Playing the Prodigy, What to do With Dwayne Lawson?

I have to admit, I didn't realize it was so close.

Despite working a day job that requires me to talk about sports all week, the start of the college football season snuck up on me. Instead of spending the summer, obsessing over potential redshirts or who could fill the back end of the wide receiver rotation, I was focused on things that were actually happening in my everyday life.

My girlfriend and I moved away from Blacksburg and crammed all of our belongings into a fourth-floor walkup in the middle of Richmond. The apartment's great, but the four flights of stairs? Not so much. Let's just say move-in day left us lying on our kitchen floor trying to summon the strength to lift a beer bottle.

(Okay, confession: it only left one of us sprawling on the kitchen floor, and it was me. This is really just a PSA so that none of you want me to help you move. Ask my girlfriend, she learned the hard way.)

Not too long after that, we added a third member to the household. That's right, we brought home a little Hokie!

Don't get ahead of yourselves, we adopted a dog. Can someone please head to my parents' house in Blacksburg to make sure they're both still alive? I may have just caused a panic-induced heart attack or two.

Needless to say, I've been busy these last few months. So much so, that I simply looked up one day and noticed that fall camp was starting. Of course I jumped in to my Hokie obsession head first, desperately waiting to over-analyze the next Snapchat from VT Football after day one.

In one of those Snapchat binges, I caught my first glance of someone who I'd almost forgotten about. It took me a moment to figure out who No. 2 in a non-contact yellow jersey was, until it hit me. The highest touted quarterback prospect in nearly a decade is finally on campus.

Thinking back on it, it's hard to figure out how I forgot about Dwayne Lawson. The four-star dual-threat Tampa product was the bow on top of a respectable recruiting class. Signing Austin Clark was nice, and Tim Settle was a huge addition (pun intended), but it's not every year that the coaches in Blacksburg go out and reel in their signal caller of the future.

Lawson's promise is exciting, and I've already heard people wonder aloud whether or not he's already the best player at his position. Chances are, these thoughts won't go away. In fact, if history is any indication, Lawson's perceived ability and ableness to see the field could be a point of contention all season long, especially if Michael Brewer struggles.

However, let's take a step back before we jump off the deep end and declare him ready to lead the offensive rejuvenation in Blacksburg. Playing the 6-6, 222 pound true freshman not only carries drastic implications for him, but for the rest of the team as well. And while forming your own hot take is fun, there are three questions that must be considered before rushing to judgement.

Question One: How will this impact Lawson developmentally?

This is probably the most important thing to ask, because not only does it have ramifications on 2015, but the future as well. Throwing in a quarterback before he's ready can be absolutely crippling for both school and player, and could set both back years. It's a huge decision to make, and the sign of both a great coach and a mature kid to know whether playing is the right call.

It's not like we'll know come Ohio State. Lawson's game is almost a complete mystery outside of his performance in two public scrimmages. And with game preparation underway, practice is locked down tighter than the plot of Star Wars VII.

A solid showing in mid-August is enough to encourage both fans and coaches alike, but it means nothing when another FBS team comes to town. He might be ready to play in the ACC today, or he may unravel the minute a linebacker comes on a blitz. I doubt it's either extreme, but only the coaches know.

We can't predict what large amounts of early playing time would mean for him down the line with any sort of certainty, because that's different for everyone. We can, however, look at the track record of recent players in Lawson's situation across the country. A while ago Football Study Hall did a deep dive into every true freshman passer who threw at least 100 passes between 2008 and 2012.

The list is up and down. Teddy Bridgewater, Robert Griffin III and Matt Barkley all made their way to the NFL. According to everyone but the NCAA, Terrelle Pryor went 31-4 as a starter, and Braxton Miller was on his way to a potentially historic run with Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes pre-shoulder injury.

But the rest of those guys? Most of them fall between mediocre and cringe-worthy.

I'm not saying that there is a direct correlation between starting too early and a disappointing career. But when you look at that list, the number of freshmen whose eventual tenures left fans wanting far outweighs the number of highly successful draft picks.

If you wanted to go further, we could even look at the four years Tyrod Taylor spent in Blacksburg. Frank Beamer planned to redshirt the iconic Hokie on multiple occasions, but reneged each time, leading to 24 months of everyone's favorite QB rotation.

Taylor spent all of '07 and '08 swapping in and out of the lineup with Sean Glennon, barely evolving into anything close to a college quarterback. I love Tyrod as much as the rest of you, but take a serious look at his freshman and sophomore seasons. They weren't great, with just over 1,900 yards on 55% completions (6.5 yards/attempt), seven touchdowns and 10 picks. Just thinking about it makes me want to slap Bryan Stinespring and Mike O'Cain with a malpractice lawsuit.

Instead of having time to work out some of his kinks and bad habits, he reinforced them during his role as a "playmaker" and didn't get markedly better until 2009. And while it's easy to take Taylor's performance as an upperclassman for granted, it really was a testament to how hard he worked to improve.

So back to the question, can a player who starts quickly succeed at this position? Yes, especially with a smart implementation plan. But that's a fine line to walk, and if not pulled off properly could have drastic long-term aftershocks.

In each of these examples however, there is one constant: true talent almost always overcomes in the end. Bridgewater, Griffin III, Miller. etc. were all simply better than many of their peers. If Lawson is as good as he's supposed to be, seeing the field shouldn't be a problem. It's just not something that should be taken lightly.

Question Two: How will this impact the team?

Beamer and Loeffler's decision over Lawson's fate will resonate well outside the quarterback room.

