A week from now, there will be another story written about Tyrone Swoopes’ spring game performance.
This is his final opportunity to create a new narrative.
Swoopes entered spring as the number one quarterback, and will likely retain that position until team practice resumes again in the fall. He led Jerrod Heard before the backup sustained a shoulder injury that will prevent him from playing in Saturday's spring game. Swoopes is currently ahead of Shane Buechele, but the freshman is slowly becoming a candidate to start this season. Matthew Merrick is not practicing due to a back injury, while Kai Locksley is not in the mix. Everyone in the building has expressed a lot of confidence in Swoopes, and he was expected to retain his top spot even if Heard was healthy.
However, Swoopes’ performances in the past two spring games have been unimpressive. Swoopes cannot leave this spring with the same questions that have followed him throughout his tenure at Texas.
Two years ago, Swoopes struggled so much, Texas coach Charlie Strong seriously contemplated moving his quarterback to tight end. If Texas did not have depth issues at quarterback, Swoopes may have been blocking and catching passes that year. David Ash’s concussion issues prevented that move for Swoopes.
Here is what Geoff Ketchum wrote about Swoopes immediately following the 2014 spring game:
2. Quarterback, quarterback and more quarterback. When you play in the Big 12, you have to have good quarterback play if you're going to win the conference championship and if you didn't understand the state of things at this position in Austin heading into the season before the scrimmage today, you probably do now. Without a healthy David Ash, the Longhorns just don't have goods yet at the position, which makes adding possible USC-transfer Max Wittek and incoming freshman Jerrod Heard critical to the 2014 season because the Longhorns simply need more options at this point.
3. Tyrone Swoopes needed a redshirt in 2013 and he needs one in 2014, but he started to show some promise over the course of the spring game that would warrant some optimism. Early on, Swoopes was all over the place, throwing a needless third and 26 pass that was intercepted, missing Jaxon Shipley twice for touchdowns and getting sacked numerous times. However, slowly but surely, Swoopes started to locate his confidence throughout the game and by the time he got to the end of the second quarter and into the third quarter, Swoopes started to make some nice throws and make some plays. Again, let's not get carried away, but there were some sparks in his performance, especially in the second half.
4. If it takes hours for a brisket to cook properly, we can't get upset when Franklin-quality meat isn't ready to come out of the pit in 30 minutes. Swoopes has always been a three-year brisket and if the coaches give him the time to cook, he might just provide them with a guy they can really use. The expectations simply cannot focus on him in a key role this year.
I joined Orangebloods a few months after the spring game. Even though I did not see the game live, I eventually watched the game and agreed with Ketchum’s assessments. Most of the OB community believed Swoopes was not ready to play quarterback in 2014, and his struggles that season accurately reflected those opinions.
A year later, I watched Swoopes and Heard battle during the spring game. After witnessing mediocre performances by both quarterbacks, which did not include a touchdown pass by either passer, I concluded Texas should pursue a transfer quarterback in my weekly column:
Swoopes and Heard played well during spring practices. They have the support of their teammates. Each guy is battling to become the number one guy. However, it is hard to say there was a clear winner after the spring game. Neither player was hit by an angry defensive player looking to put him in the hospital. Since teammates were not allowed to take down the quarterback, they eased up on blindside hits and tackles across the middle, and there were plenty opportunities. We are still unsure how Swoopes will react when he faces real pocket pressure again. None of us know how Heard will react under pressure.
The spring game is like being in a boxing gym and pounding away at a heavy bag. It is easy to look good when the bag is not punching back. Put a real fighter in your face and let's see how you react.
Acquiring another quarterback will increase the competition level in Watson's room. Sure, there may not be a Heisman Trophy candidate who will magically transfer to Texas. That is not the point. They need to find the best available guy to push Swoopes and Heard for playing time.
Ketchum broke down the pros and cons of every quarterback in his 10 Thoughts From The Weekend, and here was his perspective on Swoopes:
Not a single thing changed in my mind at the quarterback position during the spring game as it relates to what will happen going into the 2015 season.
My expectations for the position are that Tyrone Swoopes will start in South Bend in the season-opener and Jerrod Heard will play before the first quarter in that game is over. At that point, the true competition will begin and a valid winner will finally emerge.
In the meantime, here's a look at the pros and cons of both heading into a critical off-season.
Cons
* Was a disaster last season against the toughest teams on the schedule and there's still not any tangible evidence that suggests things will be better in 2015.
* Still struggles when asked to throw or roll left. Swoopes is a right-handed quarterback all the way and struggles to make accurate throws to his left, whether he's on the roll or in more of a traditional drop-back. An example of this occurred on the first Texas drive of the scrimmage when he was asked to make a mini-roll to the left on first and 10 from the 38-yard line and he had a hard time getting enough on his throw for it to get to Dorian Leonard on time in a way that gave Leonard a chance to make a play. On top of that, the ball was slightly off-target and in a way that would have been dangerous had Swoopes been facing a top-level cornerback and not walk-on Jordan Strickland.
