NY Times: Difficult Shift From College Spread to the Pros

[MuskogeeHogFan]

NFL personnel discuss how they find it easier to predict a successful transition for certain players to the NFL based on the systems employed by their schools. Hunter Henry is one example that they speak of in this article.

Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry is seen as a high pick because he ran routes in a pro-style system, a rarity in college football.

With regard to O-Linemen: Rick Spielman, the Vikings' general manager, noted how difficult it could be "to teach them how to get into a three-point stance, how to run-block," because of the restrictions on practice time under the labor agreement.

Mike Solari, the Giants' offensive-line coach, said there was "a tremendous learning curve as far as technique and fundamentals for young offensive linemen" entering the league. "There is always a sense of urgency to get them up to speed," he said.

With regard to DB's however: But defensive backs have prospered from the proliferation of wide-open offenses. "The ball is in the air more, they are learning to tackle out more in the open grass," Savage said. "It is a tough job for those college D.B.s, playing against three and four receivers every snap. Colleges run two receivers deep on one side, they exit the field, and two fresh receivers are basically doing the same thing on the next play. The D.B. is the same guy. He's learning from that."

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/23/sports/football/a-difficult-shift-from-college-spread-to-pros.html?_r=0

[IronMountainHog]

But Malzahn and Briles are coaching geniuses lol. They sure have flooded NFL rosters with their quarterbacks who lit it up (sarcasm).

[JIHawg]

I hope this kind of stuff is a part of our recruiting messaging.  It sure should be.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I hope this kind of stuff is a part of our recruiting messaging.  It sure should be.

Another excerpt from the article speaks directly to your point.

So, you have a quarterback who played in the spread and never took a snap at the line of scrimmage. And receivers who do not understand route trees. Not to mention linebackers who rarely played in tight quarters. And blockers who have not gotten into a three-point stance since high school. Or junior high.

[TUSKtimes]

Wish I could tell everyone that the spread is dead, but still fun to read on the disadvantages others are going through because of it. On the bright side, we get a lot of kids who say they're at Bama to prepare to play in the NFL. The diversity of the pro-set, the fundamentals taught to each position are valid reasons Bama has enjoyed incredible success in this hurry up, spread em out era, (I mean error), of college football. 

[ChicoHog]

I've been saying it for years.  There has not been one successful NFL QB who came from a "throw it every down shotgun" offense yet.  Jared Goff may be the first but time will tell.  Newton came from Malzahn's spread but I don't count that as it was only one year and it was a running offense more than passing.  None of Leach's QBs have done anything in the league nor have Baylor's.  Oregon neither although Mariotta may make it.  Eventually some will as there are so many it's bound to happen. 

[ChitownHawg]

I've been saying it for years.  There has not been one successful NFL QB who came from a "throw it every down shotgun" offense yet.  Jared Goff may be the first but time will tell.  Newton came from Malzahn's spread but I don't count that as it was only one year and it was a running offense more than passing.  None of Leach's QBs have done anything in the league nor have Baylor's.  Oregon neither although Mariotta may make it.  Eventually some will as there are so many it's bound to happen.

Cam's success in the NFL can be attributed to his competitive nature and drive to excel. Malzahn is simply a footnote in Cam's biography. 

[Inhogswetrust]

But Malzahn and Briles are coaching geniuses lol. They sure have flooded NFL rosters with their quarterbacks who lit it up (sarcasm).

I'm sure some have lit it up............Oh wait you mean playing a football game.

[Rison Razor Hog]

I'm sure some have lit it up............Oh wait you mean playing a football game.

Humor, hah! 

I guess we'll see what happens. Every year there are spectacular busts after players have to meet expectations and then flame out. From the teams' and league's perspective, the poor draft decisions don't seem to cost too many jobs. I reckon it'll all come out in the wash.

[DeltaBoy]

It been a sad story how all these all world Spread QB's have flamed out in the NFL!

[hogsanity]

The article, to me anyway, pointed out the lack of teaching that the non skill positions are dealing with. It is almost unthinkable that a lineman coming out of college would not know how to run block., or receivers basically who only know how to run a couple of routes, but have no idea on how to do the other things they need to do in the nfl.

[Seebs]

When I played the only thing I learned was to move when the coach swung his whistle to hit me in the helmet.
Oh, and to not eat Black Cherry ice cream right before two-a-days.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

The article, to me anyway, pointed out the lack of teaching that the non skill positions are dealing with. It is almost unthinkable that a lineman coming out of college would not know how to run block., or receivers basically who only know how to run a couple of routes, but have no idea on how to do the other things they need to do in the nfl.

Amen to that. Pretty sad state of affairs.

[longpig]

I've been saying it for years.  There has not been one successful NFL QB who came from a "throw it every down shotgun" offense yet.  Jared Goff may be the first but time will tell.  Newton came from Malzahn's spread but I don't count that as it was only one year and it was a running offense more than passing.  None of Leach's QBs have done anything in the league nor have Baylor's.  Oregon neither although Mariotta may make it.  Eventually some will as there are so many it's bound to happen.

