Will Howard
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This year's group has the following experience:
- Cam Ward: 5 years w/ starts at 3 different schools = 57 starts (Incarnate Word, Washington State, Miami,FL)
- Shedeur Sanders: 4 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 50 starts (Jackson State, Colorado)
- Dillon Gabriel: 6 years w/ starts at 3 different schools = 64 starts (UCF, Oklahoma, Oregon)
- Tyler Shough: 7 years w/ starts at 3 different schools = 42 starts - 2 broken collar bones none since surgery (Oregon, Texas Tech, Louisville)
- Kurtis Rourke: 6 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 48 starts (Ohio University, Indiana)
- Will Howard: 5 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 50 starts (Kansas State, Ohio State)
- Riley Leonard: 4 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 43 starts (Duke, Notre Dame)
- Jaxson Dart: 4 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 45 starts (USC, Ole Miss)
- Kyle McCord: 4 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 37 starts (Ohio State, The Syracuse University)
- Quinn Ewers: 4 years w/ starts at 1 school after red shirting at Ohio State = 37 starts (Texas)
- Jalen Milroe: 4 years w/ starts at Alabama only = 38 starts (Alabama)
This is a recent trend that I love to see, and a somewhat unexpected result of the transfer portal/NIL: QBs with a TON of college starting experience.
It wasn't that long ago where most of the "top" prospects would struggle to have 25 or so college starts. It still happens, of course, but the above is starting to become common. That makes for a better NFL, IMO.
Arch Manning could be an outlier, as he would enter the 2026 NFL Draft with less than 20 college starts... IF he does decide to enter the draft. The kid comes from money, obviously, and after the 2025 college season could get a boatload of NIL money to stay at Texas for another season. Hell, Carson Beck apparently got paid $4.3 mill to go to the U of Miami this season. Beck is a mid-round QB prospect at this point coming off an injury.
This is a recent trend that I love to see, and a somewhat unexpected result of the transfer portal/NIL: QBs with a TON of college starting experience.
It wasn't that long ago where most of the "top" prospects would struggle to have 25 or so college starts. It still happens, of course, but the above is starting to become common. That makes for a better NFL, IMO.
Arch Manning could be an outlier, as he would enter the 2026 NFL Draft with less than 20 college starts... IF he does decide to enter the draft. The kid comes from money, obviously, and after the 2025 college season could get a boatload of NIL money to stay at Texas for another season. Hell, Carson Beck apparently got paid $4.3 mill to go to the U of Miami this season. Beck is a mid-round QB prospect at this point coming off an injury.
There's a phrase I recently heard - "Do things the right way vs Do the things right".
I suppose this is also coming up as a microcosm for my frustration in watching not only Jaxon Dart, but a lot of major college offenses anymore that are 'see it, throw it'. Tom Brady was absolutely right; we teach playbooks, not programs. We don't develop QBs holistically. And it has effected WAY more than just QBs (OL is the next position group that just isn't what it used to be.
Having a QB stay in school long enough to be old a doctor is fucking neat. But if you play in a nanny-state offense that never challenges you to grow as a passer, then the amount of starts, while certainly have merit, also becomes watered down.
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This is a recent trend that I love to see, and a somewhat unexpected result of the transfer portal/NIL: QBs with a TON of college starting experience.
It wasn't that long ago where most of the "top" prospects would struggle to have 25 or so college starts. It still happens, of course, but the above is starting to become common. That makes for a better NFL, IMO.
Arch Manning could be an outlier, as he would enter the 2026 NFL Draft with less than 20 college starts... IF he does decide to enter the draft. The kid comes from money, obviously, and after the 2025 college season could get a boatload of NIL money to stay at Texas for another season. Hell, Carson Beck apparently got paid $4.3 mill to go to the U of Miami this season. Beck is a mid-round QB prospect at this point coming off an injury.
There's a phrase I recently heard - "Do things the right way vs Do the things right".
I suppose this is also coming up as a microcosm for my frustration in watching not only Jaxon Dart, but a lot of major college offenses anymore that are 'see it, throw it'. Tom Brady was absolutely right; we teach playbooks, not programs. We don't develop QBs holistically. And it has effected WAY more than just QBs (OL is the next position group that just isn't what it used to be.
Having a QB stay in school long enough to be old a doctor is fucking neat. But if you play in a nanny-state offense that never challenges you to grow as a passer, then the amount of starts, while certainly have merit, also becomes watered down.
