Productive Heard Playing Time Next Year

[Lukus Alderman]

With the news that Wittek is almost surely out of the picture, what's left at the QB position is David Ash, Tyrone Swoopes, and Jerrod Heard.

Last year, we saw Ash lost for the year early on and Tyrone Swoopes lose his redshirt for a handful of meaningless plays.

If there are no other QB transfers that take place, it will be highly likely that Heard does not get redshirted and is in the mix with Swoopes for the backup spot, and possibly even at starter depending on just how ready he is.

As I mentioned earlier, Swoopes lost his redshirt at the end of a blowout against TCU seven games into the year and ended up with only 13 passing attempts.  If Heard is put in the same position as Swoopes was last year in that he is unable to have a redshirt season, what would you consider as a productive year for Heard?  Would it be 25% of playing time throughout the year?  100+ attempts/rushes? A few starts?

What would best help prepare what may be our future QB for the next few seasons?

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Let's say, hypothetically, that Ash isn't ready to go against UNT.

May as well prepare Heard to be the back-up by making sure he gets no less than 25% of the snaps in OOC games.  What Mack did last year with Swoopes was ridiculous.  We had no plan whatsoever for developing him.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

Heard will want the same thing fans want....whatever he can do to help win games this year.

Realistically any snap makes him more adjusted for next year. Yes, that includes garbage time. But that's next year. 

Strong & Co. aren't playing games this year with next year in mind. I don't know how to quantify what amount of PT would be most helpful to Heard in 2015. With so many unknowns surrounding Ash & Swoopes, it's a WAG regardless.

 

[streettopeschel]

i don't see how you can quantify what would be most helpful. 25%? 100 attempts? completely arbitrary numbers.

we really don't know. maybe he's easily the best QB the moment he steps on campus and/or ash can't go. if that's the case, play him. assuming he's not due to youth and inexperience and that ash is healthy and productive, do everything you can to redshirt him.

 

[primal defense]

As soon as the news that Wittek was coming, I checked Teddy Bridgewater's stats for his freshman season. Teddy was a true freshman who took over as Louisville's QB for the fourth game. Bridgewater had a good freshman season, although his TD's to interceptions ration wasn't great which is understandable for a true freshman.

As a freshman in 2011, Bridgewater entered the season as a backup but started the Cardinals fourth game of the season against Marshall and remained the starter the rest of the year. He finished the season completing 191 of 296 passes for 2,129 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. For his play he was named the Big East Rookie of the Year and was named a freshman All-American by Rivals.com, Scout.com, CBS Sports and Sporting News

 

[Lukus Alderman]

As soon as the news that Wittek was coming, I checked Teddy Bridgewater's stats for his freshman season. Teddy was a true freshman who took over as Louisville's QB for the fourth game. Bridgewater had a good freshman season, although his TD's to interceptions ration wasn't great which is understandable for a true freshman.

As a freshman in 2011, Bridgewater entered the season as a backup but started the Cardinals fourth game of the season against Marshall and remained the starter the rest of the year. He finished the season completing 191 of 296 passes for 2,129 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. For his play he was named the Big East Rookie of the Year and was named a freshman All-American by Rivals.com, Scout.com, CBS Sports and Sporting News

Great info.

Hopefully we won't have to have Heard unless he blows Ash away.

 

[Coleman Feeley]

Spoke too soon fellas... confusing medicals and out of conference play....

also you can't delete a post...

 

[Juan]

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011


 
On Friday, play caller Shawn Watson discussed the progress of the Denton Guyer product more than a few Texas fans thought might end up being the savior this season in case of an injury to David Ash. The injury to Ash happened, but Heard hasn't seen the field.

Watson said that he and head coach Charlie Strong have sat down each week during the season to discuss Heard and the possibility of giving him a chance to see the field.

"In the end, to be honest with you he wasn't putting the work out there yet, because he was still learning," said Watson. "It would make us look like what we say is not what we mean or what we deliver. He's gotten better as a result of it. He's been growing, he's progressed, especially in the latter half of this season has been good; he's coming along a lot better. He didn't have the spring as for example Tyrone Swoopes did, and that's really where you see him right now."
 
 * * * * * 
 
"It takes time," Watson admitted. "He's never been a part of a passing game like we have and that's a major transition. He hasn't been a part of all the different coverages that go on in football. In the week to week preparation, one week you see a middle closed team, next week you see a quarters team that plays cover two, you see a team that plays quarters and has man pressures..."

