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Brendan Sullivan enters the transfer portal

Whaaaaaaat. The only hope here is that Gronowski is a silent done deal because I haven’t heard of any other transfer QB offers at all (admittedly recently gave up my Rock subscription but Twitter often hints at offers and interest at least). Otherwise according to the spring “game” report, there was nobody that showed anything special to definitely unseat Sullivan.
 
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Whaaaaaaat. The only hope here is that Gronowski is a silent done deal because I haven’t heard of any other transfer QB offers at all (admittedly recently gave up my Rock subscription but Twitter often hints at offers and interest at least). Otherwise according to the spring “game” report, there was nobody that showed anything special to definitely unseat Sullivan.
I'm absolutely baffled. This SHOULD have been Sully's team next season.
 
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Ultimately this is probably due to good news on the horizon about a transfer (although I still hate to see any player leave the program). I don't think we saw anything on Saturday that would suggest Sullivan lost the starting job to anyone else currently on the roster.
 
Ultimately this is probably due to good news on the horizon (although I still hate to see any player leave the program)
It’s great news when some players leave the program. Obviously Sullivan isn’t one of those, it would be great to have him around, but keeping around backup QBs with any significant experience is not really a thing these days.
 
It’s great news when some players leave the program. Obviously Sullivan isn’t one of those, it would be great to have him around, but keeping around backup QBs with any significant experience is not really a thing these days.
Eh, I'm just saying here's a dude who probably came into the spring thinking it was finally his time after watching us bring in two grad transfer QBs in a row who cut the line; his head coach and position coaches leave, and then he gets the rug pulled out from underneath him by a bunch of strangers. A victim of circumstance (and yes, his own ceiling)...I still feel badly that he will probably look back on his many years at NU with some negativity.
 
Eh, I'm just saying here's a dude who probably came into the spring thinking it was finally his time after watching us bring in two grad transfer QBs in a row who cut the line; his head coach and position coaches leave, and then he gets the rug pulled out from underneath him by a bunch of strangers. A victim of circumstance (and yes, his own ceiling)...I still feel badly that he will probably look back on his many years at NU with some negativity.
What is the “rug pulled out by a bunch of strangers” part? Clearly Sullivan can see that Bryant was the superior QB and we would not have won as many games with Sully starting. Sully got to start 4 games anyway I believe. The year before, Sully was just a RS FR so he wasnt really “cut in line” by Hilinski.
 
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What is the “rug pulled out by a bunch of strangers” part? Clearly Sullivan can see that Bryant was the superior QB and we would not have won as many games with Sully starting. Sully got to start 4 games anyway I believe. The year before, Sully was just a RS FR so he wasnt really “cut in line” by Hilinski.
I'm just acknowledging the kid has put in his time and just when he thought (hoped?) the starting job was his, a new coach who might not even have a permanent local address yet comes in and changes it on him (again!)

Any rational person would agree the starting job is earned/not owed. Sullivan simply hasn't earned it. That doesn't change he is a hard luck story and I feel badly for a kid who has endured a lot for the program and it just ultimately hasn't panned out for him.
 
I'm just acknowledging the kid has put in his time and just when he thought (hoped?) the starting job was his, a new coach who might not even have a permanent local address yet comes in and changes it on him (again!)

Any rational person would agree the starting job is earned/not owed. Sullivan simply hasn't earned it. That doesn't change he is a hard luck story and I feel badly for a kid who has endured a lot for the program and it just ultimately hasn't panned out for him.
In the olden days when programs used to develop players rather than reload from the Portal, he would have clearly "earned" the job by virtue of being the best QB evidently on the roster at the recent spring showcase.
 
I've felt that he has improved over the prior 2 seasons so his job should be fairly secure. I know there are no sure things, but has he not improved a lot?
 
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Pretty telling that he thanks the athletic training staff and the academic support staff, but not his head coach or OC. That says a lot to me.
Nailed it. That cannot be an oversight. Speaks volumes about his feelings.

After I read your post, you forced me to read the story above and realized that Sullivan is graduating this spring.
Full credit to him. He is free to do whatever he wants.

Hell, it remains possible that he didn't get accepted into NU grad school because the new coaches didn't want... nah I'm not gonna go there.
 
