Nate Johnson / Tyler Huntley

[DrahtUte]

Since someone made reference the other day to Johnson as a freshman vs Huntley as a freshman, I’ve been trying to decide how comparable they are.

Huntley obviously had a cannon for an arm his last couple seasons. I can’t recall if he had it as an underclassman though. He was so slim, I’m having difficulty imagining he did.

Nate’s highlights don’t yet show him having a really strong arm but maybe it’s there. I’ve got to imagine a kid as athletic as him has got to be able to fire bullet passes, right?

[UtMtBiker]

I’ve seen a lot of really athletic dudes that can’t throw to save their life. On the other hand, there are Tom Brady types out there with a cannon arm and no ability to run, catch, jump, move weight, etc. I don’t think the two are tied in anyway. The first game NJ had a couple throws and it was pretty obvious his passing needed work. The second game, didn’t look like the same guy once he found his rhythm and completed a few. Really hard to know right now.

[Hellhound152]

No! No! Noooooooo! Tyler Huntley was the most ready freshmen QB Utah has had in my lifetime as a fan. In the very first spring game he was making reads, climbing the pocket with his eyes down field and taking and completing shots. If anything flip phone Taylor stunted his growth as a QB by not allowing him to do QB things.

Nate is great at what he does but from a straight “out of the box” comparison there is none.

[UtesRule]

Brian Johnson was VERY good as a Fredhman. He threw some deep balls that were unbelievable for a freshman.

If he hadn’t injured his shoulder in Corvallis as a Sophomore I think he would have had an even better career than he had an Utah. Never had the same arm strength after that injury.

[Hellhound152]

Brian Johnson was Alex Smith’s backup as a freshmen.

[2008 National Champ]

I know plenty of really good athletes that can’t throw worth a damn. Heck, I was one of them. Just like I knew plenty of really good throwers who could barely break a 5 in the 40.

Huntley was Gatorade player of the year in Florida. His body just hadn’t matured enough, and Williams was the more complete QB, for him to start his true freshman year. Many of us were screaming to see what Huntley had before the end of the year because for all his talent, Williams just wasn’t able to get the job done consistently. Because of the red shirt rules, Huntley was a true sophomore in 2017 and rightfully earned the starting job out of camp.

Johnson was Elite 11 but wasn’t as decorated coming into college as Huntley. His mechanics still need some work as he appeared to be flat-footed at Baylor. With time in the pocket and the D playing off on the game tying drive, he was able to complete some passes but there was one hospital ball to Matthews in there. It remains to be seen if his mechanics will hold up under pressure but I haven’t seen any indication that his arm ability is subpar. But being able to throw it 70 yards doesn’t matter if it’s always an incomplete pass.

There isn’t anything to say that Johnson can’t be as good as Huntley ended up but that’s a pretty high bar. At this point he just needs to stay within himself and the offensive structure.

[DrahtUte]

I also don’t recall Huntley being as good at making defenders miss as Nate when running. He was fast on his feet but I don’t remember him being super shifty. Am I misremembering?

I know it’s a small sample size but I’m feeling confident in saying Nate might be one of the more elusive running qbs we’ve ever had.

I’m also 100% confident Nate is better at sliding – even with never having seen him do it.

[belli1976]

Draht – I brought it up and it was more of a comparison of maturity of decisions at similar stages.

Both being ultra competitive and talented. Which can lead to wanting to make the play and being the stud. A younger player mentality.

Talent wise I agree with you as they have different strengths.

[DrahtUte]

I brought up the comparison because I thought it was interesting.

It’s a good point about the competitiveness and confidence. It doesn’t seem like the moment is ever going to be too big for Nate – just like Huntley. Along with Barnes other shortcomings, it seems like he was also just flat out folding under the pressure.

I’ve also always thought a lack of competitiveness is why Shelley never turned into Huntley 2.0. That, and foolishly transferring to USU.

[22Ute22]

Huh? Tyler Huntley was absolutely shifty and elusive. He needed to be with how terrible our O-line play was in 2019. That being said, Nate is even more shifty, elusive, faster, and an overall better runner. But let’s see if he can be anywhere near as good a passer as Huntley. Nate will at least have a good O-line to give him time.

[Caliman]

The only QB that even comes close to Tyler Huntley, is none other than John Hays. I think He went on to play in the NFL. Not sure if He is currently on a roster or not, but that guy could really throw the pig sking 100 MPH. He could take a hit too.

[The Miami Ute]

It’s “Jon” not “John”…

[22Ute22]

We will see against Weber State. I hope the coaches let him take all kinds of shots, and allow him to make mistakes. Let him throw a few deep balls down the sideline. Let him throw a corner route and see his ball placement. Let’s see him throw a deep post, and see if he can throw the ball fast, accurate, and in stride. This is a PERFECT game for Nate to learn and make mistakes. Weber State is FCS, but a good FCS team. They won’t beat us, but they can give some fits to a guy who hasn’t played much. It also helps that unlike Huntley, Nate won’t have terrible O-line play.

[Utedude1]

Caliman, you’re thinking of Brett Radliff. Utah QB from 2005-2006. UDFA Jets – 2007. Played from 2007-2012 with Jets, Browns, Jaguars, Patriots, Browns and Buccaneers. Both Radliff and Hays had big wins against TDS. Some good memories!

[chinngiskhaan]

Caliman is a troll.

[Caliman]

No matter what your mom has said about me, I can assure you it ain’t true. She’s just p**sed because I missed a couple of child support payments. How’s she doing by the way? it’s being a while!

[UofU Fanatic]

Yeah caliman is a troll. Not sure why took me so long.

Good thing this site has block user option! Tony for the win with that option lol

[Caliman]

WHAT! YOU BLOCKED ME? THE FKN. SKY IS GONNA FALL. HOW AM I GONNA GO ON LIVING, GUESS I’M GONNA HAVE TO STOP “TROLLING” THEN.

[UrbanLiar]

Small friendly suggestion: “Ratliff”

[Caliman]

Ratliff, that’s the one, I thought that guy was good.

[The Miami Ute]

Brett Ratliff is an interesting guy. He’s one of those guys that had talent but never comes up when fans discuss Utah’s best QBs. Best game I ever saw him play was the OT victory at BYU in 2005 where he threw 4 TD passes. If I remember correctly, that was his first college start as Brian Johnson had suffered a season ending injury the previous game. He also had a great outing in the bowl game versus Georgia Tech in San Francisco.

[OhNineUte]

Obviously, way too early to tell, but Nate’s 4th quarter drive @ Baylor I had the thought running through my mind: N. Johnson will be B. Johnson 2.0.

[Mule]

Who was the qb that could throw it out if the stadium (supposedly, never verified to my knowledge). Something Schulz? Adam?

[chinngiskhaan]

I don’t know who that was, but IIRC Tommy Grady had a pretty strong arm.

[123punt]

Yeah I remember Whitt saying Grady could throw the ball 70 yards.

[UtahMan17]

Huntley was a very accurate pro style QB who could escape with his legs when needed. Johnson is a mobile QB with elite athleticism who needs to develop as a passer. They’re pretty different.