* Doesn't have a reputation of being a guy that leads teams to a lot of wins.
Swoopes needs to do more.
There is no reason why a senior should be fighting off a true freshman. At this point in Swoopes’ career, he should have put away Buechele weeks ago. He has more college experience that his competitors. The number of play-callers Swoopes has played for should work to his advantage. This ought to to be his team.
Instead, he has done just enough to play better than his competitors, but cannot close the deal. The staff may talk themselves into starting Swoopes this season, and it could work out. Yet, it is a huge indictment that there are still so many questions about Swoopes at this stage of his career. Swoopes may look good in practice, but that did not lead to consistent success in 2014. After the season opener against Notre Dame in 2015, Swoopes was benched because of his poor performance during an actual game. A safe argument can be made that former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson lost his job because of his unwavering belief in Swoopes.
Throughout the offseason, we have been told Swoopes can excel in Sterlin Gilbert’s offense. The offensive coordinator has installed a system that is easy for players to understand. Swoopes has the arm strength to make quick passes. He had to read the entire field in Watson’s system, but has to focus on only one side in Gilbert’s system. Swoopes allegedly has more confidence because of the 18-wheeler package implemented for him last year. Once again, this year is supposed to be different than previous seasons.
In order to believe it, we need to see it during Saturday's spring game.
This is Swoopes’ final chance to create a new narrative.
Funniest Thing You Will See This Week
I am just going to put this out there, walk away and laugh:
Sports On A Dime
1. The University of Texas went all chips in by agreeing to switch the season opener against Notre Dame from Saturday to Sunday. This is the most important season of Strong’s career, and his team’s performance on September 4 will dictate the national conversation about this football program. Strong and his staff cannot afford a repeat performance of last year’s season opener against Notre Dame.
2. Texas guard Isaiah Taylor is making the right decision to test the NBA waters. At best, he gets drafted and can fulfill a lifelong dream. At worst, Taylor learns what aspects of his game need improvement, and he comes back to Texas as a man on a mission.
3. At what point will Baylor coach Art Briles have to answer for the rising number of players accused of sexual assault on his watch? There were people who wanted Strong fired for his alleged involvement with a married woman in Louisville, and for kicking players off the team for breaking his core values, but Briles is seemingly getting a pass for players committing horrific crimes against women. At some point, the number of women who have been sexually assaulted has to trump Briles' high amount of on-the-field victories. He must be held accountable.
4. The NCAA’s decision to ban satellite camps was all about appeasing whinny SEC coaches and not about helping student athletes. Satellite camps helped kids who may not have money to take unofficial visits gain exposure, get recruited and pursue a college education. I guess this means the NCAA can focus on its North Carolina investigation, or limiting the options of coaches who leave their programs, right?
5. If you find Serena Williams attractive, you can thank me later. If not, you are really missing out.
6. I give Jemele Hill, Michelle Beadle and Bomani Jones credit for risking their jobs at ESPN to take a stand this past week. Hill and Beadle questioned why their network was airing a puff piece about Greg Hardy, while Jones wore a T-shirt that rocked the sports world. Even if you do not agree with their points of view, anybody willing to risk their paycheck for what they believe in deserves respect.
7. Do you want to know how the NFL media works? Adam Schefter conducts an interview with Hardy, who is represented by agent Drew Rosenhaus, last week. Not too long after that interview, Schefter reports Denver is interested in Johnny Manziel, another Rosenhaus client. It does not appear Denver will sign Manziel, but sometimes NFL reporters are asked by agents to put their client’s name out there to generate interest from other teams.
8. Honestly, I am usually indifferent when it comes to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but Browns receiver Josh Gordon should be reinstated immediately. Gordon’s one-year suspensions is over, yet, he is still waiting for Goodell to put him back in the league. Of course, the NFLPA allowed Goodell to have this power, and DeMaurice Smith deserves blame for caving during CBA negotiations.
9. Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis must have naked pictures of the owner on his cell phone. If not, it is hard to understand why Lewis received a one-year extension to remain the team's coach until 2017. At some point a coach as to win a playoff game, right? Just one, right?
10. Manny Pacquiao is going to test my belief that most boxers who announce their retirement are just taking time off until they inevitably step back into the ring. Pacquiao proved he still has something left in the tank during his victory against Timothy Bradley on Saturday. I did not see enough to think he could beat Floyd Mayweather in a rematch, but he is still better than most boxers in his weight class. If this is the end, Pacquiao deserves credit for never ducking anyone, and his win against Miguel Cotto is arguably the most impressive victory of his career.
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