Who is our presumptive starter if we don't get a transfer now that he is gone
 
It was noted on Twitter that the Bible verse he subtitled his post with is:

Matthew 5:44

“[44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

I didn’t read his post till now but as one other poster above noted, he didn’t thank the HC or OC/QB coach, either past or present. 🤔

Sully had several interview clips in the “Leave no Doubt” documentary and I thought he was positive about the team and coaching staff but I don’t remember specifically what he said.
 
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This might be a Honda McCord moment at OSU where he asked the coaches if he'd won the job and they wouldn't commit. That would be, presumably, because of a transfer because the gulf between Sully and the next three is both wide and deep.
 
Does this group genuinely think NU is an attractive destination for a portal transfer? Brand new OC from FCS. Second-year HC elevated in wake of ongoing “hazing” scandal. Home stadium is makeshift adaptation of lacrosse field. NIL program raising money selling old stadium signage. No tickets on sale for upcoming season and no indication they will go on sale any time soon.

I do not have the mind of a 22-year old quarterback and I hope I am wrong but, yikes.
 
Does this group genuinely think NU is an attractive destination for a portal transfer? Brand new OC from FCS. Second-year HC elevated in wake of ongoing “hazing” scandal. Home stadium is makeshift adaptation of lacrosse field. NIL program raising money selling old stadium signage. No tickets on sale for upcoming season and no indication they will go on sale any time soon.

I do not have the mind of a 22-year old quarterback and I hope I am wrong but, yikes.
I think the general attractiveness of the program for a QB recruit is irrelevant at the moment because a done deal is soon to be announced.
 
Does this group genuinely think NU is an attractive destination for a portal transfer? Brand new OC from FCS. Second-year HC elevated in wake of ongoing “hazing” scandal. Home stadium is makeshift adaptation of lacrosse field. NIL program raising money selling old stadium signage. No tickets on sale for upcoming season and no indication they will go on sale any time soon.

I do not have the mind of a 22-year old quarterback and I hope I am wrong but, yikes.
Relax.

Can you say "Ben Bryant"?
 
Does this group genuinely think NU is an attractive destination for a portal transfer? Brand new OC from FCS. Second-year HC elevated in wake of ongoing “hazing” scandal. Home stadium is makeshift adaptation of lacrosse field. NIL program raising money selling old stadium signage. No tickets on sale for upcoming season and no indication they will go on sale any time soon.

I do not have the mind of a 22-year old quarterback and I hope I am wrong but, yikes.

No need to hope.
 
In the olden days when programs used to develop players rather than reload from the Portal, he would have clearly "earned" the job by virtue of being the best QB evidently on the roster at the recent spring showcase.
Again, IMO there wasn’t a wide gap in performance based only on last Saturday. Any team that hands a job over to any non Superstar talent without giving the other players a legitimate opportunity to compete for the role will be engulfed in locker room turmoil. The job wasn’t and shouldn’t have been handed to Sully.

I suspect the Coaches informed him they were still attempting to bring in a transfer QB and wouldn’t guarantee the starters role. This hardly should have been some Spring time revelation as everyone that even remotely follows this team understood that the lack of QB depth necessitates a transfer QB. I doubt they told him he wouldn’t compete for the starting role after the transfer enrolled. Where’s he going to go to be guaranteed a P2 starter role? He best opportunity was at NU. Maybe a little Birdie got in his ear, promising rainbows and sunshine.
 
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Again, IMO there wasn’t a wide gap in performance based only on last Saturday. Any team that hands a job over to any non Superstar talent without giving the other players a legitimate opportunity to compete for the role will be engulfed in locker room turmoil. The job wasn’t and shouldn’t have been handed to Sully.

I suspect the Coaches informed him they were still attempting to bring in a transfer QB and wouldn’t guarantee the starters role. This hardly should have been some Spring time revelation as everyone that even remotely follows this team understood that the lack of QB depth necessitates a transfer QB. I doubt they told him he wouldn’t compete for the starting role after the transfer enrolled. Where’s he going to go to be guaranteed a P2 starter role? He best opportunity was at NU. Maybe a little Birdie got in his ear, promising rainbows and sunshine.

What you are saying is logical, but Sullivan got his Northwestern degree. Why stay?

