The 2017 season featured the most returning talent at QB in the Big 12 since perhaps 2008 and now this crop is moving on, making way for a cast of young signal-callers some of which got their starts in 2017.
Last year I broke down the contrasting styles of Charlie Brewer and Shawn Robinson about a year ago after watching the Texas 6A title games and today at Football Study Hall I checked back in on these two guys. I was high on Brewer, Robinson, and Texas’ Sam Ehlinger out of high school and now it appears that all three will take over their respective programs in 2018.
Brewer has a little Baker Mayfield in him, which I know is the comp that Baylor fans love because he’s another Lake Travis kid and because Baker Mayfield is the best football player in the country. He has a similar amount of quickness, he reads defenses well, and he’s very accurate. He’s not as thick as Mayfield though, at least not yet, doesn’t have the same kind of cocky persona on the field, and perhaps not the same arm strength. Nevertheless, the future is bright for Baylor building around his diverse skill set.
Shawn Robinson is one of the most physically gifted QBs I’ve ever seen. He’s probably a 4.6 guy at 225 and he has a powerful arm to boot. Trevone Boykin had the arm and was as explosive as anyone with his first steps but I think Robinson has another gear when he gets going as a runner. We’ll see how that passing comes along.
I need to take in Skylar Thompson a bit more, I do worry just a bit that he’s built a little thin for K-State’s punishing offense. Sam Ehlinger would be the perfect K-State QB but instead he’s going to have to learn to reign it in a bit at Texas to make the most of his dominant blend of running, passing, and improv ability.
This is probably your next crop of young B12 QBs that will run the show in coming seasons with 2019 as the year when I think you’ll see them do some amazing things.
I don’t know what OU or OSU will do but I’m sure they’ll figure something out. Whoever takes over at either school will have an amazing supporting cast. Iowa State is lurking as the team to watch, I’ll have to dive in more to their context now that Matt Campbell has been extended.
I would say that Charlie Brewer looked quite a bit better than Baker Mayfield looked as a true freshman. And Brewer had a lesser offensive line and lesser skill position players to boot. He looked damn good. On the other hand, it’s unlikely that he picks up a redshirt like Baker did, his supporting cast will never be as good as Baker’s at Oklahoma, and his ceiling is lower because of his lesser arm strength.
And for OU, I’m sure the plan is to go with the Kyler Murray show.
I agree with System Poster.
OU should start out with Murray as it would a home run QB running threat to stress defenses in a way that OU hasn’t had. Adding that to the deep WR, OL, and running back corps is a good recipe for success.