There's a phrase I recently heard - "Do things the right way vs Do the things right".
I suppose this is also coming up as a microcosm for my frustration in watching not only Jaxon Dart, but a lot of major college offenses anymore that are 'see it, throw it'. Tom Brady was absolutely right; we teach playbooks, not programs. We don't develop QBs holistically. And it has effected WAY more than just QBs (OL is the next position group that just isn't what it used to be.
Having a QB stay in school long enough to be old a doctor is fucking neat. But if you play in a nanny-state offense that never challenges you to grow as a passer, then the amount of starts, while certainly have merit, also becomes watered down.
Unfortunately the "see it, throw it" offenses are EVERYWHERE now.
I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s how successful they would be now. You trained your team like it was 1960. You have them doing blocking drills incessantly. You have them doing tackling drills incessantly. You literally have them doing the Oklahoma drills. You run Lombardi's offense. You find yourself a tough Jim Taylor and pound the ball inside on high school defenses that are running 3-3-5 every Friday. You run the Packer sweep with guards pulling and looking to wipe people out. You have the QBs in the pocket and making progressions.
How would an old-school, physical team with old-school sensibilities do against finesse teams of today?
I know my rant here wasn't exactly what you were talking about, but I figured you or Flugs would enjoy this hypothetical.
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This year's group has the following experience:
- Cam Ward: 5 years w/ starts at 3 different schools = 57 starts (Incarnate Word, Washington State, Miami,FL)
- Shedeur Sanders: 4 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 50 starts (Jackson State, Colorado)
- Dillon Gabriel: 6 years w/ starts at 3 different schools = 64 starts (UCF, Oklahoma, Oregon)
- Tyler Shough: 7 years w/ starts at 3 different schools = 42 starts - 2 broken collar bones none since surgery (Oregon, Texas Tech, Louisville)
- Kurtis Rourke: 6 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 48 starts (Ohio University, Indiana)
- Will Howard: 5 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 50 starts (Kansas State, Ohio State)
- Riley Leonard: 4 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 43 starts (Duke, Notre Dame)
- Jaxson Dart: 4 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 45 starts (USC, Ole Miss)
- Kyle McCord: 4 years w/ starts at 2 different schools = 37 starts (Ohio State, The Syracuse University)
- Quinn Ewers: 4 years w/ starts at 1 school after red shirting at Ohio State = 37 starts (Texas)
- Jalen Milroe: 4 years w/ starts at Alabama only = 38 starts (Alabama)
This is a recent trend that I love to see, and a somewhat unexpected result of the transfer portal/NIL: QBs with a TON of college starting experience.
It wasn't that long ago where most of the "top" prospects would struggle to have 25 or so college starts. It still happens, of course, but the above is starting to become common. That makes for a better NFL, IMO.
Arch Manning could be an outlier, as he would enter the 2026 NFL Draft with less than 20 college starts... IF he does decide to enter the draft. The kid comes from money, obviously, and after the 2025 college season could get a boatload of NIL money to stay at Texas for another season. Hell, Carson Beck apparently got paid $4.3 mill to go to the U of Miami this season. Beck is a mid-round QB prospect at this point coming off an injury.
This is a recent trend that I love to see, and a somewhat unexpected result of the transfer portal/NIL: QBs with a TON of college starting experience.
It wasn't that long ago where most of the "top" prospects would struggle to have 25 or so college starts. It still happens, of course, but the above is starting to become common. That makes for a better NFL, IMO.
Arch Manning could be an outlier, as he would enter the 2026 NFL Draft with less than 20 college starts... IF he does decide to enter the draft. The kid comes from money, obviously, and after the 2025 college season could get a boatload of NIL money to stay at Texas for another season. Hell, Carson Beck apparently got paid $4.3 mill to go to the U of Miami this season. Beck is a mid-round QB prospect at this point coming off an injury.
I wouldn’t bet on Arch entering the draft next year. The family MO, perhaps it’s changed over the years, Grandpa wanted Peyton and Eli to fulfill their college eligibility. He’s quoted with some of his rationale… And you are right NIL money is rich these days. He has the same probability of being at Ole Miss with Lane in 2026 as being in the NFL.
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There's a phrase I recently heard - "Do things the right way vs Do the things right".
I suppose this is also coming up as a microcosm for my frustration in watching not only Jaxon Dart, but a lot of major college offenses anymore that are 'see it, throw it'. Tom Brady was absolutely right; we teach playbooks, not programs. We don't develop QBs holistically. And it has effected WAY more than just QBs (OL is the next position group that just isn't what it used to be.
