Leal: Redshirt senior, has had two years under Lefty, consistently tied at the top of the depth chart, waited his turn
Brewer: slightly higher rated coming out of high school, two years of availability, more in game experience, more polished passer
Motley: a more mobile quarterback, 2 years under Lefty, two years of availability, had better spring, went to high school in the state of Virginia (9 of 10 starting quarterbacks for Virginia Tech in the Beamer Bowl era have graduated from high school in Virginia, the lone exception being Druck)
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Comments
There are only so many places you can go on the field. Chances are Brewer has seen it.
In limited film, Michael Brewer did not make careless mistakes that killed momentum and put team in bad field position.
I think it's pretty well accepted that if it is at all close, the job goes to Brewer or Motley.
The biggest thing against Leal in a close race is that he'd be one and done as a starter. I can't believe Loeffler would pick that over the chance to have a 2nd year starting QB going into next season. Unless Leal just completely outclasses the competition, I don't see him getting the nod.
I think Motley has more physical upside than either of the other guys, but missing all these reps so far is probably about as bad a situation he could have hoped for. So unless he gets back on the field and just blows it wide open, I don't think he has a very legitimate shot at this race to be the starter.
Brewer definitely looks the most confident, and has the experience to back that up. I have a feeling the players probably are going to respond better to him under center and in the clutch than the other guys. And I think the coaches fell confident that he is going to be a steady guy under center who can get the ball to a bigger bunch of play-makers on the same team than we've had in a long long time, while limiting turnovers with good decisions.
In the end, I really think this is Brewer's position to lose.
Brewer actually has less in-game experience than Leal. He also has three years of eligibility I believe.
?
Correction: Brewer does only have two years. But Leal has taken snaps in games for three years, Brewer just two.
Brewer has played more minutes than Leal I believe so I would count that as more experience.
3 years ago it would've been Leal since Brewer would not have been here and the coaches would go with seniority. Fortunately Frank shook up the staff (albeit a bit late for my taste) and we have/had a legit competition. I'd be shocked if Brewer doesn't take the field Aug. 30th. I'm happy that Leal has come on as late because you need to have a good backup just in case. Personally, I was rooting for Motley as the dark horse but it looks like the back injury derailed that for him (anyone else note the irony here since a back injury is what derailed Brewer at TTU).
Motley has the longest paragraph so therefore he should be the starter
flawless.
At the Sun Bowl, Mark Leal stunk-up that place so bad that its now in quarantine.
Leal should not be the starter unless Brewer and Motley get hurt
Why because of one game? If that were the case for Logan Thomas, Miami 2011 would have never happened.
Leal isn't the physical specimen that Logan was/is. You dont just bench/not play a raw talent like that. Leal lacks arm strength and accuracy, and just doesn't have the pocket presence imho, agree to disagree thats fine, but from what little I have seen from the other two, Leal shouldn't jumped ahead of them.
I see your point, but after the Clemson 2011 game that Logan had, nobody cared about Logan's size, potential, or raw talent. People were calling for Leal, and to (shocker) move LT to tight end. Then Logan went 23-25 3 TDs vs Miami. All I'm saying is although Leal might not be a Logan-type of player, don't make your assessment of him based off of two and a half quarters against a top 20 team.
I hear ya, but I am not basing it off just those quarters again UCLA. Its all those scrimmages, spring games, and scrap time he has gotten. Never really jumped out and impressed me ever. People calling for Leal when Logan struggled were crazy and just living game by game. Logan did have his struggles though out his career but there's a reason why the coaches didn't bench Logan even when he struggled.
It's worth noting that Lefty believes Leal is much-improved from his time in El Paso, for a number of reasons. If Leal does win the job, or even sees time as the backup because of an injury, we won't be seeing the same guy who threw away the Sun Bowl.
Well, if that does happen, I hope you are right
I should be more clear about this too, I am not trying to compare Leal to Logan, I am trying to compare what I have seen from Leal to what I have seen from Brewer and Motley.
If Leal starts, it says more about how little faith the coaches would have in Brewer or Motley than anything. Don't get me wrong, I like Leal, and I think he's done his role as backup very well, but if he were to start this year, Loeffler is looking at starting 3 different QBs in his first 3 years on staff, and 4 QBs in his first 4 if Brewer takes over next year. I just can't see that happening. You will see Brewer or Motley start this year (likely Brewer) and that guy will be the #1 going forward, unless another (with multiple years of eligibility remaining) legitimately beats him out. Loeffler needs to show he can develop a guy to impress future recruits, and I'm not so sure that playing Leal is going to accomplish that this year.
