2023 Transfer Thread - Texas Capitalized, ATM Victimized

That’s a lot of words for a piece of shit to completely fabricate.

21 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

FCB on Worthy

  Reveal hidden contents

Everyone wants to know what’s going on with Xavier Worthy, so let’s start there.

Before we get to whether Worthy is staying or going, it’s important to try to understand Worthy - his approach to football, how seriously he takes it, how hard he works at it and that he’s not been your typical college football player from the day he set foot on campus last year as a freshman.

When Worthy didn’t feel comfortable with Michigan, the thing that attracted him most to Texas was Steve Sarkisian’s offense at Alabama and all the Tide receivers who had just come through Tuscaloosa on their way to the NFL, including Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, who has a similar profile (wiry and blazing fast) to Worthy.

Whether Sarkisian said he could see Worthy having a similar role in his Texas offense as Smith had at Alabama or Worthy could simply see himself in a similar role as Smith — only at Texas — Worthy was sold. And he’s had a relentless work ethic to deliver on that kind of promise since he arrived in Austin.

Worthy doesn’t go out much. He keeps to himself. You can usually find him in his apartment playing video games (he loves Fortnight). His roommates last summer included Quinn Ewers before Worthy and Texas nickel/cornerbacck Jahdae Barron became roommates this fall.

“X (Worthy) is really easy to get along with,” Ewers said.

Sarkisian and teammates have had nothing but praise for Worthy, his work ethic and determination. Receivers in Sarkisian’s offense have to grasp the concepts of an entire play, so they understand exactly how to run a route, how they fit into the progression, their blocking assignments, the play’s use of motion, etc.

Worthy worked his butt off to digest all of that as a freshman and became a freshman All-American who broke UT’s freshman records for receptions (62), receiving yards (981) and touchdown catches (12) in 2021.

According to team sources, other schools reached out to Worthy through intermediaries to see if he was interested in transferring. There might’ve been some NIL deals that came through for Worthy, and he returned.

Sarkisian said earlier this season, “X (Worthy) is the first one to practice most every day.”

After Texas’ 41-34 loss at Oklahoma State in which Worthy was targeted 16 times and caught only four passes for 78 yards and one touchdown, junior receiver Jordan Whittington was asked if he ever needs to talk to Worthy to calm any frustrations that might arise during a game?

“X, he’s an amazing player,” Whittington said. “He goes out and does his thing every week. If I feel like I need to talk to him, I’ll do it, because I’m in that role of leader in the room.

“But for him, he’s the type of player, he just, I don’t know, he’s a special talent — a really good one.”

According to team sources, after UT’s regular season ended with Worthy catching 53 passes for 696 yards and a Big 12-leading nine touchdowns that Worthy sees next season as his last year of college football. And Worthy wants to know if he’s going to work as hard as he does to get open that he ends up in the best situation possible to catch passes, make plays and help a team win big. Like championship big.

(Photo: © Tim Warner, Getty)

Teammates don’t call Worthy selfish. Just the opposite. They see how he gets open, how he blocks downfield for other teammates to make plays and how he tries to impact games in the return game.

“Coaches tell players all the time, ‘Prepare like a pro,’” said one team source. “Worthy does that — and has since he got here. He puts in the work. No one can question that. He obviously was hoping for a better year - not just for him, but for him to help the team elevate to a championship level.”

Steve Sarkisian seemed to be reaching out to Worthy on Monday, when he was asked if Worthy is happy at Texas?

“Well, I think the one thing about Xavier is this: he's a highly competitive young man,” Sarkisian said. “And from the moment he arrived on our campus, he came to work; and he came to work to earn an opportunity to play; came to work to become a starter. He came to work to be the best receiver he could be, whether that was in our conference or in the country.

“So I think the guy's got a high sense of competitiveness and drive to be the best. And he works that way every day. And so sometimes when you don't get the actual result of it, that can become a sense of frustration. I would much rather have a receiver that's frustrated that he didn't contribute more to a win than a guy who's content going on the field and playing and the ball not coming his way because I think he values his ability to get open. I do too. I get it, you know.”

