Ricky Town to Hogs

[B501]

To a top notch prospect like Town "You earn everything" is a BONUS not a problem

then why did he leave USC? 

[ricepig]

then why did he leave USC? 

Depth chart and a different style than he thought/wanted.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

then why did he leave USC? 

Change in offensive philosophy from Pro Style to Spread HUNH.

[B501]

Depth chart and a different style than he thought/wanted.

this is sarkisians 2nd year with USC, surely the kid knew what he was getting into. he committed to usc in january 2014 - after sark was hired! surely he watched the trojans offense in 2014? something doesnt add up...

[MuskogeeHogFan]

this is sarkisians 2nd year with USC, surely the kid knew what he was getting into. he committed to usc in january 2014 - after sark was hired! surely he watched the trojans offense in 2014? something doesnt add up...

I think he was lured by the USC reputation for having produced the most NFL QB's in the last 20 years. Big name program, big media program, great reputation and he is from S. California. That said he was previously committed to Alabama, decommited and re-comitted to USC, probably wanting to stay closer to home. Understandable. Then after a Spring and Summer in the program it became evident that his style of QB'ing wasn't going to fit with their preferred style, so he looked for a new home that better fit his style of play.

[ricepig]

this is sarkisians 2nd year with USC, surely the kid knew what he was getting into. he committed to usc in january 2014 - after sark was hired! surely he watched the trojans offense in 2014? something doesnt add up...

Depth chart, pretty sure those were the first two words of my reply.

[southeasthog]

Starting QB is earned, just like everything else.

Nope. Town was promised the starting job. lrcentral said so.

[Svrdhd]

This kid had options outside Arkansas, he could certainly be starting on Saturdays in 2016 at a number of schools. He either saw or learned (maybe from his QB mentors) that Fayetteville was his best chance to get on the field next year at a P5 program that matched his style.

The fact that classes start next week probably also helped as he needed to make a pretty quick decision.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

this is sarkisians 2nd year with USC, surely the kid knew what he was getting into. he committed to usc in january 2014 - after sark was hired! surely he watched the trojans offense in 2014? something doesnt add up...

And then after he committed they signed another star duel threat QB. Because that is the offense they changing to. They just needed the right personal.

[Pig in the Pokey]

To a top notch prospect like Town "You earn everything" is a BONUS not a problem because it means that every position on the field is open for competition every year. So a RS FR will not lose out to Ty Storey or Austin Allen just because they are home town favorites, or because they have been in the system longer.

Any one of the QB's could win in the Spring. Town surely has the talent to be in the mix or this would not even be news, but all the coaches had to promise him was that there are no favorites.

Starting QB is earned, just like everything else.

i totally concur.

[Pig in the Pokey]

I think he was lured by the USC reputation for having produced the most NFL QB's in the last 20 years. Big name program, big media program, great reputation and he is from S. California. That said he was previously committed to Alabama, decommited and re-comitted to USC, probably wanting to stay closer to home. Understandable. Then after a Spring and Summer in the program it became evident that his style of QB'ing wasn't going to fit with their preferred style, so he looked for a new home that better fit his style of play.

this is correct. he has been looking since spring. he was sold a bill of goods by their QB coach and Sark, just like a lot of coaches do (saban comes to mind with all his targeted vs in-conference foes recruiting- aka 2nickles, bigJosh, etc). He had the resources in the family to actually do something about it. Woo pig, our gain.

[reddogjcss]

Glad he's here, says a lot for where our program is headed if one transferred than several are looking and new recruits are also looking.
I'm sure Towns will have to win the spot just like every player at every position.

[PRORODEO51]

Does anyone know what number Ricky Town will be wearing?

[supersaint]

After watching film, what I like most about a quarterback is his ability to throw footballs.

[Westcoasthog]

     Welcome to the University of Arkansas Ricky Town.  You will take Arkansas to the SEC Championship, and on to the National Title.

[ChitownHawg]

You watch the videos and when he talks football he reminds me of Mallett. Big football junkie who loves reading defenses.

[PonderinHog]

You watch the videos and when he talks football he reminds me of Mallett. Big football junkie who loves reading defenses.

My first thought was Mallett with wheels.

[pigheaded]

However, for Ty, his highlights weren't full of him being physically superior to everybody else. Almost every play, he is under intense pressure and most of his throws were to really tight coverage. He showed poise and technique as a sophomore in HS that some college qb's don't have. There lies my biggest concern with him. With a lot of HS kids, you see a lot of raw athleticism an potential, but they have a lot of technique left to learn. Is Ty already at his peak? As for what he brings to the table, he reminds me a lot of Mallett with a sprinkling of TW. I have no idea where the weak arm info is coming from because he seems to have arm strength just a step or so below Mallett's.

Disagree
Saw him many times
Receivers were generally open, 3A and 4A DBs were not that great
And there is something off about his mechanics
And not impressed w arm strength either
Coaching will help a LOT though

[HognitiveDissonance]

One thing you can rest assured of, the starter will be the guy BB thinks gives them the best chance to win games. I wont be any grand conspiracy, it will simply be BB saying "__________ gives us the best chance to win ".