Motley is a r-So. 3 years of eligibility. That said. Brewer will win the job.
Don't sleep on Brewer's mobility.
We need to start the QB that will give us the most opportunity to win games this year. I do not believe that we can bank on any future productivity from any player. There are just too many variables in College Football to think about next year. Put the best 22 guys on the filed right now, no matter what their class or future eligibility is.
seconded
If you're a brand new coach and you're setting yourself up to start 3 different QBs in the span of your first 3 years (with potentially 5 QBs in 5 years if you go Logan-Leal-Brewer-Motley-Ford/Durkin) you are going to be very quickly be out of a job. Cycling through QBs at a rate like that is one of the quickest ways to create internal chaos in your football program, which is the absolute last thing we need right now when we're trying to show the world we're on the right track, offensively.
krak_t is dead on above. Leal would have to essentially be the Mike Vick to Brewer/Motley's Grant Noel for him to get the nod as starter this year. We just can't afford to get ourselves into a 1-and-done churn cycle at the QB position like would happen if Brewer or Motley wasn't the guy this year.
What happens if Leal was slightly ahead of Brewer/Motley, but we still started either of the latter two to provide continuity. Then Ford/Durkin come in strong next year and take the starting job. All of a sudden, we are still in the same situation (3rd QB in 3 years) and we didn't start our best QB this year.
That difference could swing 1 or 2 games this year.
Edit: grammared!
Start Brewer/Motley this year. If Ford/Durkin show they are so significantly better they justify starting as RS-Freshmen, so be it, go with them and be happy you've found your next 4 year starter.
Being slightly better for 1 year just doesn't override the benefit from having an experienced starter next year (especially when our coaches have openly talked about how they view 2015 as THE year for us). Right now, we do not have anyone with legitimate experience ready to take over. Sure, Leal played part of that Bowl game, but he was so in over his head it might as well have not counted. For him to get the nod, he would have to be so much better than the others that there was no way he couldn't start. That isn't happening, and as much as some might not like to hear it, for the sake of the future of this program, we're better off not going with him this year, even if that means taking on some growing pains early with Brewer/Motley.
Aren't you both saying the same thing? I didn't read Ohherro's post as saying anyone over anyone else. Just that the best player should play. He mentioned about continuity but didn't say it should or shouldn't be deciding factor.
And Alum07, you are saying here if Ford/Durkin are better play them. Same same. Them winning the job next year doesn't mean they will be 4 year starter though.
in the end, if Brewer played his nuts off this year and jumped to NFL it would be the same. If Durkin played his nuts off next year and then jumped to NFL after 2016, same. Then Ford after that, same... Point is you play the best people at their position. Fans like to debate that *cough* Leal over Logan debate *cough* but invariably coaches all have the same feeling. Play the best now.
I was actually saying that continuity should not be a deciding factor. The best player should be on the field at any given time.
Another scenario is that a starting QB (with multiple years of eligibility) goes down with an injury during spring/fall camp next year. There are just too many things that could go wrong that the team should not bank on a player's availability that far in the future.
I think if it were that clear-cut, we wouldn't be having the conversation at this stage of the game. The problem is that the competition is close. So unless someone truly separates himself over the next week (and if it goes right up to game time we are really hurting ourselves), then something must be the tie-breaker.
I think the prospect of having a veteran starter back next year qualifies as a tie-breaker.
I get what you are saying, but I really don't think it's as close as we believe. I have zero #sources to make that claim, but it's just my feeling that our QB likes to go fishing and sounds like someone who likes to have a beer.
I have the same feeling, truth be told.
I feel like we are most likely seeing the coaching staff trying to keep the motivation level high, and trying to be sure the person we think will be the starter responds well under pressure.
Leg for both of you. This makes the most sense.
Truthfully, I am hoping this is the case as well. I really hope it is being used for motivation and that the decision has already been made by the coaches. Otherwise, I'm really nervous about our QBs
to make beer. I'm pretty sure someone who likes to have a beer is called everybody. VT has no QBs with the last name everybody.
Ok I'll suit up but, my best pass is a long spiral underhand toss.
AKA Ref Pass
Rugby pass.
Texas forever.
