was rail thin this year and couldn't unseat Joe Milton. I think he's got great potential, but I think if he's just good next year (top half of the SEC type QB) that would be good progress for him, and he'll be set up to maybe meet some of y'all's expectations in 2025. I'd love for him to be a world beater, senior Hendon Hooker type player next year but I'm not sure that's an expectation that is fair to him.

 

[KnoxToTheBoro93]

This fan bases obsession with Lame Kitten is pathetic. If that dude breathes, some Vol fans want to know what it smells like. He trolls is and some fans care. Just stop worrying about what that childish dolt has to say. Let him embarrass himself and pay him no mind.

Lame kitten was the best you could come up with lol ??

 

[KnoxToTheBoro93]

I think some of y'all are putting too much expectation on this kid for next year. He was a terrific high school prospect, but he was rail thin this year and couldn't unseat Joe Milton. I think he's got great potential, but I think if he's just good next year (top half of the SEC type QB) that would be good progress for him, and he'll be set up to maybe meet some of y'all's expectations in 2025. I'd love for him to be a world beater, senior Hendon Hooker type player next year but I'm not sure that's an expectation that is fair to him.

He has it idc anything about his passing ability or anything he has that it factor of and a great feel for the game… expectations are definitely high but with this staff I think he is about to blow up this year… he is similar to Daniels from lsu thinner frame but very fast and twitchy in the open field and can absolutely throw the ball all over the field… will be a really fun 2 years with him as the starter

 

[TNStudMuffin]

The starting QB job at TN after Hendon Hooker should've been regarded as radioactive.

Tee got dang lucky. Without that Natty VolNation would've wanted his head for not being Peyton.

No, you just have to be a non-headcase. Milton in any context would have been frustrating to watch.

 

[posivol]

nico = man size version of bryce young

 

[Majors]

Kiffin will yearly be a 2-4 loss team. Had a good win over LSU and a somewhat easy schedule this year.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

No, you just have to be a non-headcase. Milton in any context would have been frustrating to watch.

Wait and see. The first INT Nico throws or if he comes out flat, VN will be full of: "Nico isn't it." "Heupel isn't it." "Ceiling is 6-6 on this group."

Just read the threads. The buildup some folks are doing has Nico being "The Savior" and "if he's what he's said to be......"

Said to be by whom? He's a highly rated HS QB like Harrison Bailey was. And I can see the "no, it's not like that, Nico is really good....."

I hope he is. I really do, but the hype surrounding QBs here just sets them up to be eaten as soon as they screw up.

 

[TNStudMuffin]

Wait and see. The first INT Nico throws or if he comes out flat, VN will be full of: "Nico isn't it." "Heupel isn't it." "Ceiling is 6-6 on this group."

Just read the threads. The buildup some folks are doing has Nico being "The Savior" and "if he's what he's said to be......"

Said to be by whom? He's a highly rated HS QB like Harrison Bailey was. And I can see the "no, it's not like that, Nico is really good....."

I hope he is. I really do, but the hype surrounding QBs here just sets them up to be eaten as soon as they screw up.

Nico has already shown he is better than Bailey. The first time Bailey got to throw the ball you could see he was in way over his head. Said to be by whom? By Huepel, through his actions. He has put all of his eggs in that basket, and if it blows up it's his job on the line.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Nico has already shown he is better than Bailey. The first time Bailey got to throw the ball you could see he was in way over his head. Said to be by whom? By Huepel, through his actions. He has put all of his eggs in that basket, and if it blows up it's his job on the line.

Said by Heupel by pulling Milton this past year?

VN was already questioning Heupel's judgement for NOT playing Nico even after Halzle and Heupel said "Nico cannot run the offense better than Joe."

I'm not saying ANY of it will be justified but wait and see, Nico will be said to be "Not what we were told he was ...." if he doesn't come out as the ghost of Hendon Hooker with Peyton's brains.

It's toxic to be a QB for Tennessee post-Hooker.

 

[TNStudMuffin]

Said by Heupel by pulling Milton this past year?

VN was already questioning Heupel's judgement for NOT playing Nico even after Halzle and Heupel said "Nico cannot run the offense better than Joe."

I'm not saying ANY of it will be justified but wait and see, Nico will be said to be "Not what we were told he was ...." if he doesn't come out as the ghost of Hendon Hooker with Peyton's brains.

