| NEWS Has Gus dug himself another hole with his quarterbacks? Say one thing, do another part ?
- Thread starter Max
- Start date
He's mobile, but fastest? Josh, he's a 4.7+ 40 guy on SPARQ. Johnson was in the 4.5's.
Faster than Cam and Nick Marshall? Not even close
The one I saw was 4.6-40, which is what Cam Newton ran, but regardless saying he isn't a running threat at 4.7 - which is faster than Tua - is pretty silly.
That would make the LSU DBs even slower. Cause they couldn't catch Tua in a 40-yard sprint with a heavy brace on.
I want to say SPARQ has Tua at 4.9.
I do believe the running game is not his forte. He's a passing quarterback who can run. I think you'll agree that Gatewood is a better athlete which, again in my view, makes him a better fit for the Auburn offense.
There's one thing I'll go as far as saying "I know." I know not to believe a thing Gus says about his quarterbacks.
Personally, I don't believe anything Gus says about anything. Gatewood fits that prototype of what Gus wants his QBs to be but if a true freshman that fits more of a traditional spread/read option style dual threat has beaten him out that tells me either a) Gatewood is pretty awful or b) Gus has gotten a lot of pressure to play the "legacy" early. Regardless, I think NFL scouts have made it pretty clear that neither of those quarterbacks will truly be able to "develop" while Gus is still there.
@BamaBoyJosh, a guy that watched him play in Scottsboro as well as at Pinson Valley labels Nix as a "Stidham light." I think Nix is more mobile.
Just based off of the little I've seen I would say that's not fair at all. Stidham was practically a statue back there. Nix will def. be able to offer more in the running game.
I'd have to ask to be sure but I took his statement to mean more of a passer than a runner.
Looking at starting QB's in conference this season who is the best comparison? He's not Tua or Fromm when it comes to passing. He's not Franks or Bryant when it comes to mobility. Burrow? He's not a runner, but he's mobile.
It was interesting how Malzahn tried luring both Kelly Bryant and Justin Fields to the barn once they announced their intentions to transfer. Not surprisingly, both went elsewhere, and Bryant STILL chose to stay at Missouri, even though he was given an out by the NCAA once the hammer fell in Columbia. So, he tries for yet another transfer. Why? Well, because, he has made a name for himself by profiting off of already developed QB's. And the last time he didn't have a hotshot transfer QB to run with, well, 2015 and 2016 happened. He did have John Franklin III in 2016, but, we all know how that turned out. So, if Gatewood and/or Nix are the next Cam, and if the 2019 auburn team is, bar none, the most complete team in all three phases of the game that he has ever seen, then why would he have needed Kelly Bryant or Justin Fields? And if Khalil Tate had not opted to stay at Arizona, Gus would have gone after him as well. No doubt that Gatewood and Nix are talented, but can Gus develop them? Will for once, Gus actually have success without an already developed transfer? Will Nix be the first Malzahn recruited QB to actually shine? Or, could they be looking at another Jeremy Johnson/Sean White fiasco?
Kelly Bryant to Oklahoma seemed like the natural fit to me. But, hey, they didn't ask. But he's very mobile and has a better arm than most people care to talk about. Mizzou laying in the weeds as a darkhorse in the east this season is a testimony that Bryant is the real deal. Very happy the dude didn't end up on the Plains. He's actually everything the gus bus is looking for in his offensive scheme.
I believe Gus might have wanted to take Kelly but in doing so Gatewood might have looked to move on. Nix would have been OK with such a move due to his Fathers time at the barn. You sign one as a temp but lose a young guy that might be the starter for a couple of years in doing so. Risk/Reward.
JMO but this year is the Cross Road for Gus . If he is less than 8-5 (and Bama has another really good year) then he will be fired. Seems to be the better plan would have been to get Kelly to lee county even if Gatewood told me he was leaving if I did. Nix would be the guy in 2019 if in fact he did get enough wins to get another year. I
Last edited:
Me too, he's got to win and make some serious thunder in the west with this group. And with that defensive line and offensive line, he had better. They are going to be so talented on defense that if Bo is average they will put a whopping on Oregon. Gus got a look at Bo Nix in spring ball. They said he really knew then that he was going to be the next great thing. The biggest hint for me was the way Gus was gushing over him at media days. At that point, I think gus knew what the future held. If he could have gotten Bryant for a year, that would have almost been the perfect storm for this year's veteran team.
Agreed. Had Bryant chosen the barn (and for a minute there, it was looking like he was leaning in that direction), that may have been just what the doctor ordered for Gus. The barn may have had another season akin to 2010/2013 and Gus would have looked like a genius once again, all thanks to another hotshot transfer QB. I was relieved to hear that he chose Missouri because, as you said, he would have been the perfect fit for gus' offense. Shoot, for that matter I was relieved that Justin Fields chose Ohio State over the barn. Knowing that barn luck/magic, even Fields may have shined in that offense.
