The State of John Chiles
by awiggo on Sep 20, 2007 9:45 PM CDT
in Texas Longhorns Basketball
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PrintThere is a little of this talk going on in the diaries, and I think it’s worth further discussion on the main page. Sherrod Harris is now listed as probable for this weekend’s game with Rice, and as we all know, backup freshman quarterback John Chiles has yet to play a single down. If Rice is as bad as they shown and Texas blows out the Owls like they should, who spells Colt McCoy in the second half?
There is certainly not a single correct answer to that question but I will propose this scenario. If Chiles doesn’t play in this one, either at quarterback or in some other offensive role, he won’t play all year. If Kansas State is a four quarter game, there will be little to no chance to insert a backup quarterback. And then, the trip to Dallas.
Mack Brown has shown a real aversion to starting freshman against Oklahoma. It’s hard to envision a scenario in which Chiles plays for the first time as a true freshman against the Sooners. So, the Horns could easily go halfway into the season without Chiles every touching the football. By that point, Harris would certainly be back to full health and you’d have to question any decisions to burn an entire season of eligibility for Chiles by playing him at all in just the second half of the season.
To me, it’s play Chiles against Rice as the backup quarterback or somewhere else to get him some touches on offense, or he's probably headed for a redshirt season.
Thoughts?
--AW--
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If theres any shot of playing Harris
on saturday than I say redshirt Chiles. He's going to be our started Post-Colt so might as well let him have 2 years after Colt rather than wasting his redshirt on just half a season.
Play Chiles Now.
If he is the number 2 QB, we have to get him considerable playtime. Can somebody please send Greg Davis a copy any of Florida's games last year so he can see that you can put another QB in to run the option, QB draws, and mix it up a bit?
Imagine this team with some offensive imagination.
The question...
you have to ask is "do we need him to play this year to have a successful season. If the answer is no and he is only going to play a few plays then why not redshirt him. If the answer is yes he has to play then why is he not already playing? Callahan burned Harrison Becks redshirt for a few plays and I believe it cost the Huskers a future qb. Was he a great qb? Would he have fit into the system? We dont know for sure. We will find out more as he develops at NC State.
by Huskergod on Sep 20, 2007 10:32 PM CDT reply actions
I want to see him as bad as the next guy
But it seems pretty clear after TCU that unless there was a dire need (Colt hurt), we aren't going to see him. Too bad, as well. I think it is these types of players that could help, even if only in decoy/changeup roles.
personnel issues...
If they haven't been trying to redshirt Chiles, there's simply no excuse...
All off-season Mack talked all about giving the backup QB lots of snaps, and I believe used the term 'meaningful' snaps, or a close cousin to it. Now all of a sudden, our games have been too close to put Chiles in, even for a play or two. And Mack's been lamenting the fact 'we didn't get a chance' to get him in there.
I see at least several possibilities here -
One: he has absolutely no faith whatsoever in Chiles, and thinks he's just a two-touchdown turnover waiting to happen... which is a scary thought.
Two: he's forgotten all about Jamaal and will never again willingly play a freshman 'meaningful' minutes if any other option exists, no matter how Fosterish or Killebrewish that option is. Which is an even scarier thought, especially since there's so little to contraindicate this...
Three: he just flat-out lied all off-season, and had no intention of developing the backup QB... which is scary to anyone who remembers last November.
Four: he has quietly adjusted his thinking since Sherrod Harris went down, and has been hoping and praying he wouldn't be forced to burn Chiles' shirt. This is the only non-scary scenario, for me. I think Chiles would benefit immensely from a redshirt year, and could be a huge star if he can develop his quarterbacking skills and the mental part of the game to go along with his startling physical skills. He does not have a ton of experience playing quarterback, and the extra practice time will only help him in that regard.
So I'm hoping that if we get a big lead (okay, let's start with: I'm hoping we get a big lead...)we see Harris trotting out there.
Of course, I keep hoping to see an almost all-underclassmen back 7 on defense every week too......
by agent orange on Sep 20, 2007 10:41 PM CDT reply actions
I'm going with Scenario 4
I feel like Mack has wanted Chiles to redshirt all along, and all of that talk of meaningful snaps was in reference more to Harris.
I think he knows that Colt and Chiles are both potential superstars. It is to his advantage to keep them as far apart as possible [ 1) to keep Chiles as long as possible after Colt is gone, and 2) to avoid a current QB controversy]. So my theory is that Mack wants to use Harris as a buffer between them, and his strategy is to develop Harris as a capable back-up.
The injury to Harris threw a monkey wrench into said plan, but Mack figured he could stay the course and get through this without burning Chiles' redshirt.
