West Virginia opening

[CyDude16]

Based on the criteria Wren used to hire Devries, I'd be shocked if he gave the job to a coordinator with no head coach experience. My guess is Kotelicki? (never hire a coach you cant spell his name),.

WVU has 3 proven head coaches from the state of west virginia available. Saban, Jimbo(yes he wants the job), and RROD(yes he wants the job). It'd be stupid to hire someone who has never been a head coach.

While Saban isnt interested, (maybe, he was at a recent NIL WVU fundraiser), he's likely getting tired of having Pat M shout in his ear on gameday. I think Saban's advice will be sought at the very least.

there's just zero reason to hire JMU's coach or the like when rrod and jimbo are available.

I think the Big 12 should fear a RROD reunion the most. WVU would go from an easy out, soft team, to a kstate/isu clone. Tough, gritty, hardnosed, well coached.

Rich Rod doesn’t and shouldn’t strike fear in the big 12 at all. This isn’t the big east, and the game as changed.

 

[Frak]

When I hear game manager I think of Iowa's QB's. Hand the ball off, make short throws and don't do anything to lose the game. Also, game managers don't drive their teams down the field for game winning drives.

I think that game manager is a poor description. He's definitely a gamer and a leader. If he took a bag and left, we'd definitely miss that in the program. That said, he's been a little bit of a pick six merchant. There was one against KSU that should have been a pick six and another couple that should have at least been interceptions. He's really inconsistent on short passes and can lack some touch (too many 7 yard fastballs). I don't know if he's overly confident in his arm or if he just doesn't see the field well. When he's on, he's a mirror image of Purdy. When he's off, it's not pretty. And usually both are happening in the same game. I don't know about anyone else, but when it came to crunch time vs KSU, I was hoping he'd tuck the ball and run and not throw it, because it probably wasn't going to end well.

If a team is stacking the box against our OL when we have 2 all conference type WRs, that tells me that they don't really respect Rocco and are counting on him to put the ball up for grabs.

 

[Allikat]

How concerned should we be about the West Virginia opening? Because I have no doubt that if Anthony Becht gets the job, Rocco will go with him. Saw that the Penn State OC is interviewing for the job, so that’s promising

While I don't want to lose anyone with talent and leadership, I would much rather lose a guy that wants to play for his dad than one that gets lured to a SUC or big school for money.

If this happens I would be happy for the Becht family.

 

[clonehome]

Agree, if Rocco left for WV I think we'd be fine. He's good, but he's not Brock Purdy carry the program for 4 years good. If Purdy left those years we had nothing behind him. I think Moberly is good enough that we'd be fine.

I'd much rather Rocco stays for 2 more years though.

Rocco is “Brock Purdy carry the program good” thru his first 2 years, so yes we would like to have him for all 4 years. But that’s not to say Moberly won’t be a great QB himself. We’re in great shape at that position.

Besides I don’t think Anthony will be a serious candidate for the WVU job.

 

[stewart092284]

Moberly would more than handle the job. And we have Manske in waiting. QB pipeline is strong.

See, here's the thing.

Athletically and from a purely physical gift / tool set? Yes. I think if you could find a way to just simply break down who has a stronger arm, a little more fluidity in the hips when it comes to running / escapability etc - sure. Based on the small sample size, Moberly is probably more gifted there.

HOWEVER... and this is a huge however... the other stuff is also critical. The leadership, poise, grit, toughness, yes I know they are kinda the same thing but also kinda different IMO, are all things that Rocco has in spades. I'm not saying Moberly doesn't possess those things as well, he might, but IDK. That's where it gets tricky when saying oh the back ups better. Not just at QB but any position and it gets magnified as does most everything else when talking QB's. Its kinda like Beau in a sense. Beau's shoulder from reports is so banged up that he more or less is playing with one functioning arm. Now, is a safety with two arms or who can lead with both shoulders "technically" better in terms of physical traits? Sure. Kinda like Verdon with two healthy hands is better than Verdon with one hand in a cast.

But those guys all have a leadership, toughness and grit that makes it hard to say replacing them is easy and in fact its very hard to do as we've seen defensively , at least in season. When you have a whole off-season to prepare the replacement, then it becomes, in theory, slightly easier. In theory.

If you gave me the choice of keeping either Big Citrus or Rocco or Verdon or Rocco... I'm probably leaning Big Citrus / Verdon. Simply because we've seen the defense carry the team before, hell, the defense darn near carried us to a bowl game in 2022.


That's not a knock on Rocco. And maybe Moberly would be able to lead and do these things, IDK. But Rocco's an incredible gamer / competitor and leader. And while physically there maybe more skilled people out there, those traits are like a strong arm or elite speed. Not everyone has them. And we've seen the last two years that you combine good enough physical traits with elite intangibles , and you get good results.

 

[mj4cy]

I mean Rocco is the starter of a team on the verge of the CFP....why start over for a lateral at best move?

 

[dosry5]

Have to see how Mande’s elbow comes out first.

 

[BCClone]

View attachment 138933

Man I love autocorrect when it thinks it knows more than the person typing

 

[Cyclonepride]

This.

Rocco is 100% the unquestioned starter, and deservedly so.

But if we're being objective, his value has mostly been as a gamer and a leader, a nicer way of saying a game manager.

Those traits are essential to being a successful quarterback, no doubt. But the physical or statistical component is very important too, and he hasn't exactly blown anyone away in that regard much of the time.

I'm very excited to see what Moberly and the Algona kid coming in can do when the time comes. But the ball is in Rocco's court when that happens as long as he's here. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it either way.

