TENNESSEE SENIOR QUARTERBACK JUSTIN WORLEY
Stats: 157-of-252, 62.3 percent, 1,579 passing yards, 12 passing TDs, 8 INTs, 29 sacks, 124.3 rating
Big-time game: No question, his best game came in a losing effort against the Georgia Bulldogs. Worley was 23-of-35 for 264 yards and three touchdowns, with zero interceptions. He single-handedly almost upset the Bulldogs in Athens and made some very impressive throws. He showed me that he has the arm strength and the accuracy to make all the throws.
Not his best effort: His worst game came against Ole Miss. Justin went 19-of-34 for 191 yards, zero touchdowns and three picks. Not exactly the game he wanted to end his senior year, as he got knocked out of that game with a shoulder injury. Ole Miss had one of the best defenses this year so you have to take that into consideration.
Improvements: He was one of the more improved quarterbacks I saw this year. He improved in every category from the 2013 year as he threw for 300 more yards (while missing the last five games), completed 7 percent more of his passes (55 to 62 percent), threw two more touchdowns and his rating improved seven points. He showed a stronger arm, more accurate passes and a better knowledge of the offense. He was also surrounded by young teammates and a weak offensive line, so that’s another aspect to think about.
Strengths: His size (6-foot-4, 225 pounds), arm talent and toughness are his biggest assets. I say toughness because the guy was whacked all year long as he was sacked 29 times in seven games. That doesn’t count the amount of times he was knocked down, either. He showed the ability to make all the throws and the toughness to stand in the pocket. Those aren’t easy to do when you have 300-pound men trying to take your head off.
Weakness: His weakness was that he wasn’t made of steel. He was having a pretty solid senior season and his body just couldn’t keep handling the abuse it was taking. He did struggle at some times with his accuracy and mechanics, but I can’t really blame him. It’s tough to have proper mechanics and good accuracy when you’re constantly getting harassed by the defense. He tried his damnedest.
Overall: I felt sorry for Worley this year. As you can see in the stat column, he was sacked 29 times his senior year and ultimately got hurt for the rest of the season. I was really impressed with him after watching the game against Georgia this year and saw the talent. Hopefully he gets healed fairly quickly and gives playing at the next level a shot.
The Man. The Myth. The Legend.
