… LeMay, one of the top few quarterback prospects in the country for 2011, is seriously considering the Bulldogs. His visit to UGA on April 6 for at least his fourth since last summer. “We wanted to a closer look at a weekday practice,” Mr. LeMay said. “It was a nice visit. He really likes it there.” Stacy LeMay was a team chaplain for Urban Meyer at Florida before he founded his own church in Metro Charlotte. They’re considering the Gators but he said his son favors a pro-style offense…
When offensive scheme trumps a personal relationship with a head coach who’s won two national titles in the last four years, that’s enough to send anyone’s blood pressure rising.
Get The Picture 
Doesn’t make my blood pressure rise. I’m sure the kid will get ample opportunity to see how the Gators manage Brantley this year. If they truly can’t manage a pro-style quarterback, then I think you’d have to pat a kid on the back for thinking about his dreams than just going where he knows the coaches. If Brantley plays well and it’s not all just spread-option stuff, then maybe the kid will have a tougher decision to make.
It doesn’t bother me in the slightest that Timmy has apparently become a better quarterback since leaving Florida, especially since the “meme” last summer was that UF was making tweaks to the offense specifically designed to show the NFL what he could do… and then it didn’t happen. If Georgia’s got the reputation as a place where a quarterback can come play and develop into an NFL prospect… well, that’s good news.
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It could also be that his father knows the real Urban Meyer, too.
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Good point, Mr. Mayor.
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It just hope we get film when it finally blows.
You’re a bad guy, Senator.
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Think this kid can beat out Mettenberger?
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“for Urban Meyer at Florida before he founded his own church in”
Tsk, tsk. Faulty pronoun reference there Chip.
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Funny stuff. Here’s my prediction: when UF lands a top qb (basically LeMay or Jeff Driskel) this year, the meme will turn to “Meyer obviously lied about the system he intends to run.”
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Teddy Bridgewater and Jarrad Randall are other possibilities. The state of Florida is extremely qb-rich this year. UF will be fine.
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I’m so relieved. 😉
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I knew you would take solace in that. To the extent people actually believe UF will not be able to recruit blue chip players who fit what Meyer runs is just funny. Comeon, you know it is too, Senator. Generally, those people are the same dimwits who think they’re making a profound point when asking what Meyer’s done without Tebow as the starter, somehow thinking the rest of us don’t remember his undefeated record at Utah, unprecedented success at Bowling Green and 2006 BCS trophy at UF.
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I agree that it’s funny.
But here’s the thing: the meme wouldn’t be worth mentioning except for the fact that Meyer feels the need to respond to it. That’s why I love it.
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UF Timmy… is that you???
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LeMay is the real deal. Saw him play up here a couple times last year and he looked better than Leak or Cox ever did at Independence – and they had arguably the best receivers in the state on their teams. If he shows up in Athens, and takes a redshirt we are set at QB for the next 7 years.
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It’s not so much that UF won’t get great players, but it IS that they might could see a decline at the QB position because kids want to make it to the pros, and GPOOE proved that Meyer won’t exactly pave the path for that.
Dual threat QBs are great and all, and we certainly need a QB in Athens with a little mobility, but for every Tim Tebow (who wasn’t the greatest thrower), there are 5 Josh Nesbits (who is an absolotely horid thrower). While Nesbit is fine in the ACC, you simply have to be able to complete a lot of 3rd & 9’s in the SEC to win a title.
So, the question starts becoming — not will Florida get 5-star QBs, but will Florida get 5-star QB’s who can actually complete a pass? People think that Meyer will adapt, and maybe he’ll prove us all wrong w/ Brantley, but here’s the things he’s proven over and over again at BG, Utah, and UF:
-He works primarily out of the shotgun
-The QBs do not make audibles
-The throws are more spread oriented and less drop back, play action
-The hand-offs are more sideways spread plays and not traditional “I” plays
But the boys on Sundays want the exact opposite of that. The Lions’ coaches said Stafford was the most prepared QB they’d ever seen come into the league. Hutson Mason read that and he won’t be the last H.S. QB to read it. So, if that begins to make an impact in recruiting for that one position…I’ll take my chances with the team every Saturday that has the best QB. And the bottom line is that a kid from Tampa is going to be our starting QB for the next four years and his protege might be the son of Meyer’s former chaplain. Sounds to me like something smells in Gainesville, though it could just be the city itself…that place does stink.