This is true, and here's why.
It's a selfish reason, if for no other.
The coach's job is on the line. He needs to win games to keep his job. Therefore, regardless of any other factors, he will play the guy who helps him win games.

[ricepig]

Maybe he thought Sark was too "common?"

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/23/sark-after-dark-usc-hc-reportedly-locked-loaded-at-booster-event/

[bennyl08]

Disagree
Saw him many times
Receivers were generally open, 3A and 4A DBs were not that great
And there is something off about his mechanics
And not impressed w arm strength either
Coaching will help a LOT though

Never saw him play in person, just going off his hudl tapes. It seemed like each play, he was under heavy pressure and each throw his receivers were mostly blanketed. Also, I'm not seeing the arm strength issues that others are. He can throw it 30 yards downfield on an absolute rope while falling down with just a flick of his wrist. His deep balls are very accurate too. He uses touch on a lot of his throws because he knows that you don't have to rifle every single pass because that is how you get drops. However, at least in HS, he could hit the 50 yard deep ball with extreme accuracy and didn't need to wind up to do it. Not quite Mallett arm strength, but a several steps above wilson and just a step less than Mallett, IMO. If he has one of the weaker arms among our guys, then watch out because we will have a full on qb war this spring.

[ChitownHawg]

My first thought was Mallett with wheels.

True.  He does get his wheels moving faster than Mallett.

[PonderinHog]

True.  He does get his wheels moving faster than Mallett.

He also has that quick, efficient release - not a lot of wasted motion.

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

Just like that a-hole Eric Bolin should not have written the negative column about Bielema sacrificing his principles and Town having baggage (totally unfounded read RD and Tom Murphy in today's ADG), I do not have a favorite QB.  I'm not going to be some armchair coach and say Ty is better than Rafe, or Town is better than Austin, and try to pick apart their games.  I've been down that road with BA and shouldn't have.  They are all Razorbacks and unless one of them is a negative on or off the field don't they all deserve fan support.  They game here with a goal in mind to be the starter and help the team win as many games as possible.

[Pig in the Pokey]

He also has that quick, efficient release - not a lot of wasted motion.

much better than Barnett's long, slow, Teabow-esque delivery

[PonderinHog]

much better than Barnett's long, slow, Teabow-esque delivery

You noticed that too?

[Pig in the Pokey]

Maybe he thought Sark was too "common?"

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/23/sark-after-dark-usc-hc-reportedly-locked-loaded-at-booster-event/

Damn! Not being a good little Mormon, is he? My favorite is the [CENSORED] jokes bwahaha , in front of all those families, staff, boosters, etc. What a TOOL!
Kinda puts perspective on the "He's a good man. I want to be a man like Coach B.", huh?
some epic tweets
It got so bad, SBNation.com reports, that "Sarkisian could not complete his speech and was pulled off stage by athletic director Pat Haden and former Trojan legend John McKay."

Reilly McHugh
My how times haven't changed. This guy is the biggest scumbag ever. Known all around Seattle for his drunken antics. I know a sea gal that he banged and there's rumors he paid a UW staffer to get an abortion. Take that with a grain of salt but basically he's the lowest of them all. I am a huge SC fan and was disgusted by his hire. I thought at least this was gonna be the year. Now I have my doubts
Like · Reply · 1 · 3 hrs

Steve Sarkisian got drunk at a USC donor event last night and it makes me wonder if USC fans miss Lane Kiffin yet?

USC head football coach Steve Sarkisian got turnt up for the party last night in front of his team, his coaches, and some USC donors.

Sarkisian was reportedly slurring his words, dropping some F-bombs (I don't think he was talking about Finebaum), and made some sex jokes. Here's a sampling of what the USC fanboards are saying about it:

"Apparently his drink of choice was Fieball shots."

"FFS people, he did the exact same darn a couple of years ago. Took the mic wasted and talked darn about Cal."

"He appeared to be drunk, slurred his speech, dropped an eff bomb. No doubt he was wasted, enough so that McKay and Hayden went backstage and were seen talking to him. He didn't come back. The program announcer and assistants finished the program. embarrassing."

"Other sites have him telling [CENSORED] jokes in mixed company."

"Wait for the video to hit social media."

Actually the fact that the video hasn't hit social media yet feels like a miracle. How in this day and age of camera phones do we not have a drunk coach Sark video yet?

Steve Sarkisian is going through a divorce, but this is way beyond the pale.

Sarkisian has apologized saying: "I sincerely apologize to my players and staff and to our fans for my behavior and my inappropriate language at our kickoff event Saturday night. I have a responsibility to all of them and I let them down. Pat Haden talked to me after the event about my actions and I assured him this will not happen again."

[Pig in the Pokey]

You noticed that too?

indeed. Town has that Marino flick. Did you watch the Elite 11 video posted down in recruiting forum? Such a great, inspiring film!!