Before being asked about Worthy, Sarkisian said a top priority going into Texas’ bowl game would be improving the passing game. In UT’s last five games, Quinn Ewers completed only 50 percent of his passes (78-of-156) with five touchdowns and four interceptions and was sacked eight times.

“It takes all 11,” Sarkisian said. “And it takes precision and execution. That's an area where I know we're going to spend a lot of time on, cleaning that up.”

After talking to sources, there was a sense after the regular-season ended, Worthy was determined to look elsewhere for a school where he would be showcased AND have a chance to win a championship.

But UT coaches “have put on a full-court press” to reassure Worthy that Texas is that place, according to a team source. Now, there’s a sense, according to those sources, that Worthy is leaning toward staying

 

32 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

FCB on Worthy

  Hide contents

Everyone wants to know what’s going on with Xavier Worthy, so let’s start there.

Before we get to whether Worthy is staying or going, it’s important to try to understand Worthy - his approach to football, how seriously he takes it, how hard he works at it and that he’s not been your typical college football player from the day he set foot on campus last year as a freshman.

When Worthy didn’t feel comfortable with Michigan, the thing that attracted him most to Texas was Steve Sarkisian’s offense at Alabama and all the Tide receivers who had just come through Tuscaloosa on their way to the NFL, including Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, who has a similar profile (wiry and blazing fast) to Worthy.

Whether Sarkisian said he could see Worthy having a similar role in his Texas offense as Smith had at Alabama or Worthy could simply see himself in a similar role as Smith — only at Texas — Worthy was sold. And he’s had a relentless work ethic to deliver on that kind of promise since he arrived in Austin.

Worthy doesn’t go out much. He keeps to himself. You can usually find him in his apartment playing video games (he loves Fortnight). His roommates last summer included Quinn Ewers before Worthy and Texas nickel/cornerbacck Jahdae Barron became roommates this fall.

“X (Worthy) is really easy to get along with,” Ewers said.

Sarkisian and teammates have had nothing but praise for Worthy, his work ethic and determination. Receivers in Sarkisian’s offense have to grasp the concepts of an entire play, so they understand exactly how to run a route, how they fit into the progression, their blocking assignments, the play’s use of motion, etc.

Worthy worked his butt off to digest all of that as a freshman and became a freshman All-American who broke UT’s freshman records for receptions (62), receiving yards (981) and touchdown catches (12) in 2021.

According to team sources, other schools reached out to Worthy through intermediaries to see if he was interested in transferring. There might’ve been some NIL deals that came through for Worthy, and he returned.

Sarkisian said earlier this season, “X (Worthy) is the first one to practice most every day.”

After Texas’ 41-34 loss at Oklahoma State in which Worthy was targeted 16 times and caught only four passes for 78 yards and one touchdown, junior receiver Jordan Whittington was asked if he ever needs to talk to Worthy to calm any frustrations that might arise during a game?

“X, he’s an amazing player,” Whittington said. “He goes out and does his thing every week. If I feel like I need to talk to him, I’ll do it, because I’m in that role of leader in the room.

“But for him, he’s the type of player, he just, I don’t know, he’s a special talent — a really good one.”

According to team sources, after UT’s regular season ended with Worthy catching 53 passes for 696 yards and a Big 12-leading nine touchdowns that Worthy sees next season as his last year of college football. And Worthy wants to know if he’s going to work as hard as he does to get open that he ends up in the best situation possible to catch passes, make plays and help a team win big. Like championship big.

(Photo: © Tim Warner, Getty)

Teammates don’t call Worthy selfish. Just the opposite. They see how he gets open, how he blocks downfield for other teammates to make plays and how he tries to impact games in the return game.

“Coaches tell players all the time, ‘Prepare like a pro,’” said one team source. “Worthy does that — and has since he got here. He puts in the work. No one can question that. He obviously was hoping for a better year - not just for him, but for him to help the team elevate to a championship level.”

Steve Sarkisian seemed to be reaching out to Worthy on Monday, when he was asked if Worthy is happy at Texas?

“Well, I think the one thing about Xavier is this: he's a highly competitive young man,” Sarkisian said. “And from the moment he arrived on our campus, he came to work; and he came to work to earn an opportunity to play; came to work to become a starter. He came to work to be the best receiver he could be, whether that was in our conference or in the country.

