Here’s my take on Thorson being named the starter. These are just my opinions, but they’re based on watching a lot of practices over the last few years. And let me be clear – all three of them are great guys, and I personally like them all. Chances are, we will see at least two of them, and possibly all three, at some point this season…
In my eyes, NU was hoping Thorson would win the job all along. Based on what I’ve seen, he was really the only choice. He’s the most talented, has the highest ceiling, and is the only true dual-threat. He’s got the arm and the feet. I think the only question was his confidence/leadership. He’s a very humble, quiet kid, and I think they were waiting for him to step up and be “the man.” It was evident early last year that he had the most talent of the three. Now I think he’s reached the point where coaches have confidence in his ability to lead and make decisions, or they’re at least willing to let him grow into the job.
Oliver has a big arm and throws the prettiest ball, but I still don’t think he’s the right fit for this offense. He probably would have been better suited to a pro-style. He’s an athlete and he can run, but I question whether he’s enough of a threat to really run the read-option. Siemian was sort of the same way, but he was a very polished and accurate passer. I don’t think that Oliver is at that level. Last season, I also saw him get berated by McCall a couple times at practice – and I’ve never seen McCall go off like that. I think that Oliver would’ve played last year if he was ready. That may have been his chance. Siemian was playing hurt, and I think coaches would have replaced him if they thought Oliver could do the job. They just didn’t have enough confidence in him, and that’s telling right there. This year, I never really got the feeling that he could win the No. 1 job, even if he had the most experience.
Alviti just never really looked comfortable in the offense to me. He’s a heck of a runner – he has great burst and vision, and he looks more like a running back than a quarterback when he tucks it. But as a passer, I just never saw him look like “the guy.” He was very erratic in practice. Sometimes he’d make a good throw, right on the money, and then he would bounce one a few yards in front of his target. What you saw against Illinois last year was pretty much how he played in practice when I saw him. His size and arm strength also worked against him. Thorson and Oliver throw deep balls easily, while Alviti has to really crank it up and step into it. He was at a disadvantage there. There’s no questioning his work ethic, though. I think he worked the hardest of the three. There were many times that I saw him alone at Nicolet or be the last one off the field at practice. Other players respected how hard he worked, a big reason that he’s a natural leader. The fact that he’s been elected to the Leadership Council twice says a lot.
The bottom line, I think the coaching staff made the right choice. If it wasn’t Thorson, I would have been concerned.
In my eyes, NU was hoping Thorson would win the job all along. Based on what I’ve seen, he was really the only choice. He’s the most talented, has the highest ceiling, and is the only true dual-threat. He’s got the arm and the feet. I think the only question was his confidence/leadership. He’s a very humble, quiet kid, and I think they were waiting for him to step up and be “the man.” It was evident early last year that he had the most talent of the three. Now I think he’s reached the point where coaches have confidence in his ability to lead and make decisions, or they’re at least willing to let him grow into the job.
Oliver has a big arm and throws the prettiest ball, but I still don’t think he’s the right fit for this offense. He probably would have been better suited to a pro-style. He’s an athlete and he can run, but I question whether he’s enough of a threat to really run the read-option. Siemian was sort of the same way, but he was a very polished and accurate passer. I don’t think that Oliver is at that level. Last season, I also saw him get berated by McCall a couple times at practice – and I’ve never seen McCall go off like that. I think that Oliver would’ve played last year if he was ready. That may have been his chance. Siemian was playing hurt, and I think coaches would have replaced him if they thought Oliver could do the job. They just didn’t have enough confidence in him, and that’s telling right there. This year, I never really got the feeling that he could win the No. 1 job, even if he had the most experience.
Alviti just never really looked comfortable in the offense to me. He’s a heck of a runner – he has great burst and vision, and he looks more like a running back than a quarterback when he tucks it. But as a passer, I just never saw him look like “the guy.” He was very erratic in practice. Sometimes he’d make a good throw, right on the money, and then he would bounce one a few yards in front of his target. What you saw against Illinois last year was pretty much how he played in practice when I saw him. His size and arm strength also worked against him. Thorson and Oliver throw deep balls easily, while Alviti has to really crank it up and step into it. He was at a disadvantage there. There’s no questioning his work ethic, though. I think he worked the hardest of the three. There were many times that I saw him alone at Nicolet or be the last one off the field at practice. Other players respected how hard he worked, a big reason that he’s a natural leader. The fact that he’s been elected to the Leadership Council twice says a lot.
The bottom line, I think the coaching staff made the right choice. If it wasn’t Thorson, I would have been concerned.
