I imagine the staff already knows what Chandlers doing or is pressing hard to find out. Cant really wait until the bowl to know.
Iām not stoked on rolling into the spring with Daniel as the No.1 qb
14 Likes
100% agree with you brother! Iāll settle when arch transfers in
2 Likes
That was a pipe dream I was all for in OCt. But Arch stepped up big time. Donāt think tex is going to let him walk.
Theres talent in the portal class but at surface level no one Iām locked in on. Weāre aging out of the era of the supervet and entering the unrealized potential era which is a lot riskier.
The staffs identification of a players floor will be more important than their potential ceiling
8 Likes
Sounds like we will go after veteran guys again. I hope we talk prevard out of the portal. I know heās getting paid well and balled out on a 10 win team.
2 Likes
A veteran QB is the right move. The program remains in win now mode and taking on a potential project wonāt be enough to keep the momentum going. If they decide to go with an underclassman they better make sure they get the right one.
8 Likes
The elimination of a Spring transfer portal period makes his decision harder. If we bring another QB in, would he leave immediately to go to an unknown situation where heād still have to fight for a job or would he stick around to fight for his job here knowing heād have the advantage of knowing the offense? If he stays and loses in Spring practice, he canāt leave and still play somewhere else in the Fall. Worst case if he stays is he still earns a year of salary and could win the job via injury or poor QB1 performance. Downside of going somewhere else is potentially much worse.
3 Likes
8 Likes
Funny! I guess you donāt have to look very hard to figure out what his probs at QB have been this year.
2 Likes
Billy Napier coaching?
2 Likes
Is this year of transfer portal going to be like NBA free agency? At midnight of the first official day the deals are announced as the agents have long since negotiated and finalized player movement
4 Likes
Iāve been hinting at that for a few weeks now and I think thatās what weāre going to see. Maybe not quite the NBA level of 12:01 and 5 deals are inked. But I think it moves very fast and a lot of chips will be off the board by the end of day 1.
3 Likes
Not just a veteran QB, but I cannot emphasis enough how important it is to get a natural leader that is a culture fit. Chandler was a good QB but I think a lot of our success is attributed to his leadership, too.
5 Likes
Iām having a hard time figuring out how good Chandler actually was for us this season. His numbers are fine, nothing special, but to your point he was a great leader. He also made big plays in big moments and put his body on the line for us. The part I have a hard time with is whether we can do better or if this is just the best we can hope for in Desā offense.
But with our weapons on offense, it felt like our passing game was never quite what it shouldāve or couldāve been. Just not sure what is attributable to QB play vs our system. And I say this as someone who would welcome Chandler back with open arms.
4 Likes
Cultural fit is implied in anything I post for desired players. Iāll lead the culture train all day. For me the hoos signing a veteran QB means that vet will be a cultural fit who can lead.
@Jerome Chandler was a big upgrade in QB performance compared to what weāve seen in a Virginia uniform the last 4 years. His numbers this season basically matched up to what he did in '24. The biggest difference was he was in a pass heavy attack then and Virginia is a run first system.
Honestly itās kinda crazy to see how long Chandler has been in college yet heās only really played 2 seasons including last year. I think the injuries and concern for injury limits Chandlerās ceiling and it absolutely changed the way he played during the course of the season. And thatās not an UVA issue thatās a Chandler issue in 6 years heās completed 2 seasons and you could argue he barely got through this year.
Iām grateful for what Chandler did in setting the table, and showing us what is possible. But I think we saw about as much as you can expect out of him and given his injury history I donāt trust that he can stay healthy enough to match or improve on it for next year.
5 Likes
This is the thing, Outside of the blue bloods you really need a true dual threat to compete in todayās cfb. Morris lost that early in the season and doubt weād see much next season if he returned for the reasons Dragon stated.
6 Likes
Thatās where I am. Loved the leadership and Morris was just what we needed this year. Maybe that is the best we can do out of the portal. I dunno. But, I would like to see us aim a bit higher.
3 Likes
I agree. I think dual threat is a requirement for any successful QB at any level nowadays. I understand thereās exceptions etc. But I prefer a QB who has the ability to move but you donāt have to make the focus of the offense their legs.
@HiltonHeadHoo Iām with you on that line of thinking. I think upgrade would be someone with maybe 2 years left and better health.
2 Likes
Iād rather keep the bird in hand with Morris, possibly at a relative discount, than hope to do better and likely need to spend quite a bit more which will limit what we can spend at other positions. Mensah is making $4 million a year right? Iād rather spend 1.5 on Morris and have 2.5 to spend elsewhere.
At worst, Morris is an adequate game manager. But he can also look like a top 25 QB when things are clicking. Iād invest heavily in the lines again and find a stud RB, rather than trying to lure a clearly better QB for more money.
5 Likes
Chandler with another stab at a developmental transfer or really go in with one of the young guys would be the best case scenario for sure. I just donāt think its very likely and we shouldnāt bank on it.
My spidey sense is that we are making a hard run at Rocco Becht. Nothing to back this up other than Speros followed him early (as well as his dad) and thereās some noise PSU may pressure Campbell to find a shiny new toy.
3 Likes