For LeMay it ain’t all about the prostyle offense. Who else, exactly, besides Mark Richt, would one expect a preacher to send his boy to play for?
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Speaking of memes;
“Florida does not run a pro-style offense so they are DOOMED!! DOOMED I tell you!”
Call me crazy, but in spite of that, I somehow think they just might manage to field a football team for the foreseeable future.
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An especially amusing observation given that Florida’s offense has been decidedly non-pro for about 20 years now.
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+1 OTBS…..remember Spurrier, whose offense did not work so well at Washington in the NFL business?
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I think we’re likely to see a split in terms of recruiting. There will be kids who place more of a premium on heading to the NFL and there will be kids who just want to win or are more comfortable playing in offenses similar to their high school.
The NFL-centric kids will opt for UGA, Bama, USC, Ohio State etc. Schools that play pro styled O and D. That have major NFL ties and the feel of an NFL.
The other kids will head to Texas, OU, Florida, Oregon etc to win college ball games and play an offense that’s “exciting” and fun to watch.
This will be a split between major recruits and the minor recruits but it will boil down to which is more important to kids and the folks advising them in their decisions.
Obviously certain positions, relationships will color kids decisions; ie linemen still heading to OU etc but by and large we’re already seeing coaches sell two different products. Meyer’s selling “come here and win” while Saban, Richt etc sell “come here and win plus go to the NFL.”
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I think that’s vastly overgeneralized. It’s not like UF doesn’t send a lot of guys to the NFL. It does and this year’s draft, including the first wave of seniors Meyer recruited, should bear that out. Also consider that the NFL is higher on Bradford than Clausen, despite their college offenses. Vince Young and Alex Smith were the first qbs taken, if I’m correct. I read some speculation that the dual threat qb from Washington would have been the top pick this year had he declared. Talent is talent and good coaches will figure out how to use it best. Again, one of the reasons this meme is funny is because it is inconsistent with reality (ie, NFL teams really are not biased against spread qbs).
If you recall, Meyer dealt with a similar meme regarding UF wrs last year. I bet some teams wish they could have a mulligan on Harvin and Murphy.
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True dat.
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Hey, if NFL success is how you guys choose to keep score, be my guest. I always knew draft day was the pinnacle of every UGa fan’s season.
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Good grief. Talk about taking both sides of an argument here…
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Yes I was dealing in generalities but your use of Alex Smith and Vince Young as examples is quite counter intuitive to your argument. Neither is a “successful” QB in the league. Both were drafted and by and large have been disappointing. Smith was benched until this season while VY was benched after his rookie campaign in favor of Kerry Collins.
Check out the league’s quarterbacks. With the exception of Drew Brees the successes are from pro styled offenses. Playing quarterback in the pro set involves different tools and skillsets than the spread (option or throwing) and that is hard to just “get” after 3-5 years in an system like the spread.
Talent is going to go where talent wants but to deny the idea that certain types of players will opt for “pro styled” schemes is a bit shortsighted.
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If recent history is any indication, I’d say that Matt Leinart, Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn are much worse pros than Smith, Young (who made a pro bowl last year I think) and Brees. History is replete with qb busts from of all systems, which really only illustrates that it’s a total crap shoot all-around. The only real thing a college coach can do is put a player in a position to get drafted. I’m not sure how you can say, with a straight face, that a qb recruit’s NFL prospects are worse off if you sign with Mac Brown (VY, Simms, McCoy), Stoops (2 recent qb heisman winners and likely top pick), or Meyer (Smith and Tebow).
Besides, if you were right, and Smith and Young tainted NFL people’s view of spread qbs, wouldn’t it stand to reason that Bradford wouldn’t be the likely number 1 pick, or that McCoy and Tebow wouldn’t also be early choices.
This theory (hope?) that non-pro college teams are somehow at a competitive disadvantage in terms of recruiting is just funny given how easy it is to refute.
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