Between Robert Marve and Greg Paulus, I have heard several reasons why Nebraska fans want – or don’t want – a transfer quarterback.
The reasons in favor are primarily centered on the graduation of Joe Ganz, the departure of Patrick Witt and the fact that the Huskers will have very little game experience at the position. The reasons against both players coming to Nebraska stem from the Sam Keller experiment. Keller transferred from Arizona State and started nine games during Nebraska’s 5-7 season in 2007 before sustaining a season-ending injury. However, it should be pointed out that the Zac Taylor experiment worked out pretty good. Taylor was a JC transfer who played two seasons at Nebraska, earning Big 12 Offensive player of the Year honors.
Marve is a former Miami quarterback who departed following his redshirt freshman season. Based on NCAA regulations, Marve will be eligible for two seasons, starting in 2010, meaning he has to sit out the 2009 campaign.Marve started 11 games in 2008, throwing for 1,293 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions while splitting time with true freshman Jacory Harris. Marve was suspended for Miami's season opener and for the Hurricanes' Emerald Bowl loss to Cal for violations of team rules.Sports Illustrated also reported that after Marve decided to transfer, Miami coach Randy Shannon refused to release him to any ACC or SEC school or to any school in Florida. An appeals panel amended Marve's release, allowing him to transfer on scholarship to any school except an ACC member, Florida, Tennessee or LSU.
Paulus spent the last four seasons playing point guard at Duke University and is reportedly interested in broadcast journalism as a possible grad school option while he plays football. Paulus has been exploring the possibility of playing one year of quarterback at the college level — with Syracuse and Nebraska seeming to head his list of options.
While Paulus has spent the last four seasons playing basketball, he is a former national high school football player of the year but how much can he really add to Nebraska’s program now? On the other hand, it’s not as if Paulus has been sitting on the couch eating potato chips the last four years either. He has been an elite athlete. But seriously, even Joe Montana would struggle some if he hadn’t played football in four seasons.
Let’s revisit Marve, who at last check was leaning toward Purdue, for just a moment. He brings baggage. He was suspended twice for violating team rules. While we do not have information of “why” he was suspended, getting suspended “twice” during your freshman year is a definite red flag. In addition, second-year Miami head coach Randy Shannon seems like a good person of character. These are not the loose-ship Hurricanes of the Jimmy Johnson or Dennis Erickson eras.
I would be a little more receptive of Paulus joining the program but don’t really see a huge up or down side to him coming to Nebraska. He has not played football since his senior year of high school. While he has succeeded at a high level for a brand name Div. I-A program in basketball, how will that translate in football?
The competition and publicity he would bring are good but more so the latter. As of now, Zac Lee is viewed as the front-runner to be Nebraska’s quarterback but that’s mainly by default because he has been in the program the longest.
One year is not enough time for Paulus to truly make a difference for the team. What would he be, No. 3 on the depth chart and that’s if true freshman Cody Green redshirts.
Paulus would be less likely to come with a prima dona mentality than Marve. Keep in mind, Paulus did play for coach Mike Krzyzewski. I can’t think of too many (if any) head cases that have come out of his program – and keep in mind, Duke is to college basketball what Nebraska is to college football. I am sure that Husker head coach Bo Pelini and the staff is being honest with Paulus regarding the odds of playing are less than 10 percent. With that said, I doubt Paulus will have unrealistic expectations.
Showing posts with label Robert Marve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert Marve. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Marve to Nebraska -- would not be marvelous
I have one thing to say to the Husker coaching staff regarding former University of Miami quarterback Robert Marve considering coming to Nebraska – run!
Better yet – run fast!
The former Miami quarterback departed following his redshirt freshman season and according to various reports Michigan, Purdue, UCLA and Nebraska are among six schools still in the running for his services. Based on NCAA regulations, Marve will be eligible for two seasons, starting in 2010, meaning he has to sit out the 2009 campaign.
