Quarterback Development

I’ve been really happy with our quarterback development since Major Applewhite arrived. The improvement in Greg Ward was very evident. And King seems to be much improved this year as well. Love to see the improvement from one year to the next.

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Completely agree and I love how while they are waiting their turn and being developed they are contributing to the team as a WR, which is good for their potential pro career as well. Win-win-win.

I don’t know if I agree that the improvement in Ward was very evident, I would even say he was a more effective player in 2015 than 2016.

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Yeah, not sure Ward was any better of a QB in 2016 than he was in 2014. The team was better but Greg was always a play maker.

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Before Applewhite was well Travis Bush, definitely an improvement. :joy:

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Is King’s improvement Applewhites doing or Briles?

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Both. Briles system is the right system to highlight King’s strengths. CMA gets some credit for recognizing that.

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Would have to say Briles. OC or OC/QB coach is the one that should be spending most of the time with the QBs. HC has other duties.

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I’ll go with more time as a starter. He is more experienced. Had a whole spring as the starter. Had a whole month this summer with the 1s. If he didn’t improve, then something would be wrong.

I do know, looking at Applewhite’s history with so many teams, Ward was the first to look above average or better with Applewhite as a QB. Patterson at Syracuse did better the year after Applewhite was gone. Chase Clement did about the same the first year after Applewhite and then much better the next year. John Parker Wilson played about the same under Applewhite as he did the previous year and Greg McElroy did much better the next year.

Applewhite was at UT for 5 years before given the QB coach spot. The two QBs went from a combined 25 TDs, 11 INTs and a 154 rating to 18 TDs, 15 INTs and a 117 rating under Applewhite.

With all of that in mind, I’m pretty certain that Applewhite was getting all of those jobs because of his recruiting and not because of the results he was getting out of QBs.

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Ward injured his shoulder against OU that he never fully recovered from in 2016.

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Ditto. The injury really hurt him and he became more cautious