Can New Quarterbacks Survive the Leap?

Unknown Speaker

Ten and two at Troy, er, going a perfect eight and zero in Sun Belt play, and then, boom. Jack Fletcher packs his bags for Pullman. I mean, going from Troy to Washington State in year two, that is, that is a massive, massive jump.

Emily Carter

It really is, James, but, like, look at the roster he inherits. Dylan Edwards is an eighty seven overall absolute human joystick. Ninety five speed, ninety eight acceleration, ninety five agility, plus Juke Box and Spin Cycle. I mean, he is, he is easily the most dynamic player Fletcher has ever touched in this dynasty.

David Mitchell

And, uh, it is not just Edwards back there, Emily. You have C. Kenney at eighty five overall, K. Vorhees at eighty four, L. Pulalasi at eighty. That is four running backs rated eighty or higher. So Fletcher can run that heavy, uh, two back or even three back rotation he loved at Troy, but with vastly superior talent.

Mark Reynolds

Yeah, David, but, er, who is actually throwing them the ball? Redshirt sophomore Owen Eshelman is listed first at seventy eight overall with eighty five throw power, but N. Childress is also a seventy eight, and J. Dugger is sitting right there at seventy six. There is no, uh, no proven starter in that room. Whichever guy wins the job, their entire mandate is just, you know, do not turn it over and let the backfield cook.

Emily Carter

Right, Mark, and when they do throw, it is pretty much Micah Mays Jr. or bust. Mays is an eighty five overall senior with ninety three speed, but behind him? J. Beverly is a seventy six, and then everyone else drops straight to seventy one or below. If Mays gets double covered or, heaven forbid, gets dinged up, that passing attack is going to feel real tight.

Unknown Speaker

And the line has a similar, er, top heavy issue, right? Left tackle Ashton Tripp is an absolute unit at eighty five overall with eighty eight strength and eighty six pass block, but the interior drop off behind Noah Dunham is, uh, it is pretty concerning. If Tripp or Dunham go down, those big play expectations could evaporate quickly.

David Mitchell

Well, the defense at least has some real alpha playmakers to cushion the blow. Defensive tackle Jirah Leaupepeitele brings ninety two strength and Pocket Disruptor at eighty one overall. And in the secondary, safety Jayden Davis is an eighty one with both Ballhawk and House Call. Davis can literally flip a game on one bad throw.

Mark Reynolds

They are going to need every bit of that defense because this schedule is absolute, uh, absolute lunacy. They open on the road at Arizona, then road at Oregon State, host Kansas, then travel to face preseason number eleven Washington in the Apple Cup. Plus trips to Colorado State, number nineteen Boise State, Oklahoma, and Fresno State. And bizarrely, they play Oregon State twice, once home, once away.

Unknown Speaker

Eight and four feels like the right prediction for Fletcher in year one at Pullman. The talent upgrade is real, but four brutal road trips against ranked or power program opponents is a heavy tax on an unproven quarterback. If Eshelman or Childress plays above their rating, maybe they push for nine or ten wins, but eight and four is a very solid foundation.

Emily Carter

Okay, speaking of total quarterback wild cards, er, let us talk about Ron Cherry at Marshall. Eight and three last season, highest scoring offense among all three dynasty programs, and now he is handing the keys to A.J. Fox. A redshirt freshman rated sixty eight overall!

David Mitchell

A sixty eight overall, Emily! I mean, Fox has eighty six throw power, sure, but zero college reps. And his backups are freshmen rated sixty three and fifty seven. There is no safety net here at all. Cherry is putting his entire season on a kid learning in real time.

Mark Reynolds

And talk about a trial by fire. Marshall opens the season on the road at preseason number seven Alabama! Then at Ohio, then home to face number nineteen Boise State. Two top twenty ranked teams in the first three weeks for a sixty eight overall quarterback making his first career starts. That is, uh, that is brutal execution by the schedule makers.

Unknown Speaker

At least Fox is surrounded by pure, unadulterated talent, Mark. Michael Boston takes over the backfield at eighty three overall after averaging six point six yards per carry and eight touchdowns last year behind Jordan Barbie. Plus they added freshman E. Meadows, who brings ninety three speed and ninety nine acceleration at seventy six overall. They can run the football to protect Fox.

Emily Carter

And the wideout tandem is ridiculous! Chris Culliver comes back as an eighty six overall senior after putting up fifty seven catches for seven hundred seventy seven yards and eight touchdowns last year. Opposite him is C. Hamilton at eighty three overall with ninety two speed and ninety one catching. That might be the single best starting receiver duo across all three dynasty teams.

David Mitchell

Defense is solid too, with Braydon Ward returning after eight point five sacks last season, now an eighty one overall edge, plus Mikailin Warren inside with ninety one strength. That is why I still have Marshall projected at eight and four. The supporting cast is championship caliber, even if the quarterback play has to start from scratch.

Unknown Speaker

Now, compare that quarterback reset to what Jackson Harrison is doing at Delaware. Last year Delaware went six and six, and Nick Minicucci threw an eye watering twenty three interceptions. Harrison said enough is enough and plugged in redshirt sophomore Riley Trujillo at seventy six overall.

Mark Reynolds

Trujillo changes everything for Delaware, James. He has eighty two speed, eighty five acceleration, ninety one change of direction, and Mobile Deadeye. He is not going to force those catastrophic turnovers. He gives Harrison a true dual threat element they simply did not have in season one.

Emily Carter

And Viron Ellison Jr. is primed for a huge junior year at eighty two overall with Spin Cycle, supported by two seventy seven overall backs in G. Spiller and B. Williams. Out wide, Brandon Rehmann is an eighty three overall playmaker with ninety nine agility and ninety eight change of direction. Trujillo has plenty of options to distribute to.

David Mitchell

The real surprise at Delaware is that defense, though. For a sixty nine overall rated team, their top end defensive talent is absurd. Linebacker Gavin Moul is an eighty four overall with ninety three awareness, Wrap Up, Aftershock, and Hammer. Defensive tackles Austin Ramsey and B. Marceau Olayinka are both eighty overall, and corner Jamarion Kolagbodi is an eighty overall with ninety speed.

Unknown Speaker

The schedule is where Delaware can make noise. After opening with Georgia Southern, Illinois, and James Madison, Conference USA play is very winnable. Middle Tennessee, Liberty, Jacksonville State, Florida International, Western Kentucky, Sam Houston, New Mexico State. But, uh, watch out for that five game consecutive road stretch to end the year from Western Kentucky through UConn.

Mark Reynolds

Which brings up an interesting debate, right? Who actually faces the higher stakes in season two? Ron Cherry stepping onto the field at Alabama with a sixty eight overall quarterback, or Jackson Harrison trying to drag a sixty nine overall Delaware squad from six and six straight into the Conference USA Championship Game?

Emily Carter

Oh, it is definitely Delaware, Mark! Harrison has the manageable path. If Trujillo protects the ball, Delaware going eight and four and crashing the C USA title game is our boldest, most realistic prediction of the entire offseason.

David Mitchell

We shall see soon enough. All three coaches are sits at eight and four in our preseason predictions, but the paths could not be more different. We will be back after Week Four to see whose gamble paid off.