Mario Cristobal had some interesting words on the QB battle when he spoke to reporters on Thursday. His full quote is below:
Both Emory [Williams] and Reese [Poffenbarger] have really done a good job of staying on the heels of Cam [Ward]. Cam is obviously taking the ones reps and he deserves it. He's earned that and then both Emory and Reese are right after that.
You see a lot of really good things from Jacurri [Brown] and Judd Anderson and the limited reps he gets. You see a guy that's gonna be a really good player down the line. So it's a crowded room but a good room and a talented one. We haven't had that yet.
The most important thing is that they approach every day with a good attitude, and they're ready to compete. We'll see how it all shakes out at the end of spring ball.
I touched on this topic on the CanesInSight Daily Podcast. An edited transcript of my comments is below:
On Coach Cristobal’s comments: If you ask me who the leaders are, it's going to be Reese Poffenbarger and Emory Williams. Those were the two names that Mario mentioned first. I've said in the past, and I believe to be the case, that Reese Poffenbarger entered the competition in pole position. Emory was coming off an injury to his non-throwing wrist. He was practicing, but gearing up. Emory's making a nice push right now.
It’s a long way until Gainesville. But mory's starting to push and show what he can do. He’s healed up a little bit, gotten in better condition is more up to speed after his injury. It's going back and forth.
On Emory’s advantages in the battle: Last year, Emory started against Clemson, started against FSU, and played against our defense all year in practice. In terms of highly recruited ACC rosters, he's seen the top. He has experience against the best, even though he's just entering his second year. Size-wise is really where Emory shines. 6'4, big lower body. Heavy, but not too heavy. He brings top-end size to the position.
And then it’s the character with Emory Williams. You talk to anybody in that building, and if you've seen him in the interviews, he's just an A+ character dude. Likable, smart, hardworking, humble, but confident and tough. You saw him the FSU game when he ran and got injured trying to get that first down.
Accuracy is good as well. Very well-coached, good footwork, very polished type of player.
On Reese: He's not as big as Emory, of course. He was an FCS All-American at the University of Albany. So he hasn't played the same competition as Emory has played. But he’s started a lot more games. FCS football is still college football. And he's been a star. He hasn't just been a guy that manages the game. With Emory, the game plan was for him to not lose the game because he was so young. Reese, at his level, was carrying his team farther than they usually go and winning games almost on his own. So a much different role.
Physically, I would say if you're comparing arm strength, slight edge to Poffenbarger. Emory’s arm is not bad at all. But I think Poffenbarger has a little more twitch in his arm. Emory really needs to be in position. Poffenbarger can be a little bit out of position and still generate velocity with his arm.
That also speaks to athleticism, where I would give a significant advantage to Poffenbarger. He’s a much more athletic player. He not only has the ability to run for yards, but also to create and throw off-platform. I give Poppenbarger a significant edge there.
You've seen in his highlights where Poff gets out of the pocket and just chucks the ball downfield into one-on-one coverage. Spectacular plays. He tries plays like that here, as well. His arm strength has translated.
Accuracy-wise, I would give Emory the edge. When his feet are set, it’s a significant edge. Poppenbarger is OK with his accuracy from what I've seen, but Emory is very accurate when his feet are set.
When their feet are not set, I give Poffenbarger the edge because he's just more athletic. Intangible-wise, they’re different. Both really hardworking guys. Emory has been here longer, so he knows everybody. Poffenbarger is new to the situation. Both guys are very competitive.
On who has the edge: I personally would give Poffenberger the edge because of his athleticism. But Emory's starting to get healthy and make his run. There’s a lot of people in the building who absolutely love Emory Williams, both because of the person he is and what he showed on the field last year in a very tough situation.
A lot of you guys will be attending the spring game or watching on ACCXN. That's going to be the one of the real stories of that game. Who performs under the lights? This battle is far from over.
On Jacurri Brown: He was mentioned by Coach Cristobal after those two. That matches what I’ve seen and heard that he's a little behind in terms of the quarterback battle right now. The running ability of Jacurri Brown is exceptional. Big arm. Size. Tough, smart, good kid. Everybody likes him.
I still believe Jacurri Brown can be a FBS quarterback. In my opinion, the system for Jacurriy Brown will need to be built more around his running. That will allow his strengths to play up. But we've seen him win and give Miami a chance to win games. He can do that here, but if you're evaluating this battle, I would say Emory and Reese are ahead of Jacurri right now.
On Judd Anderson: Judd is in a very unique situation. It’s unusual to have a quarterback room at Miami where you have five scholarship players. I can't think of the last time that's happened. With five scholarship players, the reps are not going to be as available as they otherwise would, especially when the other four guys have started games.
So Judd's had limited opportunities. But when he's played, he showed a lot of ability, as Cristobal alluded to. This is someone who's 6'7. Looks the part. The weight's starting to come on. He throws the ball smooth and easy.
He's more athletic than you think. He can run. It's not full contact, but he looks like he can move at this level. Is he gonna escape trouble like someone who's 6'1 and super athletic? Probably not. He's 6'7. There are limitations. But he is athletic at 6'7.
Judd has shown a lot of intriguing tools. But it’s still so early in his development. Number one, we haven’t seen him enough. Number two, we haven’t seen him in full contact where they're trying to hit him and tackle him. We won't see that until he plays in a game. We have very limited evidence of how he processes with bodies flying. So very, very, very early in the Judd Anderson evaluation process, But from a physical tool standpoint, you like what you see. If the character matches the reports, he has a lot of upside.
You guys will have an opportunity to make your own evaluations at the spring game. Looking forward to it.