Marve started 11 games in 2008, throwing for 1,293 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions while splitting time with true freshman Jacory Harris. Marve was suspended for Miami's season opener and for the Hurricanes' Emerald Bowl loss to Cal for violations of team rules.
Sports Illustrated also reported that after Marve decided to transfer, Miami coach Randy Shannon refused to release him to any ACC or SEC school or to any school in Florida. An appeals panel amended Marve's release, allowing him to transfer on scholarship to any school except an ACC member, Florida, Tennessee or LSU.
The Huskers could use another quarterback after Patrick Witt decided to leave the program just three weeks ago. With the graduation of Joe Ganz, Nebraska has three inexperienced quarterbacks in Zac Lee, Kody Spano and Cody Green. Spano is a redshirt freshman while Green is a true freshman while fellow true freshman Taylor Martinez also wants a shot. Green, however, is already enrolled at Nebraska while Martinez is not – thus making him a longshot for this season.
Granted, those four players have a grand total of 15 snaps under their belts at the Division I-A level. However, Marve would be an odd fit because he is deemed a “pro style” quarterback but Nebraska seems to be leaning in the direction of the dual-threat QBs with the implementation of various concepts of the Spread. Keep in mind, Witt was considered a “pro style” quarterback but that likely would have made him the odd man out in 2009 and beyond.
Most of all, however, there is the baggage that Marve comes with in terms of twice getting suspended for violating team rules. For starters, we do not have information on what those rules are but getting suspended twice in your freshman season? Twice. One time you can consider an aberration but twice is a definite red flag. Plus, Shannon actually seems like a decent guy of character. Keep in mind; these are not the loose-ship Hurricanes of the Jimmy Johnson or Dennis Erickson eras.
Keep in mind, Nebraska already tried going the free agent route (well, the college version) with Sam Keller in 2006 and that didn’t work too well.
Keller brought some baggage with him too. Reportedly, Keller (who would have been a senior) had beaten out redshirt freshman Rudy Carpenter for the starting job in 2006. Keller was named the starter just before the start of the 2006 campaign. Then Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter, however, rescinded his decision and named Carpenter the starter after his parents had threatened to transfer schools as a result of the decision.
Keller then opted to leave and subsequently transferred to Nebraska. He redshirted the 2006 season and “beat out” Ganz for the starting job but I use that term rather loosely. Then Husker head coach Bill Callahan publicly emphasized that both were “competing” for the starting job but let’s face it, the “competition” part was lip service.
Not that Keller performed poorly in 2007 but he hardly lived up to the hype. Plus, the Huskers abomination of a 5-7 season in 2007 was more attributable to the defense being a sieve.
That said when Keller suffered a season ending injury in Game 9, Ganz shined and never looked back.
Marve throws the ball with some zip but the guy strikes me as one that had a hard time with the concept of competing for his job. That reason reportedly played a role in Witt’s decision to leave.
You see, if a player is going to have a problem having to earn his stripes (i.e. starting job), do not go anywhere near him because if he can’t handle competing for his job then how is he going to survive the pressure cooker of trying to lead a team 80 yards in two minutes.
Go back to Harrison Beck in 2006. Beck, who was a highly touted recruit in the Huskers 2005 class, transferred before the start of the ’06 campaign. Zac Taylor was Nebraska’s starter at the time and deservedly so. Yet, Beck’s mother makes statements to the effect of but “it’s not like he (Taylor) is as good as Matt Leinert or Brady Quinn.”
True, Taylor might not have had the careers of those two players but he had a pretty solid career at Nebraska and there is a reason why his teammates respected him.
Beck, meanwhile, transferred to North Carolina State. Did he do anything I missed out on there? Well, Beck is now on his way to Northern Alabama (a Division II school). Good luck, Harrison, it just confirms that your mom was wrong to moan.
Better yet – run fast!
The former Miami quarterback departed following his redshirt freshman season and according to various reports Michigan, Purdue, UCLA and Nebraska are among six schools still in the running for his services. Based on NCAA regulations, Marve will be eligible for two seasons, starting in 2010, meaning he has to sit out the 2009 campaign.