It's toxic to be a QB for Tennessee post-Hooker.

Did you even read what I typed? Huepel has put all of his eggs in 1 basket. Nico better be the real deal or he has made a decision that will cost him his job.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Did you even read what I typed? Huepel has put all of his eggs in 1 basket. Nico better be the real deal or he has made a decision that will cost him his job.

It won't. Firing Heupel before 12/25 costs $36M. It drops to $27M in 2026.

He's not getting fired, but that's the mentality here also. One bad QB and you're out.

I recall Saban going after the press once saying "You guys think these players just appear. One graduates or gets hurt and we just sh*t out another great player, but that's not how it works."

Sure, Heupel should've gotten another 5* and promised them......."well, you can compete with our current 5*, but you might sit for most of your time here." That's not going to recruit anyone.

He couldn't hit the portal for someone like McCord or Gabriel without people complaining here when Nico hit the portal.

The eggs in one basket argument is BS. What would you have him do?

 

[utvolpj]

Did you even read what I typed? Huepel has put all of his eggs in 1 basket. Nico better be the real deal or he has made a decision that will cost him his job.

I think you're underestimating Merk. Nico doesn't get Heupel fired. He can win 8 with Milton

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

you cannot compare Nico as a QB against anyone right now. He needs a full season as the starter. Its all speculation at this point. Lets give him a chance before judgement day.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

you cannot compare Nico as a QB against anyone right now. He needs a full season as the starter. Its all speculation at this point. Lets give him a chance before judgement day.

I can already see VN edging toward "it's year 4 and we're not winning the SEC, we need another coach" mentality. Worse are the ones who say, "so you aren't a VFL, you don't expect top 5 AT LEAST recruiting classes and an SEC championship."

Recruit visit and scholarship sanctions aren't off yet and people on VN are pissed we're not recruiting at an elite level. Completely reasonable, right?

The expectations here crazy. It's like they expect a coach can just do anything they want or else they're "not the guy." If you disagree, "oh, so you're okay with mediocrity. Well that's not who I am "

Reality seems to have left the chat.

 

[turbovol]

Like many Vol Fans, I have been somewhat disheartened by the transfer portal and watching what tools like Kiffin have been able to do. However, this weekend, I started to think about how Staes and someone like Brazzell could fit into this offense. It seems like Heup is being extremely selective with his roster selection this year. It looks like he's tailoring this offense and defense to mirror what we had in 2022, with some more impactful playmakers at running back and tight end. It remains to be seen what the receivers will be, but one can assume that Squirrel will take steps forward.

Many have compared Nico to Josh Allen and Justin Herbert, bringing me to my final thought. I think these are apt professional projections. However, I think Iamaleva is about to be something much different, especially in the veer and shoot. I think next year, Nico could have an RG III type season. The year he won the Heisman he almost put up 5,000 yards of offense, and Nico won't need to do that but we could be seeing the reconstruction of the 2011 Baylor offense.

We've got ourselves the next Josh Allen AND a Heisman winner! I'm excited...

 

[TNStudMuffin]

It won't. Firing Heupel before 12/25 costs $36M. It drops to $27M in 2026.

He's not getting fired, but that's the mentality here also. One bad QB and you're out.

I recall Saban going after the press once saying "You guys think these players just appear. One graduates or gets hurt and we just sh*t out another great player, but that's not how it works."

Sure, Heupel should've gotten another 5* and promised them......."well, you can compete with our current 5*, but you might sit for most of your time here." That's not going to recruit anyone.

He couldn't hit the portal for someone like McCord or Gabriel without people complaining here when Nico hit the portal.

The eggs in one basket argument is BS. What would you have him do?

When did I say he was going to get fired immediately? I said it would cost him his job. And it would. And he very obviously has his eggs in one basket. Fair or unfair, right or wrong. You can argue he was unjustifiably put in a situation he'd rather not have been in, but It's the fact of the matter.

 

[rikberry31]

Uhh you've obviously not been following recruiting the past few weeks if you have to ask.