Having a QB stay in school long enough to be old a doctor is fucking neat. But if you play in a nanny-state offense that never challenges you to grow as a passer, then the amount of starts, while certainly have merit, also becomes watered down.
Unfortunately the "see it, throw it" offenses are EVERYWHERE now.
I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s how successful they would be now. You trained your team like it was 1960. You have them doing blocking drills incessantly. You have them doing tackling drills incessantly. You literally have them doing the Oklahoma drills. You run Lombardi's offense. You find yourself a tough Jim Taylor and pound the ball inside on high school defenses that are running 3-3-5 every Friday. You run the Packer sweep with guards pulling and looking to wipe people out. You have the QBs in the pocket and making progressions.
How would an old-school, physical team with old-school sensibilities do against finesse teams of today?
I know my rant here wasn't exactly what you were talking about, but I figured you or Flugs would enjoy this hypothetical.
Unfortunately the "see it, throw it" offenses are EVERYWHERE now.
I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s how successful they would be now. You trained your team like it was 1960. You have them doing blocking drills incessantly. You have them doing tackling drills incessantly. You literally have them doing the Oklahoma drills. You run Lombardi's offense. You find yourself a tough Jim Taylor and pound the ball inside on high school defenses that are running 3-3-5 every Friday. You run the Packer sweep with guards pulling and looking to wipe people out. You have the QBs in the pocket and making progressions.
How would an old-school, physical team with old-school sensibilities do against finesse teams of today?
I know my rant here wasn't exactly what you were talking about, but I figured you or Flugs would enjoy this hypothetical.
I love it! Joe Gibbs' went to 4 Super Bowls with Joe Theisman, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien from 1981 to 1992. They drafted and built up that line everyone called "The Hogs" with physical RBs like John Riggins, Earnest Byner, and to a lesser extent Timmy Smith who lit the Denver Broncos up in the Super Bowl with 204 yards rushing and 2 TDs. They only lost 1 of the 4 Super Bowls in that span to the Raiders. That was an offense predicated on the success of the running game that was well designed to over-power everyone. They ran the inside Traps to perfection; and they could also run over and through just about any body the way they chose their personnel and perfected what Gibbs wanted to do with it. There were some Delaware Wing T concepts in there - they ran the "buck series." He also brought over some of Don Coryell's Passing Game Design having been his Oline Coach at SD State from 64-67 before coaching for him again with the St Louis Cardinals from 73-77 and later the Chargers in 79. Despite all that, I didn't ever root for that team until Byner became their feature back and made the Pro Bowl won the Super Bowl. Couldn't think of a guy more deserving. Even more so, it was nice to see him in a well orchestrated highly efficient offense. The Running game set-up ideal play-action for the QB to get the ball to WRs such as Rickey Sanders, Gary Clark, and HOFer Art Monk as well as TEs Clint Didier/Don Warren/Rick Walker...
Today's free agency, salary cap and changes to the game make it tough to establish any type of long term dynasty like NE had IMO. When Belichick got capped out the Patriots finally crapped out. Keeping a large nucleus like the Redskins or Patriots had or even the Cowboys when they went binged up 3 Super Bowls. It'll be interesting to see what happens in KC and Philly. Philly's offensive and defensive lines bullied and buried KC to the extent it didn't matter how much better of a QB Mahomes is than Hurts. Howie Roseman drafted every starter on that OL; and he didn't have to do it all at once or even in the 1st round in many instances (except Lane Johnson). They had 2nd rounders, a 3rd and that 6'8" 365 lb monster at LT is a 7th round pick. They look built to last but you know how quickly things can change in this league.
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There's a phrase I recently heard - "Do things the right way vs Do the things right".
I suppose this is also coming up as a microcosm for my frustration in watching not only Jaxon Dart, but a lot of major college offenses anymore that are 'see it, throw it'. Tom Brady was absolutely right; we teach playbooks, not programs. We don't develop QBs holistically. And it has effected WAY more than just QBs (OL is the next position group that just isn't what it used to be.
Having a QB stay in school long enough to be old a doctor is fucking neat. But if you play in a nanny-state offense that never challenges you to grow as a passer, then the amount of starts, while certainly have merit, also becomes watered down.
Unfortunately the "see it, throw it" offenses are EVERYWHERE now.