“So I think the guy's got a high sense of competitiveness and drive to be the best. And he works that way every day. And so sometimes when you don't get the actual result of it, that can become a sense of frustration. I would much rather have a receiver that's frustrated that he didn't contribute more to a win than a guy who's content going on the field and playing and the ball not coming his way because I think he values his ability to get open. I do too. I get it, you know.”

Before being asked about Worthy, Sarkisian said a top priority going into Texas’ bowl game would be improving the passing game. In UT’s last five games, Quinn Ewers completed only 50 percent of his passes (78-of-156) with five touchdowns and four interceptions and was sacked eight times.

“It takes all 11,” Sarkisian said. “And it takes precision and execution. That's an area where I know we're going to spend a lot of time on, cleaning that up.”

After talking to sources, there was a sense after the regular-season ended, Worthy was determined to look elsewhere for a school where he would be showcased AND have a chance to win a championship.

But UT coaches “have put on a full-court press” to reassure Worthy that Texas is that place, according to a team source. Now, there’s a sense, according to those sources, that Worthy is leaning toward staying

 

 

28 minutes ago, LebongJames said:

That’s a lot of words for a piece of shit to completely fabricate.

13 hours ago, Hookem2147 said:

 

 

YAY! Now that he's staying he returns to his status of being the best  WR in the conference & a sure-fire Biltenikoff finalist again!

1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

If Worthy ends up staying at Texas trust and believe there will be a contingent of posters that’ll think he didn’t have any other suitors. 

54 minutes ago, LebongJames said:

That’s a lot of words for a piece of shit to completely fabricate.

no shit.  that reads like something that anyone on this board could have put together at any point in the last two weeks.  and then thrown in that last line about things trending towards him staying once someone else reported it.  good lord.

Thought it was interesting that Joe Cook tweeted about this guy.  Definitely has the size PK likes in his tackles.  Hair game is on point.

 

(But will he qualify academically ... ?)

 

 

22 minutes ago, SarkAfterDark said:

If Worthy ends up staying at Texas trust and believe there will be a contingent of posters that’ll think he didn’t have any other suitors. 

I don’t think anyone believes he doesn’t have suitors. However, if I’m Bama or USC, I’m not looking to get in a bidding war for an WR who’s currently getting high compensation at his current school, performed less than spectacular this season, and potential other issues. There are better performing receivers who would jump at the opportunity to play for either program, and possibly for less money. That’s all I’m saying.

2 minutes ago, Coelenterate Fuccboi said:

I don’t think anyone believes he doesn’t have suitors. However, if I’m Bama or USC, I’m not looking to get in a bidding war for an WR who’s currently getting high compensation at his current school, performed less than spectacular this season, and potential other issues. There are better performing receivers who would jump at the opportunity to play for either program, and possibly for less money. That’s all I’m saying.

Do tell.

9 minutes ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

Thought it was interesting that Joe Cook tweeted about this guy.  Definitely has the size PK likes in his tackles.  Hair game is on point.

 

If Surly was a player.

 

 

12 minutes ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

Thought it was interesting that Joe Cook tweeted about this guy.  Definitely has the size PK likes in his tackles.  Hair game is on point.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Getafix said:

(But will he qualify academically ... ?)

 

 

Jaggers. Nope. No thank you.

2 minutes ago, Coelenterate Fuccboi said:

I don’t think anyone believes he doesn’t have suitors. However, if I’m Bama or USC, I’m not looking to get in a bidding war for an WR who’s currently getting high compensation at his current school, performed less than spectacular this season, and potential other issues. There are better performing receivers who would jump at the opportunity to play for either program, and possibly for less money. That’s all I’m saying.

If Xavier Worthy entered the portal, he would be the #1 receiver in the portal for the next 45 days. Period.

Every single program in the country would crawl over broken glass to have a guy with his talent who has 21 TD’s in 24 career games despite crappy QB play for quite a few of those 24 games.

Let’s not try to downplay his talent or pretend other teams would be uncertain if they wanted to push. 