They have upgraded and replaced their entire Oline. Stole a blue chip 5 star offensive tackle in recruiting from us (Seaton). Got Will Shepherd from Vandy who is hands down the best-proven WR that hit the portal. Oh and by the way every player they lost in the portal was replaced with a better player. Then on top of that they move to the BIG12 aka refugee conference next year. So they get a better team and an easier schedule. Oh yeah we also get Sheduer Sanders behind a better oline with more weapons. They also upgraded on defense.

People forget that before the Concussion protocall started setting in on him Sheduer was putting up Heisman numbers. This dude put up 70% completion over 3200 yards 27tds and 3 ints while getting sacked 52 times in 11 games. This is on a team that had talent at RB but their online couldn't get push on a turd if they had diarrhea. Trust me Colorado will, worst case make a bowl next season which is a huge accomplishment given what he started with. The 4 wins they got this season were very impressive given their schedule and the context.

Kiffin is not having to make the desperate moves Colorado has simply because they already have a base of SEC-level talent. But he is making some splash moes that will matter. Baron is a lot more important to a defense than most people probably think because he is a decent pass rusher but more importantly, a run anchor. That being said I think we have guys that can step up and replace him on roster. The pickup is a bigger gain to OleMiss than it is a loss to UT. Plus we don't play them regular season so who cares.

But let me stop this thread is about Nico.

Realistic but unpopular truth is that Colorado would have probably done the same with the old roster.

 

[TNStudMuffin]

I think you're underestimating Merk. Nico doesn't get Heupel fired. He can win 8 with Milton

Jake will be a true freshman, he isn't going to save the day any more than Nico did this year. 3 8 win seasons in a row and Huepel's fate is sealed here. He's banking on Nico being very good.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

When did I say he was going to get fired immediately? I said it would cost him his job. And it would. And he very obviously has his eggs in one basket. Fair or unfair, right or wrong. You can argue he was unjustifiably put in a situation he'd rather not have been in, but It's the fact of the matter.

It's not reasonable and I believe Danny White isn't like VN. Heupel knew he came to build from the ashes, Danny White knew that, the SEC knew that, the TV pundits knew that, the players knew that....... and when we had the success with Hooker and Co, the job Heupel did got lots of attention as amazing and unbelievable.

This year, when our results were more realistic for the situation Pruitt left the program in, VN looks at the Hooker year and says, "Heupel is failing." He's not. Reality just caught up with the rebuild process.

It was ALWAYS a rebuild from what Pruitt burnt down and it is STILL a rebuild from what Pruitt burnt down and expectations need to get back to reality after the magical Hooker/Hyatt season.

 

[rikberry31]

Depends on how you define 'good coach' . Do you mean Xs and O's? In that case U would bet hes at the very least good. Prime was a guy that excelled against some of histories best receivers for a long time while also playing baseball. Dont get it twisted bro. The guy knows football.

That being said his strength is being a leader if men and having the humility to surround himself with guys that know their individual specialties more than he. This is the mark imho of a great coach and all the great ones have that trait.

One thing overlooked about Deion Sanders in all his time as a player is thus. Prime is to some extent a character. Always has been. All the people that really knew him saw him as a very down to earth, humble guy thats a great teammate. Almost universally. He is the type of leader that does it from the front taking the heat off his teammates without complaint. I think that he can make colorado a consistently competitive team starting as soon as this year.

Will he be taking home nattys to boulder? Heck no. I do not think in the current conference alignments its possible for a big 12 team to become a consistent contender for national championship. The Big10 and SEC are so far ahead of everyone else now its really the power 3 with the ACC and Big12 collectively being the third.

I akso think that the idea of a dynasty like Bama had it also dead with the playoff. Along with the portal and NIL keeping all the toys isnt gonna be a thing anymore.

Truth again he is not a good in game coach and as far as a leader of men, his team was undisciplined and out of control. Now that he has lost most of his assistants you will see who was doing the heavy lifting.

 

[TNStudMuffin]

It's not reasonable and I believe Danny White isn't like VN. Heupel knew he came to build from the ashes, Danny White knew that, the SEC knew that, the TV pundits knew that, the players knew that....... and when we had the success with Hooker and Co, the job Heupel did got lots of attention as amazing and unbelievable.

This year, when our results were more realistic for the situation Pruitt left the program in, VN looks at the Hooker year and says, "Heupel is failing." He's not. Reality just caught up with the rebuild process.