I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s how successful they would be now. You trained your team like it was 1960. You have them doing blocking drills incessantly. You have them doing tackling drills incessantly. You literally have them doing the Oklahoma drills. You run Lombardi's offense. You find yourself a tough Jim Taylor and pound the ball inside on high school defenses that are running 3-3-5 every Friday. You run the Packer sweep with guards pulling and looking to wipe people out. You have the QBs in the pocket and making progressions.
How would an old-school, physical team with old-school sensibilities do against finesse teams of today?
I know my rant here wasn't exactly what you were talking about, but I figured you or Flugs would enjoy this hypothetical.
Unfortunately the "see it, throw it" offenses are EVERYWHERE now.
I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s how successful they would be now. You trained your team like it was 1960. You have them doing blocking drills incessantly. You have them doing tackling drills incessantly. You literally have them doing the Oklahoma drills. You run Lombardi's offense. You find yourself a tough Jim Taylor and pound the ball inside on high school defenses that are running 3-3-5 every Friday. You run the Packer sweep with guards pulling and looking to wipe people out. You have the QBs in the pocket and making progressions.
How would an old-school, physical team with old-school sensibilities do against finesse teams of today?
I know my rant here wasn't exactly what you were talking about, but I figured you or Flugs would enjoy this hypothetical.
Chardon high school, not far from where I grew up, won a state title a couple years ago running wing T. Never threw more than 10 passes a game.
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Unfortunately the "see it, throw it" offenses are EVERYWHERE now.
I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s how successful they would be now. You trained your team like it was 1960. You have them doing blocking drills incessantly. You have them doing tackling drills incessantly. You literally have them doing the Oklahoma drills. You run Lombardi's offense. You find yourself a tough Jim Taylor and pound the ball inside on high school defenses that are running 3-3-5 every Friday. You run the Packer sweep with guards pulling and looking to wipe people out. You have the QBs in the pocket and making progressions.
How would an old-school, physical team with old-school sensibilities do against finesse teams of today?
I know my rant here wasn't exactly what you were talking about, but I figured you or Flugs would enjoy this hypothetical.
Chardon high school, not far from where I grew up, won a state title a couple years ago running wing T. Never threw more than 10 passes a game.
Chardon high school, not far from where I grew up, won a state title a couple years ago running wing T. Never threw more than 10 passes a game.
I coached for two seasons middle school kids down in Perry, who still used the Wing T too under Coach Wakefield
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I coached for two seasons middle school kids down in Perry, who still used the Wing T too under Coach Wakefield
No shit? I've gone to the Panthers vs Tigers game a couple times because a childhood friend lives down there and runs a Tigers Etsy shop for the school. Great rivalry game, great Friday night atmosphere when they played. I know Wakefield was a long time coach for the Panthers.
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? I got my Wing-T Coaches mixed up. It was Marv Levy in Kansas City that used the Wing T.
Here's Google: When he coached the Kansas City Chiefs, Marv Levy primarily used the Wing-T offense. This was a significant departure from the no-huddle offense he later famously implemented with the Buffalo Bills. In 1978, the Chiefs under Levy set an NFL record for rushing attempts in a single game while utilizing the Wing-T.
Joe Gibbs was the HC that invented/used the H-Back. I did get the personnel right in Washington and the inside counters/traps they liked to run. I forgot to include WR Charlie Brown though. I did say he got most of his passing game from Don Coryell. My bad - sorry about that guys.
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There's a phrase I recently heard - "Do things the right way vs Do the things right".
I suppose this is also coming up as a microcosm for my frustration in watching not only Jaxon Dart, but a lot of major college offenses anymore that are 'see it, throw it'. Tom Brady was absolutely right; we teach playbooks, not programs. We don't develop QBs holistically. And it has effected WAY more than just QBs (OL is the next position group that just isn't what it used to be.
Having a QB stay in school long enough to be old a doctor is fucking neat. But if you play in a nanny-state offense that never challenges you to grow as a passer, then the amount of starts, while certainly have merit, also becomes watered down.
Unfortunately the "see it, throw it" offenses are EVERYWHERE now.
I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s how successful they would be now. You trained your team like it was 1960. You have them doing blocking drills incessantly. You have them doing tackling drills incessantly. You literally have them doing the Oklahoma drills. You run Lombardi's offense. You find yourself a tough Jim Taylor and pound the ball inside on high school defenses that are running 3-3-5 every Friday. You run the Packer sweep with guards pulling and looking to wipe people out. You have the QBs in the pocket and making progressions.