No idea how Rocco is being undervalued at this point, but here we are

 

[jmb]

No idea how Rocco is being undervalued at this point, but here we are

You must be new here

 

[CycloneVet]

When I hear game manager I think of Iowa's QB's. Hand the ball off, make short throws and don't do anything to lose the game. Also, game managers don't drive their teams down the field for game winning drives.

Multiple times

 

[stewart092284]

Game manager gets such a bad knock and IDK why. 75-85% of QB's in the NFL are game managers. The guys who aren't?

Burrow
Mahomes
Jackson
Allen
Stroud probably
Love


Maybe 1-2 more. IDK.

It gets such a negative connotation but the reality is, IMO, most guys are game managers. Guys who can win games, guys who can play, but not guys who are going to out right win you games by doing something insane like Seneca's scramble and run. Or Allen's 4th down run versus KC etc.

It's kinda like baseball. If you have a pitcher who gives you 6-7 innings consistently and allows 3-4 runs ... but isn't going to ever "dominant" a game versus prime Randy Johnson. Game manager should not be seen in a negative sense

 

[State2015]

I mean Rocco is the starter of a team on the verge of the CFP....why start over for a lateral at best move?

…. To play for his dad?

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Why are people thinking a UFL head coach is that different than a college coach? He’s just need to hire an experienced recruiting coordinator. The football side isn’t that different.

You're joking right?

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Not sure if it is true, but I have read where WVU's roster is the highest paid in NIL money. If that's true, it doesnt look it. That would be a dagger to NB as well. Although I also heard Indiana has a very expensive NIL hoops roster--and they went 0-3 in the battle for atlantis. Sometimes you dont get what you pay for.

If RROD isnt the choice, it is stupid. He played for a pac 12 title at Arizonza, beating Oregon twice. He also put up 50 plus on gundy and oklahoma state when they were good. He did well at jacksonville state this year, and his teams are always physical and play with an edge. That's really all you can ask for.

Sure, his rosters sometimes have more than its share of convicts, and not many Christian athlete types, but his teams hit and hit hard.

Football is a different deal when it comes to NIL compared to hoops. Development is still going to matter in football and teams that try to just buy their rosters aren't going to pan out at a high clip. You only get 12 games and for most teams everyone of them counts. You are seeing teams struggle to come together in basketball too but they have a much longer season and you can afford to take some lumps.

 

[dunar]

Development is still going to matter in football and teams that try to just buy their rosters aren't going to pan out at a high clip.

Doesn't tOSU have an incredibly expensive roster this year, and they just lost to an average M? Says a lot, but I think there will be coaches that figure out how to get those purchased teams to play well together and be dominant at times. Hoping that's the exception, not the rule.

 

[CYdTracked]

I think people need to realize that while anything is possible Campbell has also built a program and culture here that players want to play and stay here as well. We have not seen our top players poached by other schools yet for the most part and that says a lot about the program we have built and will also give our collective some props for helping with retaining these guys as well.

I would like to think that with what Rocco has already done here and the leader that he has become that creating a legacy here would be high on his list. If taking a big paycheck to play at a bigger school was more important he would have left after last season as he probably would have easily had some lucrative deals offered (probably did behind the scenes if I had to guess with how this stuff is going these days.) He's also a competitor so while I am sure playing for your dad would be fun going into next season which roster is built to have a better season, I would guess ISU is going to be a much better situation than WVU too.

I'm not going to freak out, we just got our 1st 10 win season and an opportunity to make the CFP with a win on Saturday so let's enjoy the moment now and worry after the season about any player defections.

 

[JM4CY]

I do not understand the Rocco hate. At all. Anyone in that group is nuts.

 

[loyalsons4evertrue]

I just imagine moving from Tampa area to Morgantown and that's the last thing I'd want to do

 

[Malty Flannel]

See, here's the thing.

Athletically and from a purely physical gift / tool set? Yes. I think if you could find a way to just simply break down who has a stronger arm, a little more fluidity in the hips when it comes to running / escapability etc - sure. Based on the small sample size, Moberly is probably more gifted there.

HOWEVER... and this is a huge however... the other stuff is also critical. The leadership, poise, grit, toughness, yes I know they are kinda the same thing but also kinda different IMO, are all things that Rocco has in spades. I'm not saying Moberly doesn't possess those things as well, he might, but IDK. That's where it gets tricky when saying oh the back ups better. Not just at QB but any position and it gets magnified as does most everything else when talking QB's. Its kinda like Beau in a sense. Beau's shoulder from reports is so banged up that he more or less is playing with one functioning arm. Now, is a safety with two arms or who can lead with both shoulders "technically" better in terms of physical traits? Sure. Kinda like Verdon with two healthy hands is better than Verdon with one hand in a cast.

But those guys all have a leadership, toughness and grit that makes it hard to say replacing them is easy and in fact its very hard to do as we've seen defensively , at least in season. When you have a whole off-season to prepare the replacement, then it becomes, in theory, slightly easier. In theory.

If you gave me the choice of keeping either Big Citrus or Rocco or Verdon or Rocco... I'm probably leaning Big Citrus / Verdon. Simply because we've seen the defense carry the team before, hell, the defense darn near carried us to a bowl game in 2022.


That's not a knock on Rocco. And maybe Moberly would be able to lead and do these things, IDK. But Rocco's an incredible gamer / competitor and leader. And while physically there maybe more skilled people out there, those traits are like a strong arm or elite speed. Not everyone has them. And we've seen the last two years that you combine good enough physical traits with elite intangibles , and you get good results.

The bolded part is what recruiting ranking and natural talent can't replace. Avery Johnson on Saturday is the perfect example. He's a very good QB because he has a massive amount of natural talent. But when the game's on the line, he runs backwards 22 yards and takes a safety. When they have 1 final drive and the game is on his shoulders, he looks lost.