Photo via San Antonio Express-News
Texas fans, media members and college football observers continue to wait on former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire to make a decision.
Zaire may decide which school he will attend as a grad transfer on May 19, the day he graduates from Notre Dame. Wisconsin, Texas, Florida and Harvard were the schools Zaire originally contemplated attending. If he sticks to the plan of announcing next week, Florida is probably not in contention since the school is prohibited from taking grad transfers until 2019 because two former grad transfers failed to meet the conference’s academic requirements. Harvard does not offer scholarships, and Zaire has expressed a desire to play for a major college program. That would likely leave Wisconsin and Texas at the top of Zaire’s wish list, if we try to put the clues together like a Dateline NBC episode.
As we wait for Zaire to decide, so does Texas quarterback Shane Buechele.
The sophomore retained his number one position after a spring battle with freshman Sam Ehlinger. Barring a dramatic change of events, Buechele will probably start in the season opener against Maryland. Texas coach Tom Herman’s biggest issue with Buechele is the quarterback's lack of vocal leadership, which he wants to see improve between now and the season opener. However, if Zaire decides to attend Texas, Buechele will find himself in a battle this summer.
No matter what Zaire decides to do, Buechele will become a better quarterback.
Buechele has never been forced to battle a bona fide quarterback since arriving at Texas. During his freshman season, he competed against Tyrone Swoopes for the starting position. Swoopes is currently in the NFL as a developmental tight end. Jerrod Heard was a part of that battle, too. Heard is entering his second year at receiver. Heck, Matthew Merrick was in that quarterback room. He decided to give up football in March.
Sure, Buechele had to compete against Ehlinger in the spring. However, Ehlinger is a freshman, and he is still learning a lot about the position. Maybe Ehlinger is ready to contribute at some point this year, but a redshirt season might be the best option for him and the program.
If Zaire decides to attend Texas, Ehlinger would have to battle an experienced quarterback. Obviously, we cannot act like Zaire is the second coming of Vince Young. During three years of playing time at Notre Dame, Zaire compiled 816 passing yards and six touchdowns (no interceptions), plus 324 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His best collegiate game occurred against Texas, when he completed 19-of-22 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns during a 38-3 season-opening win in 2015.
Last year, Zaire battled DeShone Kizer for the starting position. Both quarterbacks rotated against Texas in the season-opener before Kizer took over. Zaire completed 2-of-5 passes for 23 yards, while Kizer completed 15-of-24 passes for 215 yards and five touchdowns during the double-overtime loss. After the game, former coach Charlie Strong gave his assessment of both quarterbacks.
“I think that Zaire, he gave us a lot of problems because he can run and throw,” Strong said after the game. “We knew that … no, Kizer can run out there, but when Zaire was in the game, we felt like we could load the box and take away his run game. But when Kizer came in, you watch, and I think every time he came in there were more runs than throws. At one point he threw the ball six straight times.
“But I knew that they would rotate him. We felt like they would rotate him the way they did. But at the end when they wanted to come back and to win the game, they left Kizer in because he's a more productive thrower.”
Well, Kizer was productive enough to become a second-round NFL draft pick. Meanwhile, Zaire is looking for his second college home.
If Zaire earned the opportunity to play at Texas, Buechele would have a chance to learn from an experienced quarterback this season. He could learn from Zaire’s mistakes and how to lead a winning team. Even though Buechele started in 12 games last season, we cannot forget he threw three interceptions during a loss against Kansas. Sure, he was probably banged up, but how healthy does a quarterback really need to be to defeat one of the worst college football programs? The previous coaching staff deserves blame for not having their team ready for that game, but a vocal leader ensures losses like that never occur. Obviously, this is something Herman is working on with Buechele.
However, if Buechele beat out a very hungry Zaire, he would have fought off his toughest competitor in two years. In addition, the staff would know without a doubt Buechele deserves the starting the job. It is easy to judge Buechele against a true freshman. Comparing him to an experienced player is totally different.
Even if Zaire does not attend Texas, it could be a win for Buechele.
Buechele knows for sure Herman is not playing when it comes to increasing the competition level in the quarterback room. Last season, Buechele knew there was no chance he was ever going to get pulled from a game. Even when he struggled down the stretch, his job was safe. It is fair to say Buechele will not have the same luxury with Herman and offensive coordinator Tim Beck.
Herman never backed away when asked about his pursuit of Zaire during the spring. Some coaches would be worried about hurt feelings, but Herman is emotionally detached when it comes to starting the best players. Some fans thought Herman was playing mind games with his pursuit of Zaire to motivate Buechele. In reality, Herman is dead serious about adding another arm to that room. If adding a third scholarship quarterback means Buechele does not start this year, Herman will be unapologetic. Buechele knows he has to play at a higher level this year to retain his job in the future.
If not, Herman has more than one player ready to take Buechele’s job in 2018. Not only will Ehlinger compete for playing time, but Herman recently added verbal commitments from Casey Thompson and Cameron Rising. It is possible one player will decide to attend another program. Of course, Thompson has indicated he knew Rising was going to attend Texas and is not fazed. The previous staff did not want to sign two quarterbacks in last year’s class because they feared Buechele might look elsewhere if they pursued another passer.
Now Buechele understands what competition on the college level looks like.
That being said, Buechele has never backed away from competition. If Zaire attends Texas, I expect Buechele to battle the newcomer because he is a fierce competitor. If Zaire goes elsewhere, Buechele still knows he has to step up because Herman is making sure the sophomore hears thunderous footsteps behind him.
Either way, Buechele will become a better quarterback.
Photo via TexasSports.com
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1. Kickers are like attorneys – nobody appreciates them until they need one. I do not know much about Cameron Dicker, a recent verbal commit, but if he can handle kicking in college, props to Herman. After witnessing Texas’ instability at kicker the past two years, Herman is doing his best to strengthen that weakness.
2. Former Texas quarterback David Ash had a chance to be a part of Carolina’s rookie minicamp this weekend, and props to him. Even if Ash does not play football again after this weekend, he had a chance to pursue his dream. Whether it is a player with Vince Young’s resume, or a guy like Ash who had his career cut short, props to both men for never giving up.
3. Your thoughts on former Texas running back D’Onta Foreman and current receiver Armanti in this video?
4. RIP Chad Patmon
5. A judge calling out former Texas coach Charlie Strong for not having control of a program he has only be around for a few months is such a Florida story. I love my home state, but I may have to start telling everybody I am from Texas. Should I claim Dallas, Houston, or Austin?
6. This is why college athletes players want to get paid:
And Alabama’s outside linebackers coach:
7. Did the Bengals owner really need to write a letter explaining why his team drafted Joe Mixon? Just say, “We only care about winning football games” and everyone will respect you more for being honest.
8. I am not sure how much newly signed Denver running back Jamaal Charles has left in the tank, but if he can stay healthy, it could be a great signing. I am not sure if Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch or Charles will have more rushing yards this year.
9. The Internet can be such a cruel place:
10. Well, Canelo Alvarez did what we expected against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., which is dominate a guy who cannot handle A-level fighters. What I did not expect to hear was the announcement that we would finally see Alvarez fight Gennady Golovkin. Now I must hope Texas’ road game against USC, same day as this megafight, is played in the afternoon. Regardless, it is about time boxing fans get to see the fight we want.
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