6 minutes ago, Coelenterate Fuccboi said:

I don’t think anyone believes he doesn’t have suitors. However, if I’m Bama or USC, I’m not looking to get in a bidding war for an WR who’s currently getting high compensation at his current school, performed less than spectacular this season, and potential other issues. There are better performing receivers who would jump at the opportunity to play for either program, and possibly for less money. That’s all I’m saying.

You are going off the rails here. I'm mildly entertained by it but it's too absurd to leave open. 

USC or Bama would absolutely take Worthy in a heartbeat. I still think he winds up at one of those places, frankly. As far as returning WRs nationally next year, he's easily in the top 10 and probably top 5. 

12 minutes ago, Coelenterate Fuccboi said:

I don’t think anyone believes he doesn’t have suitors. However, if I’m Bama or USC, I’m not looking to get in a bidding war for an WR who’s currently getting high compensation at his current school, performed less than spectacular this season, and potential other issues. There are better performing receivers who would jump at the opportunity to play for either program, and possibly for less money. That’s all I’m saying.

This is some take.  He's better QB play + improvement tracking deep balls away from being a Biletnikoff favorite.   I already don't think there is a better WR in the country in a 15 yard box.  Bama and USC would absolutely get in a bidding war for him and probably are involved in one already.,

2 minutes ago, Skipper said:

This is some take.  He's better QB play + improvement tracking deep balls away from being a Biletnikoff favorite.   I already don't think there is a better WR in the country in a 15 yard box.  Bama and USC would absolutely get in a bidding war for him and probably are involved in one already.,

Do you really improve on tracking deep balls?  That seems more like an inate ability rather than something that hard work and a lot of reps can fix.

Neyor should have been getting the deep balls.

1 minute ago, conVINCEd said:

Do you really improve on tracking deep balls?  That seems more like an inate ability rather than something that hard work and a lot of reps can fix.

Turn head.  See ball. Run to ball.

Neyor should have been getting the deep balls.

Alright who wants it.

15 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

You are going off the rails here. I'm mildly entertained by it but it's too absurd to leave open. 

USC or Bama would absolutely take Worthy in a heartbeat. I still think he winds up at one of those places, frankly. As far as returning WRs nationally next year, he's easily in the top 10 and probably top 5. 

I think the sales pitch ultimately comes down to if Worthy believes that Ewers can be fixed by Milwee and Sarkisian in one offseason. If Ewers works his ass off on his mechanics this offseason, I believe that can happen. So ultimately, Xavier has to believe that Quinn will work as hard as he does. 

5 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Do you really improve on tracking deep balls?  That seems more like an inate ability rather than something that hard work and a lot of reps can fix.

Absolutely incorrect. 

2 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Absolutely incorrect. 

Yup, ctj learned to track balls really well, just didn't have the speed to adjust and catch them.

5 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Neyor should have been getting balls deep.

FIFY

1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

FCB on Worthy

  Reveal hidden contents

Everyone wants to know what’s going on with Xavier Worthy, so let’s start there.

Before we get to whether Worthy is staying or going, it’s important to try to understand Worthy - his approach to football, how seriously he takes it, how hard he works at it and that he’s not been your typical college football player from the day he set foot on campus last year as a freshman.

When Worthy didn’t feel comfortable with Michigan, the thing that attracted him most to Texas was Steve Sarkisian’s offense at Alabama and all the Tide receivers who had just come through Tuscaloosa on their way to the NFL, including Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, who has a similar profile (wiry and blazing fast) to Worthy.

Whether Sarkisian said he could see Worthy having a similar role in his Texas offense as Smith had at Alabama or Worthy could simply see himself in a similar role as Smith — only at Texas — Worthy was sold. And he’s had a relentless work ethic to deliver on that kind of promise since he arrived in Austin.

Worthy doesn’t go out much. He keeps to himself. You can usually find him in his apartment playing video games (he loves Fortnight). His roommates last summer included Quinn Ewers before Worthy and Texas nickel/cornerbacck Jahdae Barron became roommates this fall.

“X (Worthy) is really easy to get along with,” Ewers said.

Sarkisian and teammates have had nothing but praise for Worthy, his work ethic and determination. Receivers in Sarkisian’s offense have to grasp the concepts of an entire play, so they understand exactly how to run a route, how they fit into the progression, their blocking assignments, the play’s use of motion, etc.