[PonderinHog]

indeed. Town has that Marino flick. Did you watch the Elite 11 video posted down in recruiting forum? Such a great, inspiring film!!

I scanned it.  Pretty good piece.

[Pig in the Pokey]

I scanned it.  Pretty good piece.

yeah, i was expecting it to be good but it was actually amazing.

[duckman]

then why did he leave USC? 

Maybe he thought the USC coach was a little too common?  Sark could have some issues, one day they might even become public, oh wait....

[ChitownHawg]

I do not have a favorite QB.  I'm not going to be some armchair coach and say Ty is better than Rafe, or Town is better than Austin, and try to pick apart their games.  I've been down that road with BA and shouldn't have.  They are all Razorbacks and unless one of them is a negative on or off the field don't they all deserve fan support.  They game here with a goal in mind to be the starter and help the team win as many games as possible.

I could not have said it better. Let them work it out in practice and on the field. Our coaches have earned our trust and they will put the right player on the field.

[oldhawg]

Just like that a-hole Eric Bolin should not have written the negative column about Bielema sacrificing his principles and Town having baggage (totally unfounded read RD and Tom Murphy in today's ADG), I do not have a favorite QB.  I'm not going to be some armchair coach and say Ty is better than Rafe, or Town is better than Austin, and try to pick apart their games.  I've been down that road with BA and shouldn't have.  They are all Razorbacks and unless one of them is a negative on or off the field don't they all deserve fan support.  They game here with a goal in mind to be the starter and help the team win as many games as possible.

Sometimes I miss the days when arguments about who the best quarterback is occurred only at the cafe over morning coffee, or at the barbershop.  But times have changed.

[Pork Twain]

Really unsure how to feel about this. My other favorite team, Virginia, welcomed former 5-star QB Phillip Sims as transfer from Bama 3 years ago and it was an unmitigated disaster from which the Wahoos still have not recovered. Of course, the coaching makes a big difference, but still ...

Please never discuss the Hogs and the Cavs in the same sentence unless we are talking baseball or basketball.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

Please never discuss the Hogs and the Hokies in the same sentence unless we are talking baseball or basketball.

They are the Cavs.

[MJ2]

This whole story is too wierd.   Will be interesting to see how it all plays out - if it does.

[scruf]

Damn! Not being a good little Mormon, is he?

Except that Sark, despite having attended BYU, was born and raised Catholic and remains so to this day.

[Pork Twain]

They are the Cavs.

Sorry I have Hokies on my mind, just moved my daughter into VT for her freshmen year this Saturday and I live in C'ville.

[Go hogs go]

After watching elite 11 with him in it. I don't believe any qb on campus can beat him if spends the next year training as hard as he can. The fact he started rough and turned whole week around to finish second in elite 11 was impressive. I believe it's an open competiton but I believe it's his for the taking.

[scruf]

After watching elite 11 with him in it. I don't believe any qb on campus can beat him if spends the next year training as hard as he can. The fact he started rough and turned whole week around to finish second in elite 11 was impressive. I believe it's an open competiton but I believe it's his for the taking.

He actually finished 8th in the final standings but still quite an accomplishment.

http://www.studentsports.com/football/2014/07/10/final-2014-elite-11-rankings/

[scruf]

I think Austin Allen is getting undersold quite a bit on here. I really think you're going to see the best QB competition that Arkansas has ever had this next spring. The Hogs have never had as many capable signal callers on the same roster from a talent standpoint. It should be fun to watch. May the best man win!

[hogsanity]

I think Austin Allen is getting undersold quite a bit on here. I really think you're going to see the best QB competition that Arkansas has ever had this next spring. The Hogs have never had as many capable signal callers on the same roster from a talent standpoint. It should be fun to watch. May the best man win!

What are you basing that they are all capable college signal callers on? Other than a few snaps for AA, none of them have taken a snap in a college game. 

[Go hogs go]

After watching his physical tools, knowledge of the game plus the ability to bounce back form poor play. There's nothing stopping this kid but himself. I'm glad we have good qb's but this kid has the potential to Great. AA will need to take more command and get quite a bit of solid playing time to win this job if this kid comes to play.

[RME]

What are you basing that they are all capable college signal callers on? Other than a few snaps for AA, none of them have taken a snap in a college game.

Bingo.

I know I will get lit up for this hypothetical, but what if Bielema wanted Town because the he sees the likes of what he has at QB for the future not getting it done? Again. Hypothetical. It's okay to question things and wonder about things, guys.

[hogsanity]

Bingo.

I know I will get lit up for this hypothetical, but what if Bielema wanted Town because the he sees the likes of what he has at QB for the future not getting it done? Again. Hypothetical. It's okay to question things and wonder about things, guys.

I think BB just wants to get the best talent he can at each position, and he felt Town was too good to pass up. He may think one of the other guys is the best HS Qb he ever recruited. But he is smart enough to not pass up a player with the potential of Town. If Town ends up starting in 2016, then he is either really really good, or all the other guys on campus are really really bad. If he ends up never playing a down, no harm was done.