Barnes is undefeated in the 1 game he’s started.

[Ute Dub]

I like our chances with Ludwig having two weeks to build a game plan around Milford and Johnson. Jaquinden Jackson should be a pressure relief valve….if he can take a step forward by catching the ball out of the backfield.

I’m just saying, how many games has Barnes played in where the game plan was built around his strengths?

People are going to s**t on him for his performance against one of the best defenses in the country in Penn State. But I think he’ll ball out vs Florida.

[Utesbyfive]

What strengths?

[Milton Vanderslice]

The strengths that got him to be the #2 QB on a top 15 team in the nation. If he wasn’t good enough to be there, he wouldn’t be.

[Dallas]

Honest question: Why haven’t they given Barnes a scholarship?

[bopahull]

Barnes is on a scholarship.

[Central Coast Ute]

You’re going to need to be more specific

[RoboUte]

I fully agree but QB can be a tough position to fill even for good teams. For example everyone here is spooked by Baylor, and I agree. But their QB, Blake Shapen, is TRASH. Good teams in CFB often succeed despite mediocre QBs.

[Ute Dub]

High pass completion percentage 64%+. Knows the offense. Decent speed, 11.5 100m. Has thrown a TD pass in the last two Rose Bowls. Has beat out highly recruited QB’s.

[RoboUte]

IDK Barnes’s strengths in general. I hear he fast and has a decent arm, we’ve been coaching him for a few years so the guy certainly know what he’s doing. But I can tell you one strength: To come into the rose bowl and have the stones to throw and execute on that TD pass. With absolutely everything on the line and the whole damn country watching. In front of a crowd like that. Is incredible.

The young man’s got the type of fortitude you can’t coach. IDK what it’ll net us in terms of points but it’s there, I’m damn sure of that and I’d rather have it than not.

[Ghost of the HEB]

When it comes to size, speed, and athleticism, Florida will be more similar to Penn St than Wash St

[D T]

It should be noted, Wazzu had a pretty good D last year….I’d have to look it up, but perhaps statistically better than UF’s….PSU’s was light years better than both.

[Ute Dub]

Wrong. Penn State’s defense ranked 17 last year, Florida 69. Size and athleticism mean little if you can’t make a tackle.

[Ghost of the HEB]

Florida’s defensive ranking was based on trying to tackle SEC guys. Their size and athleticism will show more against guys from Milford, the same way PSU’s did.

Barnes has decent north and south speed, but lacks the lateral quickness to consistently beat guys around the end in the event a pass play breaks down. That’s where Cam has been so valuable.

[RoboUte]

Good point on the conference but I’m quite certain that it doesn’t account for a 50 spot difference especially when it’s not as if Penn St was playing in a slouch a of conference. It’s a certainty that Penn St’s defense was miles better.

[Ghost of the HEB]

I never said Floridas defense is equal to Penn St. I just said their athletes will be more similar to Penn’s than WSU. And recruiting/roster rankings would agree.

[Ute Dub]

Tackling translates. If they don’t tackle well in the SEC, they’re going to have a tough time against Jaquindon, Micah, and company along with Yassmin, Pittman and co.

[Italy88]

He is not good…I don’t know how anyone that has watched him play can say any different.

[Roy Rangum]

I love Barnes and hope he succeeds. But, I am still very concerned about him being our starter against Florida based on what we’ve seen previously from him. Against Ohio state he had a great touchdown throw, but I think that’s because not a single soul expected him to throw. Against Washington state it was not pretty. Against Penn State, once Barnes went in, the game was essentially over.

If we have a dominant defense, o-line and run game, we can still win. But I expect us to look a lot like Utah teams of old that beats teams with elite defense and ball control on offense.

[alexsmith]

Ultimately, Florida isn’t going to be a pretty game, but I expect to win with Barnes under center. I watched the 2019 Utah vs BYU game the other day (thank you to JazzyUte’s YouTube!) and that is one of the ugliest games of football that I’ve seen. We had 33 passing yards at the end of the first half! That same team ended up playing in the title game, which had they showed up to play in (I was living out of the country so I didn’t have the opportunity to see it, but I’ve heard it’s ugly) then they’re playing in the CFP.

Ultimately, the point is that yeah, we may win ugly that game, but a win is a win and if Bryson Barnes can get us there then I am all in

[RedRocks]

Honestly, I hope Barnes comes out and proves everyone wrong. I hope he plays so well that we have a starting quarterback controversy. He is a local guy and I wish him nothing but the best.

Obviously this won’t happen because this is Utah (we don’t develop QB’s), but one can dream.

[chinngiskhaan]

“We don’t develop QBs” Tyler Huntley and Cam Rising disagree strongly. The fact that Barnes is as good as he is proves we can develop QBs as well. We have no idea how good Rose is yet. Who says he hasn’t been developed?

[RedRocks]

Honestly, I respectfully disagree with you on Cam Rising and Tyler Huntley.

Cam Rising has been consistent. He started out good and he continues to be largely the same quarterback he has always been for Utah. I don’t see how I could make an honest argument that Utah has ‘developed’ Cam Rising any more than Cam Rising has ‘developed’ himself. I also understand that Cam has worked with people outside the program to help develop his skills.

Tyler Huntley improved during his time at Utah, that much is true. I understand that he also worked with people outside the program to develop his skills. However, I think the fact that Tyler Huntley has improved so much since leaving Utah is somewhat telling. I feel like he was a high ceiling player that was seriously underdeveloped by Utah during his time here.