Worthy worked his butt off to digest all of that as a freshman and became a freshman All-American who broke UT’s freshman records for receptions (62), receiving yards (981) and touchdown catches (12) in 2021.

According to team sources, other schools reached out to Worthy through intermediaries to see if he was interested in transferring. There might’ve been some NIL deals that came through for Worthy, and he returned.

Sarkisian said earlier this season, “X (Worthy) is the first one to practice most every day.”

After Texas’ 41-34 loss at Oklahoma State in which Worthy was targeted 16 times and caught only four passes for 78 yards and one touchdown, junior receiver Jordan Whittington was asked if he ever needs to talk to Worthy to calm any frustrations that might arise during a game?

“X, he’s an amazing player,” Whittington said. “He goes out and does his thing every week. If I feel like I need to talk to him, I’ll do it, because I’m in that role of leader in the room.

“But for him, he’s the type of player, he just, I don’t know, he’s a special talent — a really good one.”

According to team sources, after UT’s regular season ended with Worthy catching 53 passes for 696 yards and a Big 12-leading nine touchdowns that Worthy sees next season as his last year of college football. And Worthy wants to know if he’s going to work as hard as he does to get open that he ends up in the best situation possible to catch passes, make plays and help a team win big. Like championship big.

(Photo: © Tim Warner, Getty)

Teammates don’t call Worthy selfish. Just the opposite. They see how he gets open, how he blocks downfield for other teammates to make plays and how he tries to impact games in the return game.

“Coaches tell players all the time, ‘Prepare like a pro,’” said one team source. “Worthy does that — and has since he got here. He puts in the work. No one can question that. He obviously was hoping for a better year - not just for him, but for him to help the team elevate to a championship level.”

Steve Sarkisian seemed to be reaching out to Worthy on Monday, when he was asked if Worthy is happy at Texas?

“Well, I think the one thing about Xavier is this: he's a highly competitive young man,” Sarkisian said. “And from the moment he arrived on our campus, he came to work; and he came to work to earn an opportunity to play; came to work to become a starter. He came to work to be the best receiver he could be, whether that was in our conference or in the country.

“So I think the guy's got a high sense of competitiveness and drive to be the best. And he works that way every day. And so sometimes when you don't get the actual result of it, that can become a sense of frustration. I would much rather have a receiver that's frustrated that he didn't contribute more to a win than a guy who's content going on the field and playing and the ball not coming his way because I think he values his ability to get open. I do too. I get it, you know.”

Before being asked about Worthy, Sarkisian said a top priority going into Texas’ bowl game would be improving the passing game. In UT’s last five games, Quinn Ewers completed only 50 percent of his passes (78-of-156) with five touchdowns and four interceptions and was sacked eight times.

“It takes all 11,” Sarkisian said. “And it takes precision and execution. That's an area where I know we're going to spend a lot of time on, cleaning that up.”

After talking to sources, there was a sense after the regular-season ended, Worthy was determined to look elsewhere for a school where he would be showcased AND have a chance to win a championship.

But UT coaches “have put on a full-court press” to reassure Worthy that Texas is that place, according to a team source. Now, there’s a sense, according to those sources, that Worthy is leaning toward staying

 

"His roommates last summer included Quinn Ewers before Worthy and Texas nickel/cornerback Jahdae Barron became roommates this fall."

Well, that may explain a lot.

9 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Alright who wants it.

me

Edited December 1, 2022 by Longhornlove

never mind the first post.

In its place, I offer:

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by NWAustinDude

Neyor should have been getting the deep balls.

I mean, a few drifted onto the sidelines. Neyor should have grabbed them just to keep from getting rusty.

19 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Neyor should have been getting the deep balls.

13 minutes ago, Longhornlove said:

Neyor should have been getting balls deep.

FIFY

We are just trying to teach the guys to lay out. 

18 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Do you really improve on tracking deep balls?  That seems more like an inate ability rather than something that hard work and a lot of reps can fix.

It's a skill that can easily be improved upon &, with enough practice at it, he could show a lot of improvement by fall of next year. All it would really take would be setting up a jugs machine and someone to feed it. Having a full Spring, Summer, & Fall w/ Ewers as the #1 should help with their timing & consistency as well. 