 * *  *  * 
 
"He's just coming out of high school; he's been getting his feet on the ground with the system," Watson said. "He's got a better understanding today of what college football is, what is going to require to be an elite player. That's going to be a lot of study and hard work, which he's going to put in."
 
If there's on criticism of Heard so far, it's that he's not clearly a prodigy in that regard -- Watson said that only Teddy Bridgewater "got it right away." Every other quarterback he's every coached had to endure a learning curve that included being overwhelmed by the type of preparation that it takes at the college level, a level of preparation that even a conscientious high school quarterback can't normally achieve.
 
So it's a mild criticism, but it does temper any program-saving expectations for Heard in the near term.
 
Watson did say that the young quarterback has been learning, that he is closer to being ready to play. The time constraints of needing to work in depth with Swoopes on his own mental approach to the game are significant for the Texas play caller, but Watson still takes the time to sit down with heard and go over the script before practice.

* * * * *

At times in practice is pays off with the type of execution that allows for some positive feedback and the evolution of Watson's teaching style with the former two-time state champion.

"Now he's starting to get it. He'll be really competitive for us in the spring."

---- MORE AT THE LINK --

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

At times in practice is pays off with the type of execution that allows for some positive feedback and the evolution of Watson's teaching style with the former two-time state champion.

"Now he's starting to get it. He'll be really competitive for us in the spring."

---- MORE AT THE LINK --


Thats all I need to hear.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

This board will dig up an old thread like none I've ever been on.

 

[Lukus Alderman]

This board will dig up an old thread like none I've ever been on.

Hahaha! So true.

 

[Duke C #11]

For some fans, whoever the current QB is, he's just keeping the seat warm for whoever's next. There have been damn few years in the past 50 that haven't been that way.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Not to change the subject any longer than just to mention this . . . another name you can expect to hear A LOT this spring and next fall is Donald Catalon.

I keep hearing this from different people – he's the best back we have and it's not close. Raises my eyebrows knowing they're saying that with Brown and Gray being the obvious comparisons there. I'm told he is the real deal and is routinely causing our defense fits (running the scout team TB) because of his speed and quickness.

It's possible we could have a new QB and new TB starting next year.

 

[Darrell McPhaul]

You boys better hope to God Heard is not playing next year.  

A lot of fans keep missing the message the coaches are sending.

Heards best day does not equal Swoopes worst day at this time.  

 

[monarch]

really darrell?  you speak as though young jerrod is not at all capable of getting better... is this the case?  why on earth was he such a highly regarded  / highly touted winning quarterback.... what gives?

 

[Sirhornsalot]

really darrell?  you speak as though young jerrod is not at all capable of getting better... is this the case?  why on earth was he such a highly regarded  / highly touted winning quarterback.... what gives?

Darrell specifically said "at this time." He is right. But Watson was projecting what he thought he would see this spring out of Heard. There's a lot of snaps to be had between now and next season.

I hope Heard's light has indeed turned on. Competition helps them all get better.

 

[HornEsch]

This is the same thing I was conveying in the "Is Swoopes Improving" thread. Different kids have the light turn on at different times and for some never.

I know in this time where we see a few QBs seemingly turn it on immediately, it is hard to get over the excitement. However that is not the norm. Heard will have is chance, as will Gentry. It does not mean they will take over the #1 spot immediately and it should not necessarily be a concern if they don't.

 

[monarch]

Darrell specifically said "at this time." He is right. But Watson was projecting what he thought he would see this spring out of Heard. There's a lot of snaps to be had between now and next season.

I hope Heard's light has indeed turned on. Competition helps them all get better.

well of course we are all keenly aware that jerrod is not at all ready "at this time".  he is still undergoing an immense amount of practice reps / training for which is par the course... right?  i think darrell's statement had me a bit alarmed because it sounded so final.  jerrod heard, just needs to stay the course of practice / training.. he shall be just fine.  we are indeed counting on him...

 

[Sirhornsalot]

well of course we are all keenly aware that jerrod is not at all ready "at this time".  he is still undergoing an immense amount of practice reps / training for which is par the course... right?  i think darrell's statement had me a bit alarmed because it sounded so final.  jerrod heard, just needs to stay the course of practice / training.. he shall be just fine.  we are indeed counting on him...

I do not agree with Darrell on that, but I'm just a landscaper so what do I know?