Quick decision-making, accuracy.
I just ran into a HS teammate of Jordan Wynn. He stays in touch with him in HI.
He said there's seldom a conversation without JW heaping praise of his experience at Utah.
He remains thankful and loyal to the program, the U, and the students and fans. He feels deep disappointment that his shoulders were not able to keep up with his heart and his mind.
I told him to thank JW for me the next time they talk. He said it will be soon.
He also said he's doing very well where he is and loves Norm like a grandpa.
Desse jeito, não tem jeito.
Let's bump this thread and start talking about Wilson again.
This guy is such a wildcard to me. All my instincts think he'll be a good college Qb. His size checks out, seems to have adequate arm strength and his numbers as a true freshman were pretty decent. But the recent failures at QB have led me to be skeptical of any of the QBs on the roster. I'm hoping he can take the next step in being a vocal leader on the field and get better at making his progressions.
The ability of the offensive line to give Travis just 0.25 second more time will be huge.
I think he has the chance to be on the Mount Rushmore of Utah qb's. His size is elite, his arm strength is excellent. He just needs the confidence to trust his reads and trust that the oline will give him that extra time to deliver the ball.
In the two-platoon era, my Mt. Rushmore would be Mitchell, Alex, Brian and Mike McCoy.
Save for Mitchell, who only rewrote the NCAA record book while at Utah, all led teams to 10-win (or better) seasons and season-ending Top 10 rankings.
So envisioning him in that company is a very tall order.
We're a funny program when it comes to season-ending rankings. When we finish ranked, it's usually very high. Our only other season-ending ranking came in 2010 (23rd, coaches) with Jordan Wynn. As a result, the gulf between our Mt. Rushmore QBs and everyone else is pretty freakin' wide. I think there's space for Travis there -- he won't be Brian or Alex, but he can be better than Mike Fouts, who I would put at the top of the best-of-the-rest category. To not get a 9-win regular season with Travis at least once the next three years would be disappointing. If he can deliver more, he'll at least force his way into the conversation.
I rewatched the spring game the other night - needed a fix. Anyway, the thing I noticed is that Wilson seems to have improved in the decision making area. While Schultz was looking for the home run several times, and always trying to make something when there might not have been anything, Wilson seemed more poised and calculating, taking what is given. We will see if this translates in real games, but I am optimistic. Improved O-Line play will make a night and day difference for TW. IIRC he racked up 200 yards in 1 half of playing. Of course I have to temper that with the fact that the D was playing a base set, but still I remain optimistic over all.
4 weeks, waaa hoo!! GO UTES!
None of you are thinking like a zoob.
When T-Dub wins back to back Rose Bowls, I'd simply like to see him stay for his senior season.
For me it starts with the offensive line and our running game. if wilson gets good time he is a very good QB. last year when he played when given good time he looked real good. He can make every throw needed. hopefully with some success he gets even more confident in situations when pressure is there.
but my guess is that he is going to surprise a lot of people this year and have a very good season.
“It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.”
Well, because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
Recent failures at QB have been due to recruiting. After Jordan Wynn, Utah was unable to recruit a QB for several years. They kept trying to rely on his broken noodle arm and then tried to patch work with a QB that should have been playing in Division II and not even at a high end Division II school. Now we are finally seeing QB recruits of a PAC-12 caliber, not they aren't of a USC, Stanford, or Oregon caliber, but they are shoulders above recent recruits. Wilson has the ability to be great and part of that is due to the fact he is being pushed by the backups, something Utah hasn't seen, since well ever maybe.
Seriously how good is he going to be? It seems like the sky is the limit! The best thing that I have seen out of him this season is his willingness to come out in the Oregon State game after thowing those interceptions and get right back into it, confidence seemingly unshaken one bit. If he can pop up after taking a hit from Van Noy et al this coming weekend and still maintain his composure and accuracy, I will be that much more impressed.
Also, his favorite pregame band to listen to is Def Leopard (WTF!). Seriously, he is was born in 1993 for hells sake how does he end up a Def Leopard fan?!? Impressive taste in music notwithstanding, He has got to cut the hair, because I keep confusing him with Lya Wodraska.
More importantly: will the coaching staff be able to capitalize on Wilson abilities by having the talent around him and on defense to make a conference run?
I am still pissed at Dres. He had two drops, and two of the INT's could have been incompletions had Dres fought a little harder. That kid has all the talent in the world, but just doesn't give it. In the same vein, what happened to York, Denham and Lewis? Scott goes down, a great opportunity for Denham and Lewis to step in, show what they have, and catch balls from a very, very good QB. What more can you ask for as a WR? And all you have to do is step up and take the opportunity? Unbelievable. Here, those two have been given a chance to show scouts that they deserve to catch balls for a living...and nothing.
Utah will spread BYU out big time. Dres and Fitzgerald out wide, McClellum and Murphy in the slot. Look for quick passes to the slot receivers, quick outs by Dres/Fitz, short screens, RB flat passes. Basically quick passes to negate the pass rush and put athletes in space.
And Denham and Lewis - STEP UP.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Over the weekend on Pac12 Playbook, they mentioned that Jake Plummer was very impressed with Travis Wilson and said that he is his favorite QB to watch in the pac.
What's Wilson's ceiling? I thought he played a really nice game against BYU, despite a somewhat stagnant offense. My one criticism with his performance was that he tried to put some pin-point passes into tight coverage; fortunately he did it accurately on Saturday.
As for a runner, it is clear that he has good top speed, but he doesn't get going very quickly. I'm not sure we should be running the read option as much as we do now - I'd like to see a few designed rollouts.
I have been very pleasantly surprised. I like the accuracy on anything 20 yards or under. I don't think he throws a great long ball, but I'm being greedy now. There are a million good things an offense can do with quick and accurate short throws.
Can Wilson throw a fade into the endzone? I'm trying to remember if we've seen one.
I can't remember loving a sophomore qb this much. What a frame, what size, and he's durable. I love the killer look inside his helmet. He seems to be a real leader. There was one pass where yes, he threw into triple coverage, but threaded the needle. The long ball will come. The running is a bonus. He came to us as a drop back passer, which is what he really is fundamentally.
He'll be playing on Sundays and I'm afraid we may not have him three years. I'm so glad he's got Dennis Erickson mentoring him.
One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -- and yet it is the most precious thing we have.
--Albert Einstein
The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice.
--Richard Dawkins
Be kind to all, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
--Philo
One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -- and yet it is the most precious thing we have.
--Albert Einstein
The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice.
--Richard Dawkins
Be kind to all, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
--Philo
I think the next 5-6 games will show us what kind of player Wilson can be.
I admit, I am on the Wilson train (When I was not at the beginning of the season), and even if we lose the next 5-6 games, I don't think that takes away from what he has done in the past year improvement-wise. His effort in the Oregon St. game, despite his inaccuracies and interceptions tells me a lot about his character and leadership. He reminds me a lot of Brian Johnson in that sense. I felt BJ was not as accurate as I would have liked, but he had his head on right when the game was on the line, and I think/hope that Wilson will be at least as good as BJ over the next year.
He was clutch against a hostile BYU crowd, which tells me he is up for it. I am excited to see his progression over the next few games, even if we lose more than we win. (I'd prefer that we win a few)