Marve started 11 games in 2008, throwing for 1,293 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions while splitting time with true freshman Jacory Harris. Marve was suspended for Miami's season opener and for the Hurricanes' Emerald Bowl loss to Cal for violations of team rules.
Sports Illustrated also reported that after Marve decided to transfer, Miami coach Randy Shannon refused to release him to any ACC or SEC school or to any school in Florida. An appeals panel amended Marve's release, allowing him to transfer on scholarship to any school except an ACC member, Florida, Tennessee or LSU.
The Huskers could use another quarterback after Patrick Witt decided to leave the program just three weeks ago. With the graduation of Joe Ganz, Nebraska has three inexperienced quarterbacks in Zac Lee, Kody Spano and Cody Green. Spano is a redshirt freshman while Green is a true freshman while fellow true freshman Taylor Martinez also wants a shot. Green, however, is already enrolled at Nebraska while Martinez is not – thus making him a longshot for this season.
Granted, those four players have a grand total of 15 snaps under their belts at the Division I-A level. However, Marve would be an odd fit because he is deemed a “pro style” quarterback but Nebraska seems to be leaning in the direction of the dual-threat QBs with the implementation of various concepts of the Spread. Keep in mind, Witt was considered a “pro style” quarterback but that likely would have made him the odd man out in 2009 and beyond.
Most of all, however, there is the baggage that Marve comes with in terms of twice getting suspended for violating team rules. For starters, we do not have information on what those rules are but getting suspended twice in your freshman season? Twice. One time you can consider an aberration but twice is a definite red flag. Plus, Shannon actually seems like a decent guy of character. Keep in mind; these are not the loose-ship Hurricanes of the Jimmy Johnson or Dennis Erickson eras.
Keep in mind, Nebraska already tried going the free agent route (well, the college version) with Sam Keller in 2006 and that didn’t work too well.
Keller brought some baggage with him too. Reportedly, Keller (who would have been a senior) had beaten out redshirt freshman Rudy Carpenter for the starting job in 2006. Keller was named the starter just before the start of the 2006 campaign. Then Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter, however, rescinded his decision and named Carpenter the starter after his parents had threatened to transfer schools as a result of the decision.
Keller then opted to leave and subsequently transferred to Nebraska. He redshirted the 2006 season and “beat out” Ganz for the starting job but I use that term rather loosely. Then Husker head coach Bill Callahan publicly emphasized that both were “competing” for the starting job but let’s face it, the “competition” part was lip service.
Not that Keller performed poorly in 2007 but he hardly lived up to the hype. Plus, the Huskers abomination of a 5-7 season in 2007 was more attributable to the defense being a sieve.
That said when Keller suffered a season ending injury in Game 9, Ganz shined and never looked back.
Marve throws the ball with some zip but the guy strikes me as one that had a hard time with the concept of competing for his job. That reason reportedly played a role in Witt’s decision to leave.
You see, if a player is going to have a problem having to earn his stripes (i.e. starting job), do not go anywhere near him because if he can’t handle competing for his job then how is he going to survive the pressure cooker of trying to lead a team 80 yards in two minutes.
Go back to Harrison Beck in 2006. Beck, who was a highly touted recruit in the Huskers 2005 class, transferred before the start of the ’06 campaign. Zac Taylor was Nebraska’s starter at the time and deservedly so. Yet, Beck’s mother makes statements to the effect of but “it’s not like he (Taylor) is as good as Matt Leinert or Brady Quinn.”
True, Taylor might not have had the careers of those two players but he had a pretty solid career at Nebraska and there is a reason why his teammates respected him.
Beck, meanwhile, transferred to North Carolina State. Did he do anything I missed out on there? Well, Beck is now on his way to Northern Alabama (a Division II school). Good luck, Harrison, it just confirms that your mom was wrong to moan.
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