If this is the case, its a bit of a shame to me, because I honestly think Harris has as much potential as Chiles, and to be looked at as a permanent "back-up" is insulting.
by BrooklynHorn on Sep 20, 2007 10:55 PM CDT up reply actions
exactly
He learned his lesson from his forced hand with Chris Simms. Ideally, he would have wanted to do the same thing with Simms (redshirt), but there wasn't a viable backup for Major.
I think the unexpected close games have been a blessing in disguise for Mack in that he didn't have to feel forced to give Chiles any snaps in garbage time or have a hard time explaining why he didn't.
by Jason Mayer on Sep 20, 2007 11:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Jevan Snead...
....starting getting happy feet after the 5th game of the season. If he doesn't play against Rice, then Mack might as well start typing his walking papers.
If the starter wasn't already
established, like it wasn't last year, then that would be a valid point. But I have no idea what you are talking about. The two situations aren't even remotely comparable.
The young man....
....has been promised he would play QB and he would play this season. Trust, once broken, and all that stuff......
yeah...
remember when vince redshirted that year behind an already-established quarterback and then got happy feet after 5 games because he wasn't getting snaps and transferred?
that was a shame. he could have been something special.
funny....
you had been having a pretty good week...
up until here.
I still love you though.
by the other Andrew on Sep 21, 2007 5:49 PM CDT up reply actions
see, it's an analogy
They do them on the SAT. (Or used to anyways. Did they change this?)
I of course know we weren't talking about Vince. See, what I was doing was comparing Vince's situation in relation to Chris Simms and Chance Mock with Chiles' situation in relation to McCoy and Sherrod. This is what an analogy is.
Now, it's not a perfect analogy of course. But it's a whole lot closer than a comparison of Chiles to Jevan. And that was the point, which you apparently missed. It's okay though, HC. The SAT is hard.
I'm glad we had this little lesson. Be sure to show up next week for an explanation of the difference between synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms. It's a doozy.
Did you notice...
....you just don't get it? Like I said, trust once broken.
When you get in the working world, you're in for such a surprise.
already there, buddy.
and for the last time, stop telling people that they don't know what they're talking about because they're young, however obliquely you do it.
and for the last time...
Redshirt Chiles
I think if he was going to play this season, he would have already. Let Harris get in the rice game for the 4th q and let him hand off every play since he's not 100% yet. Then we rotate him in for a series or 3 against K.St.
Of course, there's a huge difference between what we think should be done and what the coaches will actually do. And, judging from this season so far, we won't be happy with whatever that is.
Re:
Jevan got happy feet because he expected to start right away, and he also got some PT at the beginning of the season as well. He also knew if he stayed at UT, he'd be competing against Colt for his next 3 years of eligibility. Players that expect a redshirt season are not nearly as likely to transfer a la Jevan. Was Vince getting happy feet when he sat behind Simms and Mock?
Florida played Tim Tebow because they knew Chris Leak was graduating in the spring, so grooming their future quarterback was an ideal situation for this season. It's paid off, as Tebow has looked more than capable. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but Tebow was a more heralded passer than Chiles was; from all high school accounts, Chiles is very raw in the passing game.
Having a tested backup is ideal, but not always necessary. For example, Matt Nordegren was really needed in '05. It'd be nice to see what Chiles or Harris can do, though. And I agree with Chip Brown, having one of them in there in the red zone, a la Tebow, might shake up some of our red zone offensive doldrums.
RS
I'll add my vote to the "redshirt Chiles, play Harris" camp. Like others have said--if Chiles is indeed going to be a superstar, let's keep him around longer after Colt's gone! Give him the year off to work on his passing game. If he's as committed to playing QB and only QB as he says he is, he'll see the value in a redshirt season, and won't bolt.
Is the redshirt rule only for freshmen,
or can it be instituted later? If so, I'd like to see the best of both worlds: Chiles is destined to be a better QB than Harris, and it would be helpful to let him get playing time this year, then redshirt him next year so he can have two years as a starter.
Otherwise, Chiles' redshirting options are over, and barring McCoy jumping to the NFL early, which I don't see at this point, Chiles' talent will be showcased only a single season, and that would be almost a sin. . . or would he hang around for that?
I, too, feel bad for Harris, who seems to have the makings of quality QB. I'll hate to see him follow in the footsteps of Chance Mock. Sadly, this is a losing proposition for one of the two backups--or maybe both, if someone-in-authority doesn't play his cards right.
by cabalnamedclyde on Sep 22, 2007 11:01 PM CDT reply actions
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