23 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Do you really improve on tracking deep balls?  That seems more like an inate ability rather than something that hard work and a lot of reps can fix.

South Austin's mom sure has

21 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

"His roommates last summer included Quinn Ewers before Worthy and Texas nickel/cornerback Jahdae Barron became roommates this fall."

Well, that may explain a lot.

Because Worthy and Ewers would have been working on tracking the deep ball in their 10x12 room?

Worthy needs to get better in several areas, but we did him no favors by continuing to ask him to do things he isn't strong at. He's at his best on the crossers, screen game, redzone area where he can beat DB's with his route running and the intermediate game over the middle. He is actually a really physical player who will lower his shoulder on DB's if he has them 1 v 1. He's not a 50/50 deep ball winner down the field. That was supposed to be Neyor's role but unfortunately his injury meant we had to ask Worthy to do everything.

Not only will improved QB help, but Neyor coming back and/or others receivers coming in and stepping up is going to allow us to maximize Worthy's skillset better.

Edited December 1, 2022 by Hookem2147

they wouldn't have to be 50/50 deep balls if we could actually hit him in stride...

8 minutes ago, Foosters said:

Because Worthy and Ewers would have been working on tracking the deep ball in their 10x12 room?

Because Worthy and Barron are the two players most frequently mentioned as potential portal casualties.

Just now, IDIOTsavant said:

Because Worthy and Barron are the two players most frequently mentioned as potential portal casualties.

Did you know they were roommates this year?!

I know Sark hates throwing to stationary WRs, but we threw like an 8 yard curl to Worthy a couple times this year and he was wide open.  It should be in the arsenal to keep the defense from locking in on deep routes, and with his quickness Worthy could break a tackle and house it anyways.

8 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Did you know they were roommates this year?!

Prove it. Video of Worthy catching a pass on a moving bass boat will work.

I don’t think anyone believes he doesn’t have suitors. However, if I’m Bama or USC, I’m not looking to get in a bidding war for an WR who’s currently getting high compensation at his current school, performed less than spectacular this season, and potential other issues. There are better performing receivers who would jump at the opportunity to play for either program, and possibly for less money. That’s all I’m saying.

This is straight up sour grapes

21 minutes ago, Foosters said:

Because Worthy and Ewers would have been working on tracking the deep ball in their 10x12 room?

No.

12 minutes ago, IDIOTsavant said:

Because Worthy and Barron are the two players most frequently mentioned as potential portal casualties.

This.

58 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Neyor should have been getting the deep balls.

 

56 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Alright who wants it.

South Austin's mom.

1 hour ago, Hookem2147 said:

If Xavier Worthy entered the portal, he would be the #1 receiver in the portal for the next 45 days. Period.

Every single program in the country would crawl over broken glass to have a guy with his talent who has 21 TD’s in 24 career games despite crappy QB play for quite a few of those 24 games.

Let’s not try to downplay his talent or pretend other teams would be uncertain if they wanted to push. 

Your point that everyone would court him is correct, but  #1 might be a stretch. We have no idea who will be in the portal. There is already an All-SEC WR in the portal. Worthy would be top 5 for sure, but #1 is not assured. 

I also find it comical how this “Xavier can't track deep balls” thing has taken off this board with really no proof as such. The majority of the deep balls thrown his way were overthrown period. Just because he is fast enough to get within 2,3 yards by the time the ball hits the ground doesn’t mean he couldn’t track it. Also it’s amazing none of this was talked about last year and he had a bigger year with a less talented QB. Worthy was maybe 10-15% of the issues in the deep passing game.

Think Ewers and Xavier just aren't on the same page--were early on but some break downs along the way have offset any kind of timing they established.  Ewers absolutely throws receivers open or will throw to a spot--which is why it looks like the ball is out in nowhere when they miss.  He's shown early on that he has plenty of touch and anticipation, but when guys drop passes and every play is the touchdown long ball, then both parties over compensate.  

There's also some bad play calling--mix in some intermediate routes, quick slants, cuts and come back to the ball.  These are all plays where quick receivers can absolutely shake coverage.  I think Xavier can operate in a phone booth but on deep balls, really isn't asked to when it's just go deep. That's also not fully utilizing his skills--move him around.  I think Xavier's equivalency in the college game, or could be, is more Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.  I'd probably really look at Brown's utilization when he was at OU (burns the eyes) and how he got the ball all over the field.  