It was ALWAYS a rebuild from what Pruitt burnt down and it is STILL a rebuild from what Pruitt burnt down and expectations need to get back to reality after the magical Hooker/Hyatt season.

You don't go 10-2 in year 2 with a team of ashes. This past year could have been 10-2 with a better QB. We were 8-4 with a headcase that could barely run the offense, for goodness sake. Make all the excuses you want, but plateauing at 8 wins in year 3 onward (if Nico in fact ain't the guy) takes the wind out of the sails and it's all over but the crying.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Truth again he is not a good in game coach and as far as a leader of men, his team was undisciplined and out of control. Now that he has lost most of his assistants you will see who was doing the heavy lifting.

The reality of Prime is he's a motivator, not a game coach. His value to kids won't be measured by how many rings he gets but by how many kids he helps get into the league and motivates to do what it takes to get there.

Much like the Manning Camp, if CO can attract and help guys level up, that's the job.

It's old school, these days, to think college will remain a "who can get the Natty this year?" race but it's becoming "who can showcase these kids to get them to the next level."

The D2 championship may soon have better actual examples of game coaches.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

You don't go 10-2 in year 2 with a team of ashes. This past year could have been 10-2 with a better QB. We were 8-4 with a headcase that could barely run the offense, for goodness sake. Make all the excuses you want, but plateauing at 8 wins in year 3 onward (if Nico in fact ain't the guy) takes the wind out of the sails and it's all over but the crying.

It's actually not excuses. We're still sanctioned both visits and scholarships. It's reality.

The 10-2 was an amazing, magical year but it wasn't sustainable. It was a tremendous coaching effort by our staff AND some totally unexpected....... let's try reality, TOTALLY UNEXPECTED....... personal performances and abilities by Hooker, Hyatt, and Tillman.

Zero people saw that coming. ZERO. Stop insisting: it wasn't ashes. It was. It was great and fun, but it was nowhere near expected, nor sustainable from where the program is with the losses we sustained and the sanctions.

I'm not saying we're trash. I'm saying we're STILL REBUILDING and on an upward, not downward, trend. The very worst thing that could happen to a rebuilding program was what happened: we had a magical, off the charts successful, completely unexpected and unsustainable recovery year.

Now, let's get back to reality and the nuts, bolts, and grease of the hard work of rebuilding and accept it for what it is: working up from out of a hole Pruitt left us in.

 

[rikberry31]

The reality of Prime is he's a motivator, not a game coach. His value to kids won't be measured by how many rings he gets but by how many kids he helps get into the league and motivates to do what it takes to get there.

Much like the Manning Camp, if CO can attract and help guys level up, that's the job.

It's old school, these days, to think college will remain a "who can get the Natty this year?" race but it's becoming "who can showcase these kids to get them to the next level."

The D2 championship may soon have better actual examples of game coaches.

The reality of Deion Sanders is that he is a promoter, of himself. He always has been and always will be.

 

[TNStudMuffin]

It's actually not excuses. We're still sanctioned both visits and scholarships. It's reality.

The 10-2 was an amazing, magical year but it wasn't sustainable. It was a tremendous coaching effort by our staff AND some totally unexpected....... let's try reality, TOTALLY UNEXPECTED....... personal performances and abilities by Hooker, Hyatt, and Tillman.

Zero people saw that coming. ZERO. Stop insisting: it wasn't ashes. It was. It was great and fun, but it was nowhere near expected, nor sustainable from where the program is with the losses we sustained and the sanctions.

I'm not saying we're trash. I'm saying we're STILL REBUILDING and on an upward, not downward, trend. The very worst thing that could happen to a rebuilding program was what happened: we had a magical, off the charts successful, completely unexpected and unsustainable recovery year.

Now, let's get back to reality and the nuts, bolts, and grease of the hard work of rebuilding and accept it for what it is: working up from out of a hole Pruitt left us in.

Nope, not ashes. Went 10-2 and could have very easily went 10-2 again this year with a better QB that could actually run the system with competency. But went 8-4, and if we go 8-4 again in 2024, 2025 has got to be a big year. If not, the wind is completely out of the sails. If that happens, it's all over but the crying for Huepel. Note that if Nico isn't the real deal, 2025 being a big year is all the harder to pull of. Hence my point throughout.