VFL-in-South-GA

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To your point, Tua played exactly one half of a game that Alabama wasn’t winning by 70 his freshman year. Jake from was forced into action as a freshman and was never tasked with being the focal point of an offense that had (what seemed like 11 or 12) 2 NFL ready seniors in the backfield, and Lawrence wasn’t the starter until week 5 his freshman year. And all of those teams had top 5 defenses and didn’t have to win a shootout. Im not saying don’t play him... I’m saying bring him along because he’s not going to be up to speed on day one. Even in 6A Georgia high school football, he didn’t see defenses with as much recovery or closing speed. There are nuances to the game that a freshman just will not be ready for. If he can learn them through experience against weaker competition when the game is in hand, all the better. And maybe, we can reserve a year of eligibility in the process.
While he may be the most talented quarterback on the roster, it’s very unlikely that a true freshman can come in and be The best option at this level. There was better arm talent on the bench last year (see Shrout to Calloway in-stride for 55 yds and a TD). There were better legs on the bench last year in Maurer. But what Coach JP gets paid millions of dollars to do, is to maximize the chances of winning. JG gave the vols that chance. Whether it was calling protection at the line or checking into the right run fit (see Eric Gray’s game winning TD in the Gator Bowl), or the countless other attributes it takes to be successful in the SEC, JG is clearly ahead of the rest of the roster in that regard. That’s why the staff continued to go back to him again and again. It’s going to take more than raw talent to remove a 5th year senior from the starting line up. There is no overnight cure for what ails Vol Nation. Even Peyton Manning struggled as a freshman. I think we might be getting the cart out in front of the horse with this one.