Loeffler & Beamer wouldn't have shown interest in Brewer if they didn't see a big need for a starting quality QB. Brewer wouldn't have come just to be a backup. He had to have some sort of feeling that he could easily win the position. I think that the staff might be considering Leal's RS Senior status and letting it appear he's got a better shot than he actually does. Or, possibly, he's practiced really well and Brewer has practiced really poorly thus far. We've not heard any superlatives leaked about Leal the way we have Shai, for example, so I've got to think while Brewer might might not have shown all expected, that the real reason is to protect Leal's ego a little. Brewer will be the starter, though. If any other QB had performed outstandingly, we would have heard about it. We have not heard about it, so...
I would not at all be surprised to see both Brewer and Leal line up against W&M. Neither is going to redshirt so as long as they don't blow the game for us, having both of them play would be their final audition. Or, if they have one selected and are just keeping their hand close, they could use it to throw off OSU. Who knows, but the coaches have this under control.
We BETTER see both Brewer and (choose the backup, I expect Leal) both play against W&M. If not, that means the game is so close that we can't take a chance. I feel 99.9% on Brewer, but... yeah, we better see the backup. I think that's about the same probability as Brewer starting. And it won't be an audition for the OhState game, it will just be the first game of the season.
This is a no-brainer. Alphabetical order. 1) Brewer 2) Leal 3) Motley.
Grant Noel was a starter for one year and he is from West Virginia also AL Clark is from DC
Who's Grant Noel? He never existed. Have a leg anyways.
I've downed enough whiskey that Grant Noel should have been erased from my memory, but he's still there. Unfortunatey, alcohol doesn't have surgical strike capabilities. How did you manage to erase him from yours? Meanwhile, I'll keep carpetbombing brain cells trying to get the bastard.
Need me one of those. What's with our downvotes? Apparently Grant Noel reads TKP.
I didn't downvote, although I didn't like the comments.
I'd guess it has something to do with Hokies Respect.
Not a fan of piling on players who did their best and fell short for whatever reason, be it skill, athleticism, or coaching. My only exception is if you were a complete tool on and off the field. [cough] MV5 [cough]
As a relative newbie to the blog, do we get a lot of negativity during in games and during season? I am a Braves fan and left a site for this very reason.
Wait, you're trying to tell me there are enough Braves fans in one place to create a community?
Not that much, but we have a lot of new posters this year so I guess we will see.
From experience, I will recommend that anyone simply walk away from their computer if we end up in the losing column. Without fail, some genius always posts a rant (new topic or normal post to an existing thread) about how the sky is falling, players X, Y, and Z totally suck, Beamer should be fired, and/or that they have the magic solution for everything.
It's rare and isolated, and the level-headed crowd here remains that way, but you will probably see stuff that just makes you groan. Just look back at some of the threads from last season.
Other than that, watching games and conversing here on TKP while it's happening is just about my favorite thing to do. Enjoy that aspect of it!
What is it Frank always says? Something to the effect of - It's never as bad as it seems, or as good as it seems. Those peaks & valleys (wins&losses) will really get after ya. Gotta even them out. - Or at least he says something along those lines that would apply well to losses & internet critique afterwards.
Those Beamerisms, they'll get after ya. Too true.
Compared to the internet as a whole, not at all. However last season was the end of the most polarizing player I think we've had at Tech in quite some time in LT3, so it wasn't all unicorns and rainbows. That being said about 99% it was respectful as the TKP crowd doesn't tolerate disrespect.
During game threads, you see plenty of angst & frustration, but rarely do you see people just hating on the players.
Yeah, there may be criticism for a bad play directed at a player executing poorly, but historically, TKPers have been educated enough by TKP staff to recognize that a play's failure doesn't always happen where it looks like it obviously did, and moderate themselves accordingly.
Wit, Exuberance, and even Despair can be found, but rarely just raw and misplaced anger.
So taking plays off and burning the efforts of your teammates (see: Marcus Davis)? Yeah, that'll rightfully get called out on the boards.
Blowing an assignment? Yes, TKPers will often point out where someone seemed to screw up without calling into question their effort.
But giving 100% and just getting outplayed? To TKPers credit, the players are not often criticized on a personal basis, and if so, those comments generally receive pushback in the form of counter opinions or just down votes.
Well said. Also something for new folks to keep in mind - the game day threads move fast and can often top 1000 comments (multiple pages)! It's a lot to digest, but it's a ton of fun around here on game day, by and large.
yeah, sometimes I try to keep up on my phone, but after a quarter, I can't scroll fast enough.