Furthermore, wtf is Sark doing--when the qb is off, how about building him up to the deep pass rather than relying on it.  Get the offense moving--if the defense wants to give up the underneath, take it.  It'll tire them out more than just running deep for 3 and out and then punting, but force the safeties to back off--and utilize some screens to open the run game.  Sark and Ewers got in a rut and the offensive play was caught on a short loop for awhile during TCU.   I don't know what to do about blitzing up the middle except....  

Vary the damn snap count--like a bunch.  Practice it so the line doesn't jump but vary it more and collect penalties.  TCU was timing their rushes in anticipation.  Vary it a few times and they absolutely would've jumped offsides.  Instead they changed it after that game, rather than during.  But again, practice it so that the line doesn't move.   

Random thoughts before giving up on Xavier.  I go knee jerk about letting him walk but he's a top risk that could offer a lot of benefit if everything get's ironed out.  And yes, you can work on catching over the shoulder throws or opposite shoulder throws.  Just do it regularly.  The other thing that has been great about Worthy is that he pretty much has stayed healthy, which is a bonus that you can't guarantee in the portal.  

Edited December 1, 2022 by Mdhorn

Worthy would be a HUGE loss to this roster if he leaves.  He's a stud that had a bit of the sophomore slump.  Crazy how fans are ready to push him out the door.

6 minutes ago, SarkAfterDark said:

I also find it comical how this “Xavier can't track deep balls” thing has taken off this board with really no proof as such. The majority of the deep balls thrown his way were overthrown period. Just because he is fast enough to get within 2,3 yards by the time the ball hits the ground doesn’t mean he couldn’t track it. Also it’s amazing none of this was talked about last year and he had a bigger year with a less talented QB. Worthy was maybe 10-15% of the issues in the deep passing game.

When you can't track the ball and are steadily running away from it, then yeah, the ball looks like it was thrown further than it was.  Part of that is the receiver adjusting--he doesn't.  Casey had difficulty overthrowing period--he was more mobile though, which does help stretch defenses.     

1 hour ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

Do tell.

"I personally don't like him as a player and will therefore imply he's got off-field issues because it makes me feel better about it if he's a bad person"

13 minutes ago, Mdhorn said:

Vary the damn snap count--like a bunch.  Practice it so the line doesn't jump but vary it more and collect penalties.  TCU was timing their rushes in anticipation.  Vary it a few times and they absolutely would've jumped offsides.  Instead they changed it after that game, rather than during.  But again, practice it so that the line doesn't move.   

My guess is that they were weary of varying the snap count too much because of the very young OL and because we seemed to have quite a few false starts even without varying the snap count a ton.

35 minutes ago, SarkAfterDark said:

I also find it comical how this “Xavier can't track deep balls” thing has taken off this board with really no proof as such. The majority of the deep balls thrown his way were overthrown period. Just because he is fast enough to get within 2,3 yards by the time the ball hits the ground doesn’t mean he couldn’t track it. Also it’s amazing none of this was talked about last year and he had a bigger year with a less talented QB. Worthy was maybe 10-15% of the issues in the deep passing game.

Nobody says he can't. It's just that he often had trouble finding the ball in the air. It was plainly irregular to anyone watching. All you need are two working eye balls. 

IMO situations came up that showed a weakness in his game that needs some extra work, that's all. He's a badass, motivated player.

Edited December 1, 2022 by mwaadeeb
adding

22 minutes ago, SarkAfterDark said:

I also find it comical how this “Xavier can't track deep balls” thing has taken off this board with really no proof as such. The majority of the deep balls thrown his way were overthrown period. Just because he is fast enough to get within 2,3 yards by the time the ball hits the ground doesn’t mean he couldn’t track it. Also it’s amazing none of this was talked about last year and he had a bigger year with a less talented QB. Worthy was maybe 10-15% of the issues in the deep passing game.

I'm sure you are a Worthy apologist but his lack of effort or "ball tracking " is obvious. You pick, it is one or the other and damn sure isn't neither.