My guess is that the Bible verse cited above is directed at Schill and Gragg, possibly the new offensive coordinator. Still weird that he didn't thank Braun. But that could have something to do with his feelings toward Pat Fitzgerald.

Remember, the last time we had a QB get his degree and transfer out, the guy tried to destroy the program.
Lets call this progress.
 
Remember, the last time we had a QB get his degree and transfer out, the guy tried to destroy the program.
Lets call this progress.
Don’t besmirch Cole Freeman like that.

Sullivan will get a starting job at a MAC school and a chance to have a really memorable season.

He played a great game against Maryland last season, and had certainly improved since coming to Evanston. It’s reasonable that he wanted to be named QB1, and it would have been silly for NU to do so.

Congrats on getting that degree in 3 years. NU is a pretty neat place.
 
I think the general attractiveness of the program for a QB recruit is irrelevant at the moment because a done deal is soon to be announced.
It is weird that Mike Wright (if he’s the presumed guy) announced for the portal I believe after Sullivan announced, and he does not have a no contact tag. How could the could the coaches have told Sullivan that a taking a transfer was a done deal? Maybe it is someone else.
 
It is weird that Mike Wright (if he’s the presumed guy) announced for the portal I believe after Sullivan announced, and he does not have a no contact tag. How could the could the coaches have told Sullivan that a taking a transfer was a done deal? Maybe it is someone else.

Because they know they’re going to take another QB, but don’t know who yet (as it seems Gronowski is staying at SDSU).
 
Because they know they’re going to take another QB, but don’t know who yet (as it seems Gronowski is staying at SDSU).
That sounds risky. 'We plan to take a QB, it's not Gronk, we have a few prospects', vs a guy that can probably win 4+games for you with a semblance of an OL. If NU gets nothing, or nobody better than Hilinski, we are in deep 💩. I expect the defense to be really solid, but they need a functional QB, not like Deacon Hill.

I get that Sully probably pulled a Kyle McCord, and he's been sitting behind transfers for 2 years.
 
That sounds risky. 'We plan to take a QB, it's not Gronk, we have a few prospects', vs a guy that can probably win 4+games for you with a semblance of an OL. If NU gets nothing, or nobody better than Hilinski, we are in deep 💩. I expect the defense to be really solid, but they need a functional QB, not like Deacon Hill.

I get that Sully probably pulled a Kyle McCord, and he's been sitting behind transfers for 2 years.

“Guy who can win 4+ games” is not a high bar. At all.
 
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That sounds risky. 'We plan to take a QB, it's not Gronk, we have a few prospects', vs a guy that can probably win 4+games for you with a semblance of an OL. If NU gets nothing, or nobody better than Hilinski, we are in deep 💩. I expect the defense to be really solid, but they need a functional QB, not like Deacon Hill.

I get that Sully probably pulled a Kyle McCord, and he's been sitting behind transfers for 2 years.
If we need Sullivan to beat Miami, EIU, and two of Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Maryland, Duke, Wisconsin, Iowa, we are indeed in trouble.
 
Are you saying that the QB room remaining on the roster can win 4+ games? I don’t think so. Very sketchy to say they told Sullivan something definitive without having a transfer lined up. There’s been absolutely zero rumor mill evidence that any QB had talked to or visited NU at any time.
 
What you are saying is logical, but Sullivan got his Northwestern degree. Why stay?

My guess is that the Bible verse cited above is directed at Schill and Gragg, possibly the new offensive coordinator. Still weird that he didn't thank Braun. But that could have something to do with his feelings toward Pat Fitzgerald.

Remember, the last time we had a QB get his degree and transfer out, the guy tried to destroy the program.
Lets call this progress.
I feel like this is an overread; don't see what Schill/Gragg have to do with this transfer, especially when the glaring omission is the coaching staff in his statement.

Feels pretty clear that Braun/Lujan didn't give him a starter commitment so he's out. Don't see why we need to read much further; they probably told him that they're looking for a transfer and that he hasn't won the position.
 
Are you saying that the QB room remaining on the roster can win 4+ games? I don’t think so. Very sketchy to say they told Sullivan something definitive without having a transfer lined up. There’s been absolutely zero rumor mill evidence that any QB had talked to or visited NU at any time.
Winning 4 games is a somewhat low bar considering that Sullivan's sample size is small over 2 years and includes 1 result that could be considered outstanding.
 
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