The Virginia Tech offense has all the makings of a better unit, but is still looking for both explosion and consistency. With Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips, Bucky Hodges, Trey Edmunds, J.C. Coleman and the intriguing Travon McMillian all returning, the explosion part seems to be on the rise.

Everyone I just mentioned could help take this offense to a place that it hasn't seen in a long time. But of course, that depends on who gets them the ball and whether or not that person can do it with regularity. Dynamic skill players can only go as far as the man under center allows (cuts to Georgia Tech-era Calvin Johnson passive-aggressively glaring at Reggie Ball.)

From everything people close to the team will tell you, Michael Brewer is ready to take on that responsibility. They say that the Texan is not only ready to improve off of a rocky first year, but has grabbed the reigns of the group, just like you would want your quarterback to do.

Now whether or not that's a good thing is really up to your interpretation of Brewer, and whether or not you believe he's capable of growth. Considering he began his career taking Hokie Nation back to the mountaintop (winning in Columbus), but dragged them across a wasteland (almost every other part of 2014), skepticism is understandable.

Hokie supporters jumped off the Brewer bandwagon in droves, and haven't really climbed back on yet. Not so coincidentally, many of those same people will be calling Lawson's name should the team struggle out of the gate. And while I've chastised the Leal and Motley fan clubs in the past, should the Hokies be as anemic as last season I may join in the calling. Lawson could provide the spark that the group is looking for.

But what if the incumbent is improved? What if he really is one of the most respected voices on the roster. Go back and read our own Alex Koma's article on Brewer from the ACC Kickoff. If what he's saying is true, then the other players sound like they've bought in. A decision on potentially replacing the senior would then extend beyond performance, and into the chemistry of both the offense and the team as a whole.

I won't delve into the terrible cliches about the necessity of field generals and fiery leadership to will a team's way into the win column. But having someone in the huddle that holds the respect of everyone else in there with him? It can't be discounted, and is also something that would presumably take more time to develop than Lawson would have.

If he is going to play in 2015, the best-case scenario may be in some sort of package. Something that could add to what Brewer brings to the table, but not result in a full blown competition, like Florida's use of Tim Tebow in 2006.

Starter Chris Leak was by no means a fan favorite, but still far and away the UF's starter. Tebow played enough to placate all of the rabid Gator followers calling for the former all-world recruit, but at the end of the day, Timmy T was an effective red zone weapon, a change of pace that complimented Leak's skills, but by no means a threat to his job.

Lawson can be used, and used intelligently, should the coaching staff need him. It would in no way undermine Brewer, just give Tech a little more explosion near the end zone while still keeping the team's leadership in check.

He could also see much more time than that, which may get complicated. Remember 2007 and 2008? Each guy yo-yoing in and out without ever establishing confidence, all the while their teammates picked sides? Yeah, not great for anyone. And if not carefully handled, it could be the result here.

Question Three: Would this decision be made for the right reasons?

Let's run through a hypothetical scenario:

The Hokies perform as expected in September, beating who they're supposed to beat. A 3-1 Tech team then drops two out of their next three (Pitt/NC State/Miami) to find themselves at 4-3 heading into the back half of their schedule. The offense doesn't look bad, but doesn't look good either. Brewer and company show flashes, but not consistently enough to hold up their end of the bargain with the defense.

While this is depressing and not the way many of you imagine the season going, it's starkly realistic. This could happen, and one version of it or another (ranging between 7-5 and 10-2) probably will.

Should this be the case, think about the position the coaching staff would be in. Not only are they concerned about the product on the field, now they're starting to worry about their jobs should things not turn around. Loeffler's already on the thinnest of ice, and his head coach isn't on much more stable ground.

But you know what has saved many-a-coach's job? The promise of a bright future as they break the glass around a talented young QB. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but it feels like it happens annually across the country with whatever staff is on the rocks. In fact we saw Beamer do this last year, without Lawson on the roster.

A defiant Beamer tried to stress the positives, but even he understood the deeper meaning to Thursday night. "I think we're really going to be a good football team next year, and that's kind of where we are," he said in a postgame news conference.

I know it's hard to think it would come to that, but I saw the look in Loeffler's eyes as he walked to the bus in Winston Salem. Fresh off a performance where his guys failed to score against one of the worst teams in college football, the offensive coordinator seemed tired, angry, and although he'd never admit it, a little desparate.

I'm not saying that Loeffler would stoop to this, he's a professional and someone who's gone through the ringer before. But is it at least fair to question the intentions of the team's decision makers should Lawson get tossed onto the field in late October with the team hovering around .500? I'd say so. Would he actually be a better option, or someone to prop up as a shield to block discontent from fans?

It is definitely the cynic in me asking these questions, but they're not absurd things to think about. When multiple coaches' positions (and careers) presumably rely on the next four months, it's tempting to do anything they can to put a positive spin on the year.

And while Lawson seems to have the talent to provide bright spots in a situation like that, it's never one in which you want a true freshman to come up. Even the most talented of players can get bogged down in dysfunction, and should that chain of events play out there would be plenty of it to go around.

Would it hurt him or the team? Maybe, maybe not. But it's a question that can't be answered until it happens. And unfortunately, none of this can be addressed until Lawson has actually seen the field in a college game. But when will that happen?

2016?

2017?

Two weeks from now?

We still don't know. And assuming the Hokies don't announce a redshirt in the coming days, we won't know until Labor Day evening. By then, hopefully Beamer, Loeffler and everybody else in the decision making process can come up with a fair and reasonable answer.

If not? Get ready for a long and unrelenting debate that will be impossible to overlook.