Ha ha.
This is where my mind went:
"Myes, Hello, this is The Key Play. I'll tell you what's what. Punts is what. Punting is winning. I'm telling you kid, punting will get you far in this world, see? If you want to go far you have to be good at punting. I'm not just talking about being good at punting either, kid. I'm talking about being the very best that there ever was at punting. You gotta be good at punting. You gotta be good at punt returning. You gotta be good at put recovering. If you win at punting, then you win at football, and that's all the news that's fit to print."
-If not read in a 1920s newsman style, go back and try again.
exception has been Marcus Davis. He got panned by staff, fans and pundits alike.
I can't recall him having any issues with getting in trouble, though. How bad was he in the pantheon of players and people?
Yeah I never got the Marcus Davis hate train myself. I dont feel strongly enough about it to argue with people but to me sure, he didnt block well. He did catch the ball pretty well so theres that. Seems like he made some pretty big plays in some games.
Yeah, I'm not an MD7 hater in the least, but I definitely jump on the bandwagon for making fun of no blocking and general lollygagging. As long as I'm not forgetting some arrest or something, I could handle having another MD7 more than having an MV5 or a Pacman.
and we don't like lollygaggers
ahh yes, a fellow Braves fan, welcome!
Thanks,avtfan. Go Braves!
For the record, I wasn't calling Grant Noel a bastard. Just the brain cell responsible for those painful memories. Either way, I can admit maybe I went a little far.
Yea, he was no Sean Glennon...
/sarcastica
Thanks for all the answers, except for the guy who dissed my Braves. :-)
I will say this, as passionate as we probaly all are, I think it is fair to say we all can get pretty heated while watching games, at lane or on TV, and sometimes it can get the best of us.
I find it hard to believe that even if a player is trying their best, there hasn't been a time where all of us haven't said something in the lines of "Get him off the field", "He's soft", "He sucks", etc at least once. Now if we are all together watching the same game, I don't think any of us would be like, "Hey don'y say that, HOKIE RESPECT!!!" We all get caught up in the game sometimes, so bad mouthing players happens very often, like it or not. I am not advocating for it, just saying it happens when we get caught up in the emotions of the game/Hokie football.
Agree . Some on this site even purchase tickets & make donations, which pay for scholarships & coaches salaries, thus justifying both praise & criticism of coaches & to a certain extent players.
i really feel bad for motley in all this.... i think he could/should have won the starting job this year regardless of brewer coming in or not but now where does this kid stand? hes dropped to 3rd on the depth and in 2 years the comp. for the starting QB job i dont think he has a chance to even get a look. i wouldnt be suprised to see him leave the program before his senior season starts. just really feel for a guy that i think has ALOT of tallent. hope thats not what happens but i could see it.
I think his current injury cost him any chance of starting this year.. he can always compete when healthy, as many injuries as we've seen this year we can't assume the starting QB will play every down of every game
Definitely don't rule out Motley being able to compete for the job. It's not an accident a guy from a non-passing high-school offense got the nod over Leal coming out of spring ball.
Kid is a baller, and from all reports, had made big strides in his understanding and execution of the position.
He wouldn't have chosen to come to VT if he minded competition. If he just wanted to be a college superstar with no chances of a pro future, he would have gone to GT. When I saw GT was in the mix I was really concerned, because I thought he was a perfect fit to walk in there and make GT fans forget all about Josh Nesbitt.
Ford and Durkin (or someone else entirely) may ultimately lead this team after 2015, but I wouldn't count Brenden out by a long shot.
Motley would make a good QB if he stops getting hurt. for now hes more of a back up.
Didn't hurt that Zach Snell is his cousin and Zach's dad and uncle both played at Tech.
But yeah, I still wouldn't rule him out, otherwise they would have made the decision after the Saturday scrimmage.
Brewer will start the first few games , but will be on a very short leash as far as making errors & mistakes . If he is not capable, Motley will replace him if healthy. Everyone saw enough of Leal' in the Sun Bowl, one does not improve that much in a few short months.
I doubt the leash is all that short. I don't think Beamer/Loeffler will be to excited about the possibility of bouncing from QB to QB all season. They will know the whatever shortcomings the starter has and won't panic at the first sign of trouble.
IMO.