The failure of June Jones' record setting Hawaii QBs in the pros is the first time I took notice.

[Hogs run wild]

The failure of June Jones' record setting Hawaii QBs in the pros is the first time I took notice.

was Andre ware and David kingler ahead of your time?

[MuskogeeHogFan]

was Andre ware and David kingler ahead of your time?

Ware (7th pick of the 1st Round in 1990) spent four years with Detroit, playing 14 games and starting six: then-coach Wayne Fontes insisted on starting the oft-injured Rodney Peete, and usually replacing Peete with Erik Kramer when Peete was hurt or played poorly. Fontes generally only played Ware when the Lions were out of the playoffs or already losing a game by a wide margin. Ware's best stretch came late in the 1992 season when the Lions were out of the playoffs: he won two of three games. The loss came on Monday Night Football to the San Francisco 49ers. He began 1994 on the roster of the Los Angeles Raiders, but was released after several games. In 1995 he was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, one of the NFL's two expansion teams that year. As a former Heisman Trophy winner, Ware's presence gathered much local excitement in Jacksonville,[2] but ultimately, Ware was cut from the team the week before the regular season began.

Ware also played in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Rough Riders, the BC Lions and the Toronto Argonauts (where he backed up fellow Heisman winner Doug Flutie), and five games with the Berlin Thunder, a German NFL Europe team.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Ware

Klingler was taken in the 1st round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. From 1992 to 1995 he played for the Bengals—starting for the Bengals in 1993 and 1994 before losing his job to Jeff Blake. He then played two seasons as a backup for the Oakland Raiders. In 1998, he signed with the Green Bay Packers to back up Brett Favre, but he was cut and didn't play.[2]

Klingler was not effective after undergoing shoulder surgery after the 1994 NFL season and had shoulder surgery after his third season, at which point he knew his career was all but done. Before the operation he could heave a ball 85 yards; afterward he struggled to reach 35.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Klingler

They didn't exactly set the world on fire in the NFL.

[snoblind]

I'm sure some have lit it up…………Oh wait you mean playing a football game.

solid...

[ChicoHog]

The failure of June Jones' record setting Hawaii QBs in the pros is the first time I took notice.

That's a great example.  Colt brennan had a cup of coffee with the Redskins I think and that was it.  Same as all of Leach's Texas Tech QBs. 

[Hawgzinbowlz]

Developing a reputation for having the system that has a player well prepared for the NFL will help our recruiting exponentially...as it sells...particularly with our increased success.

At this time in the recruiting process our current recruiting targets seem to be more positive than in years past.

" GO HOGS "

[Hogs run wild]

They didn't exactly set the world on fire in the NFL.

Thanks for making my point.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Thanks for making my point.

It was a good point.

[ChitownHawg]

was Andre ware and David kingler ahead of your time?

These are the two QBs you decide to base your argument on? 

[DeltaBoy]

Run and Shoot QBs and all of Leaches and June Jones boys all flamed out or never made it to the NFL.

[longpig]

was Andre ware and David kingler ahead of your time?

Were before I took notice, American football was a little hard to follow from roadless Himalayan villages in the early to mid 90s.

[Pancetta]

Derw Brees is the only NFL successful  spread guy I can think of but I don't believe he ran a hurry up no huddle.

[Hogs run wild]

Were before I took notice, American football was a little hard to follow from roadless Himalayan villages in the early to mid 90s.

No worries. Just wondering if anyone else remembered what I remembered about the old SWC days. Back in the day, Houston Cougers had WRs running all over the field putting up crazy numbers. We (the Hogs) had a slow defense built to stop run oriented teams. We won our fair share of games against them though.

[DeltaBoy]

The Run and Shoot was pretty wild but Hatfield's D Coach figured it out.

[Tier1hog]

I've been saying it for years.  There has not been one successful NFL QB who came from a "throw it every down shotgun" offense yet. Jared Goff may be the first but time will tell.  Newton came from Malzahn's spread but I don't count that as it was only one year and it was a running offense more than passing.  None of Leach's QBs have done anything in the league nor have Baylor's.  Oregon neither although Mariotta may make it.  Eventually some will as there are so many it's bound to happen.

Drew Brees.

[ChicoHog]

It was so long ago I don't remember much about Brees days at Purdue.  Was Joe Tiller his coach?  I think he came from Wyoming and he did throw it a lot. 

I just read an article in SI about the pro GMs and coaches frustration with today's college player and lack of fundamentals.  OL not learning how to block out of 3 point stance, QBs who can't read defenses, WRs who only know a few different patterns, etc.,  They mentioned programs like Iowa, Wisconsin, Stanford, Alabama, Michigan and Michigan st etc., as colleges that still us pros style offenses but no mention of the Hogs.