How would an old-school, physical team with old-school sensibilities do against finesse teams of today?
I know my rant here wasn't exactly what you were talking about, but I figured you or Flugs would enjoy this hypothetical.
I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s
Sure. As long as you have a good sized school with BIG kids on your team. Perhaps all you have to do is run the Tush Push. But are the kids really learning for the college and/or pro ranks? It used to be that college ran the ball and the pros passed the ball. At least now they align better.
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I often wonder if someone took a high school team and basically ran the team like Lombardi did the Packers in 1960s
Sure. As long as you have a good sized school with BIG kids on your team. Perhaps all you have to do is run the Tush Push. But are the kids really learning for the college and/or pro ranks? It used to be that college ran the ball and the pros passed the ball. At least now they align better.
Sure. As long as you have a good sized school with BIG kids on your team. Perhaps all you have to do is run the Tush Push. But are the kids really learning for the college and/or pro ranks? It used to be that college ran the ball and the pros passed the ball. At least now they align better.
tia brought up the Wing T - but that's not exactly what I meant. The Wing T is almost exclusively a run offense, but it is kind of like the Wishbone offense of the 70s and 80s, it was used often by teams that were smaller than their opponents and used fakes and movement to get opposing teams' out of position, thus, you didn't need big bruising OLinemen.
What I mean is old-school pro-style offenses that ran a lot but also used pocket passing too.
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Sure. As long as you have a good sized school with BIG kids on your team. Perhaps all you have to do is run the Tush Push. But are the kids really learning for the college and/or pro ranks? It used to be that college ran the ball and the pros passed the ball. At least now they align better.
tia brought up the Wing T - but that's not exactly what I meant. The Wing T is almost exclusively a run offense, but it is kind of like the Wishbone offense of the 70s and 80s, it was used often by teams that were smaller than their opponents and used fakes and movement to get opposing teams' out of position, thus, you didn't need big bruising OLinemen.
What I mean is old-school pro-style offenses that ran a lot but also used pocket passing too.
What I mean is old-school pro-style offenses that ran a lot but also used pocket passing too.
I understood...I just kind of took it down an extreme rabbit hole.
I think school should teach you for life after school. And that certainly could mean pro sports (as well as an engineer, astrophysicist, lawyer, etc.). School sports, however, can be distracted by this thing called 'The Championship'. For quite a while many college football teams were running a totally different offense than what was going on in the pros (pros, the 'after' school). Much like watching an Army vs Navy game. That certainly wasn't doing college QB's & WR's much good.
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What I mean is old-school pro-style offenses that ran a lot but also used pocket passing too.
I understood...I just kind of took it down an extreme rabbit hole.
I think school should teach you for life after school. And that certainly could mean pro sports (as well as an engineer, astrophysicist, lawyer, etc.). School sports, however, can be distracted by this thing called 'The Championship'. For quite a while many college football teams were running a totally different offense than what was going on in the pros (pros, the 'after' school). Much like watching an Army vs Navy game. That certainly wasn't doing college QB's & WR's much good.
Much like watching an Army vs Navy game. That certainly wasn't doing college QB's & WR's much good.
Army still primarily runs the ball. My son has a former middle school player now second string in the slot for Army. Very fast (4.3) and great hands, but he is more likely to see the ball on slot reverse handoffs than by catching passes. They throw like 7-9 times a game. Only have one WR position to go with the slot and TE. It's a shame because he has great broken field skills with fantastic moves to fake people out of their jocks.
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Much like watching an Army vs Navy game. That certainly wasn't doing college QB's & WR's much good.
Army still primarily runs the ball. My son has a former middle school player now second string in the slot for Army. Very fast (4.3) and great hands, but he is more likely to see the ball on slot reverse handoffs than by catching passes. They throw like 7-9 times a game. Only have one WR position to go with the slot and TE. It's a shame because he has great broken field skills with fantastic moves to fake people out of their jocks.
Army still primarily runs the ball. My son has a former middle school player now second string in the slot for Army. Very fast (4.3) and great hands, but he is more likely to see the ball on slot reverse handoffs than by catching passes. They throw like 7-9 times a game. Only have one WR position to go with the slot and TE. It's a shame because he has great broken field skills with fantastic moves to fake people out of their jocks.
Poor guy! That has to be really frustrating for him Aggies.
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