Exactly. Even Lefty said that mistakes and interceptions happen. I'm positive that he and Beamer will sit down with whoever wins the job and tell him that he won't have to look over his shoulder after every mistake he makes. The way to set a guy up for success is definitely not to tell him, "hey, congrats, the job's yours. However, the first time you screw up, you're fired." That's a great way to get a guy to play scared, think to much, and utterly fail.
And yes, guys do improve significantly in a few short months. No one thought Corey Fuller would ever be able to go over the middle and hang onto a ball after the 2012 spring game, but who did we always see making big plays off of those slant routes?
Corey did learn how to catch a ball & showed great improvement while at Tech ,however he did not play QB .Everyone makes mistakes, but 3 1/2 yrs. is long enough to teach a QB to take a sack or throw the ball away.I did not say Beamer or Loffler would bench a guy for making a few mistakes , but ( God Forbid) the season starts to go south, I don't expect these coaches to flush the season,due to ineffective QB play or loyalty to an indivual. College football is a competive sport & to improve every starter should be looking over his shoulder.
LT3 started for 3 years and he NEVER through the ball away and while he may have exccaped some sacks due to his size he took some too. so i dont think thats a fair assement of leal at all.
Loved , Logan
Loved , Logan & thought he was a great rep. Of VT, he attempted to do everything ask of him & more.However, maybe part of the reason we lost 11 games in 2 yrs. is because he did not through the ball away, for whatever reason. It would be great to see a QB.do this rather than throw the ball directly to a LB or DB. So far I have not seen this judgement in Leal. Coaches have seen these QB'S more than we have & everyone will soon know which guy has the best on field judgement & who the starter is.I would never compare the abilities of Thomas to Leal.
Leal starting the season with ample preparation. No one is more determined than a player with a desire to clear his name from a career low point. Let him prove that the Sub Bowl was a fluke.
Basing his capabilities on the Sun Bowl is shortsighted -- LT3 hadn't missed a game in 3 years and no one on that roster could have been prepared enough to step into that situation and turn it around.
I saw enough of Leal. he is not a starting qb. He's a good backup like juju. Start brewer this year so that the team doesn't have to go through that again next year. with continuity at the qb position 2015 might be special.
haha love ju-ju to death but he was only a good backup because he never had to play. if he would have i dont think he was a capable back up at all.
I wholeheartedly disagree. Juju KILLED opposing defenses in NCAA 11 after tyrod left.
i think we all expect brewer to start thats why we brought him here. im hoping like said in some of the earlier comments that this competition is just going on 1 to push brewer and 2 to keep leal mentally invlolved in the game in case we need him because if brewer has not out played leal to this point then i think we have seriously either way over estimated michael brewers potential based on a highschool career and a couple spring game throws at TT or way under est. mark leal based on a bad 1/2 of football in a bowl game against a team that i think would have had the same result had logan played the whole game in which leal was not prepared to play which even he admited.
Man, that's a long sentence...
I know, its looks from a phone so I get it, just playing...
lol punctuation is not my friend (period) or (comma)
I'm sure Mike London has a timeout you could use to fix it?.... oh wait he just used it...
My guess is Leal starts but Brewer comes in against W&M. Having Brewer behind him will motivate Leal. If he struggles I feel that Brewer would take over as the starter. Having this competition makes everyone better.
Since we can't see practices and scrimmages it is all a guess on my part.
#hokieNation hopes your guess is wrong.
Just curious how you came to the conclusion that Leal starts against Bill n'Mary? By nearly all accounts, it seems to me that Brewer will be announced the starter in roughly 24 hours. Reading between the lines, the only reason I can see to explain why the decision has not been announced yet is to keep the drive up for Brewer by pushing Leal. And same goes for Leal so that there is a great backup option if Brewer should go down or not work out in the game. But ever since he set foot on campus, I think this has been Brewer's job to lose.
Motley was making progress in the spring and the way the qb situation has gone so far he proob would have had a good shot to start.
Welcome to the Site!
Thanks, great site, tech fans on here know the game.
Coaching Staff will likely make the decision for starting QB after practice tomorrow. Source: Frank Beamer.
Wait, tomorrow?
You mean tomorrow, tomorrow or is that today, tomorrow?
Spit it out, man, which is it?
"Yes" - Frank Beamer
Calendars, they'll get after ya.
He said today, but it seems like another case of let's give it another day to keep the competition strong. Classic coaching at its best.