Additionally, look at Utah’s track record with freshman recruits. They often end up leaving the program or moving to other positions.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the University of Utah football team. However, since maybe Brian Johnson, I have seen very little ‘development’ over time in our quarterbacks. Everyone has the potential to get better with experience, but Utah’s quarterbacks seem to remain more-or-less who they are throughout their tenure with Utah. Contrast that with other positions and players on the team who show very clear improvement and development on a consistent basis.

[chinngiskhaan]

We’ve had two QBs get significant playing time since Ludwig came back. Both of them ended up being good QBs. We have seen very little of any other QB we have signed, so assuming they weren’t developed while at Utah is nothing more than a guess.

If anything, we have problems in judging HS QB talent. Costelli hasn’t done anything since he left, neither did tuttle or any of the other guys that left.

The QBs that we have seen play have both played well. The fact that Huntley continued to get better in the NFL doesn’t prove anything. Also, lots of QBs find coaches to help them improve in the offseason. That doesn’t mean they aren’t getting developed by their school coaches.

Show me an example of a QB that was properly developed by another school.

[RedRocks]

Fair enough. However, most of your arguments could be used against your position as well as mine.

I suppose talking about QB development at Utah is a little like talking religion and politics; you have your opinion and I have mine. Neither of us can provide information that disproves the other.

For now, I maintain that Utah (and more specifically Kyle Whittingham and his staff) does not do a good job developing quarterbacks. I reserve the right to change that opinion at any time 🙂.

[chinngiskhaan]

so you won’t be providing an example then?

[RedRocks]

Uh, no?

I think I already answered that with “Neither of us can provide information that disproves the other.”

“Neither of us” includes me.

[chinngiskhaan]

No problem, I’m happy leaving it at that. I just thought an example of someone who HAS been developed (at another school) would be helpful in setting the standard for what you consider to be a QB that was properly developed.

[RedRocks]

Sorry, I thought you were talking about Utah quarterbacks.

I spent some time trying to come up with an example and couldn’t. Perhaps I am completely wrong and this has nothing to do with ‘development’. Maybe college quarterbacks just are what they are and don’t get better. They just get varying degrees of opportunity to show what they can do.

I mentioned this in a reply below, but think it is pertinent here:

Maybe quarterbacks just can’t be ‘developed’. Maybe this is just a recruiting issue, or a scheme issue, or a “head coach destroys QB confidence with turnover punishment” issue.

[Ute Dub]

You’re argument for Utah not developing Freshmen is the same at every school in the country. Hell, Texas didn’t develop Jaquindon Jackson or some kid named Arch Manning to be the starter.

I think your argument holds weight pre-Andy Ludwig era, but not now that Ludwig has been back at Utah.

[RedRocks]

Fair enough.

If it is a problem at every school in the country, then it is also a problem at Utah. Which… is kind of my point.

However, I don’t necessarily agree that it is a problem at every school in the country. I might agree with Texas, since they just recruit top guys instead of developing them. As much as I hate to admit it, our rival/non-rival down south seems to have a way better track record with quarterbacks than we do, even recently.

Maybe you are all correct and this has nothing to do with development. Maybe quarterbacks just can’t be ‘developed’. Maybe this is just a recruiting issue, or a scheme issue, or a “head coach destroys QB confidence with turnover punishment” issue.

[Ute Dub]

Ugh, you’re going to compare TDS’s “development” of QB’s with that s**t schedule that they had? Barnes would throw for 400 yards a game against Utah Tech, Idaho State, etc. Jaren Hall threw for 149 yards in their win against Utah. Utah put him in some short fields because of turnovers, but it’s not like he was super efficient or averaged more than 5 yards per pass.

[RedRocks]

Yeah, you’re probably right. It is difficult to compare since teams all play different schedules/opponents.

[utetastic]

I am not positive that Huntley has improved since he left Utah. The numbers would say he has regressed. I realize it is the NFL and different situations but here are the numbers.

Utah 573att. 853comp. 67% 7325yards 8.6y/a 46TD 21int.
Utah SR. year. 220att. 301comp. 73% 3092yards 10.3y/a 19TD 4int.

NFL 200att. 305comp. 65.6. 1754yards 5.8y/a. 5TD 7int.

[RedRocks]

Yeah, I guess I can’t argue with the numbers. Fair enough.
Shows how perception can be relatively meaningless.

[Roy Rangum]

While it’s an excellent point that when Ludwig is around our QBs do better, I still agree with Red Rocks on this one that QB development at Utah has been a long-standing issue that I don’t think is fixed.

While I think Ludwig is great, I still strongly feel that our QBs would be better if we additionally brought in a dedicated QB coach on top of Ludwig.

[idahoute]

There is a big difference practicing as QB#1 and getting the reps and preparing to start a big game instead of being thrown in in the second half of big games. Barnes likes to run which IMO is what makes Cam so good. I just hope they let him (Barnes) run since we are thin at QB. Without the QB keep option Cam will struggle. Barnes will shine this game…

[HoosierUte]

The guy will have played significant time in 4 college games, two of which were Rose Bowls, and faced Ohio State, Penn State, Florida, and Wazzu.

[Ute Dub]

Crazy to think of the games Barnes has played in as a walk on. Ohio State, Penn State, Florida, USC, Oregon, Baylor, Washington, and on.