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View Full Version : Nice read on the best of the SoCon



erkU
July 12th, 2006, 01:20 PM
playmakers.

SoCon Playmakers (http://southernpigskin.com/page.cfm?story=11175&cat=exclusives)

AppGuy04
July 12th, 2006, 01:27 PM
No real surprises on the list

GaSouthern
July 12th, 2006, 01:27 PM
all of one GSU player... not that I blame them, no one has a clue as to who will step it up for this new system in 2006.

walliver
July 12th, 2006, 06:57 PM
No Wofford receivers ... What's the deal? :D

Mr. C
July 12th, 2006, 11:11 PM
No real surprises on the list
One big surprise for me. Justin Clark of WCU? He was the main reason that the Catamounts didn't make more of a playoff run last year. He will not even be the starter this season. Bennett Swygert will be back in there, if he is healthy. If not, I can't see WCU going with Clark again. I covered two of WCU's games last year and saw them one other time on TV. Clark was terrible in all three (including one win, WCU's rout against Furman). All of the Catamount insiders say the same thing. He has a weak arm and constantly misses open receivers.

smallcollegefbfan
July 13th, 2006, 10:28 AM
One big surprise for me. Justin Clark of WCU? He was the main reason that the Catamounts didn't make more of a playoff run last year. He will not even be the starter this season. Bennett Swygert will be back in there, if he is healthy. If not, I can't see WCU going with Clark again. I covered two of WCU's games last year and saw them one other time on TV. Clark was terrible in all three (including one win, WCU's rout against Furman). All of the Catamount insiders say the same thing. He has a weak arm and constantly misses open receivers.

What was really bad is that he had a good OL. He just didn't make plays and seemed to have a weak arm like you said. This year seems to be a tossup for the best QB in the SoCon. Who do you think will be the top QB by the end of the year?

FUwolfpacker
July 13th, 2006, 11:05 AM
This year seems to be a tossup for the best QB in the SoCon. Who do you think will be the top QB by the end of the year?

I think that's really tough to say, but it will probably be between Elder of ASU and Gray of FU. Elder will likely have the best numbers because he's on a very good team and because of the system they run. Gray won't have near the passing yardage Elder will have, but Furman won't ask him to try win games with his arm b/c of our power running game. Both QB's have tough tasks to come in and replace players like Richie Williams and Ingle Martin, but both are fortunate to have good RB's and strong defenses. As cliche as it is, that question all boils down to which QB manages his team better.

:twocents:

Mr. C
July 13th, 2006, 11:34 AM
This year seems to be a tossup for the best QB in the SoCon. Who do you think will be the top QB by the end of the year?
Here is how I would rank them:

1. Trey Elder ASU. Has a lot of big-game experience for a backup. Can run better than people think (though not like Richie Williams). Good arm. Has never lost a game as a starter in high school, or college.
2. Renaldo Gray, Furman. Will be the best option QB for Furman in a long time. His arm is still a question mark.
3. Bennett Swygert, WCU. Great arm, no mobility, very fragile physically. He has to have great protection to stay healthy.
4. Antonio Miller, UTC. Very talented as a passer and a runner. Needs to cut down on his mistakes, particularly in throwing interceptions. Has the most experience of any SoCon QB, along with The Citadel's Duran Lawson.
5. Duran Lawson, The Citadel. Coming off ACL surgery, but has talent running and throwing.
6. Josh Collier, Wofford. He didn't impress me at all last year. His reads on the option were often wrong and he lacked speed and an arm.
7. Whoever wins the job at Georgia Southern (freshmen and sophomores rarely do well as rookie QBs in this tough conference)
8. Whoever Elon decides to start at QB (although that freshman kid is suppose to be pretty good eventually).

I'd rank Clark fifth, if he starts for WCU.

The best QB in the SoCon, by the way, is not playing QB this year. Jayson Foster would have easily been the preseason all-conference first-team pick, if GSU hadn't changed their offense and moved him to WR.

FUwolfpacker
July 13th, 2006, 12:07 PM
I agree with Mr. C's list for the most part. I don't know about Swygert and Miller though. I've followed Swygert since he was recruited out of Summerville (at least I think that's where he was from), and I would most likely rank him above Miller normally. However, Swygert has had what, 2 or 3 knee injuries, and how many actual games has he played? It can't be many, I don't think he saw the field at USC before he transferred. He's only played in a couple for WCU right? I don't know, it's a toss up between those 2 for me. I think Swygert could be the better player, I just don't know that he is right now. I'll say a few things though. After seeing Richie and Trey play, I think Trey has the better straight line speed, but Richie was definitely more elusive. Gray's arm is the question mark, but his arm strength will not be the problem. The kid has a cannon, just doesn't always know where it is going. I also agree about Collier. I would put him lower except for the situation with GSU, and the fact that Elon is well....really bad.

Good list Mr. C

WCU LawCat
July 13th, 2006, 05:24 PM
Swygert played in 4 or 5 games in 2004 and injured a shoulder. Sat out 3 or 4 games then returned to start the App game playing decent until the shoulder was hit again in the 4th quarter. Thats when Clark came in and made one of the most dramatic, mind boggling comebacks in I-AA history to beat App. Swygert sat out the entire 05 season after surgery and now he is back.

Clark played well a few times last season but played bad just as often. None of us really know who is going to start but it's kinda obvious that there is a QB battle going on right now between the 2004 starter and 2005 starter.

As fans we also think that young backup Michael McQueeny has tallent and saw action last year. We think he may have a shot as well as transfer Todd Spitzer (Cincinati). McQueeney has a CANNON for an arm and I hear that Spitzer does as well.

At Western we are just tired of having a solid defense with inconsistant QB play. Its not always terrible...but it's very inconsistant. The truth is that most of the Catamount fans don't know who is going to start, but most of us think that a battle is going on right now and its pretty intense. If Swygert does get the nod, he will probably get hurt eventually.

walliver
July 15th, 2006, 10:24 AM
6. Josh Collier, Wofford. He didn't impress me at all last year. His reads on the option were often wrong and he lacked speed and an arm.

Many Terrier fans beleive he is the second best quarterback on the team. Ben Widmyer (a true option quarterback) was hurt during spring practice, so Collier still has the starting job, but apparently will be on a short leash. Collier has spead in the open, but lacks "quickness" and seems to run a slow-motion option at times. Widmyer, playing as a true freshman last year show great promise but had some difficulty holding on to the ball.

Hopefully, with Kevious Johnson back and Dane Romero emerging as a serious running back, some of the weight will be taken off the quarterbacks' shoulders and the offense will start clicking again. At time last year the option was painful to watch (trouble moving the ball against NAIA Georgetown (KY), a near loss to Elon, a nice opening drive followed by futility against ASU, a shutout at Western, and what looked like a possible shutout at Furman until our reserves came in and beat up their reserves. I expect better things from the offense this year. Even in our early I-AA and SoCon days, the offense usually moved the ball fairly well.