Northwestern football opens up early this season, visiting the Purdue Boilermakers on August 30. Will QB1 Clayton Thorson be ready in time? Will we see him out there with the first team at Ross-Ade Stadium?
Thorson said at Northwestern football media day that he’s feeling great and he’ll be good to go, but what if he’s not? The type of injury that he suffered in the Music City Bowl and the typical timeline of recovery and rehabilitation that goes along with it places Thorson’s return in doubt as it is too tight a window of time.
“If Clayton’s ready mentally and he’s cleared physically from a standpoint of our medical team, then we’ll rock and roll and go in the opener,” said Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern football media day.
“And if not, we’ll have a plan for that.”
So Fitzgerald doesn’t sound worried, which is certainly a complement to the three QBs behind Thorson on the depth chart: TJ Green, Aidan Smith and Andrew Marty. Let’s take a look at who they are and what they bring to the table. Additionally, as it’s talking season right now, it’s time to look at the future of the QB position in the Northwestern football program.
After all, it is Thorson’s final year of eligibility, and NU have an elite, top rated 5-star recruit waiting in the wings in Hunter Johnson. The Clemson transfer will sit out this year, per NCAA rules, learn the system this season, and then enter 2019 as the obvious front-runner to take over from Thorson.
Getting back to 2018, we did an exclusive interview with the trio of QBs (all at the same time) at Northwestern football media day.
You can hear that below:
TJ Green, Jr, Leawood, KS
As the only quarterback of the triad who has actually completed a pass in a real game, he is the early front-runner to be the man, should Thorson not be ready. His father is former NFL quarterback and current NFL broadcaster Trent Green. As you might expect, he’s often been compared to his dad.
“They kind of label me a pocket passer, like him,” he said, but I don’t feel I’m just a pocket passer, but that’s for other people to decide I guess.”
His biggest advantage in the race to win the starting job is his knowledge of the system. He is the most experienced of the troika, and he knows best where to go with reads and progressions.
Aidan Smith, So, Ft. Wayne, IN
He throws the cleanest ball, according to offensive coordinator Mick McCall.
“I feel have a strong arm, with accuracy, but I feel the most important edge I have is my competitiveness,” said Smith, “and being an athlete, not just a quarterback, but an athlete.”
Andrew Marty, FR, Cincinnati, OH
The OC says Marty does a great job of getting the ball out of his hand. “I feel I can put the ball anywhere,” said Marty, but what I feel bring to the table is the ability to extend the play- whether it be scrambling, or quarterback runs, or whatever it may be I feel comfortable with the ball in my hand.
There was also plenty of QB talk during Fitzgerald’s session at Northwestern football Media Day, have a listen to that below:
2019- Hunter Johnson leads the way?
Johnson, a five star rated recruit, originally committed to Clemson, and he did play very well with the Tigers in the limited action that he saw. Much of his playing time came in mop-up duty, but he completed 77.8 percent of his passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns for the Atlantic Coast Conference champions. However, Johnson, the top rated QB recruit in the class of 2017, was a victim of a numbers game at Clemson.
The situation in the quarterback room at one of college football’s premier national powers was a crowded one, filled with elite of the elite talent.
However, Johnson is now in a new location in a new conference, under a different coaching staff, and the sky really is the limit for him. Plus “he can spin the crap out of the ball,” as one of his fellow NU QBs put it.
He’s been with the Northwestern football program for close to eight weeks now, and the team and staff are getting to know him even better. Fitzgerald articulated how his transfer came about, and what makes him such a special prospect.
“He went to all the national combine things and competed and won, incredibly bright guy,” said Fitzgerald. “His high school coach reached out to us after he got his release and that’s how the whole thing started.”
We talked about the upcoming Northwestern football season on WGN-CLTV “Sports Feed” with Jarrett Payton, have a watch below:
The Fitz Mahal and its Potential Boon to Recruiting
It’s very likely that more recruits with rankings on par with Johnson are headed to the Northwestern football program in the very near future. Certainly if you believe that facilities have a lot to do with recruiting, then the future looks extremely bright for NU.
The facility is just outstanding! It’s right at the top, the best of the best, on par with Alabama, Clemson and anybody else in the entire nation. Of course, photos and videos don’t truly do it justice- you’ve got to see it in person.
Asked to describe the complex, Fitzgerald responded: “absolutely ridiculous.”
Asked what his favorite aspect/feature of the new facility is, he responded: “To be quite frank? Everything.”
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/1025114361952698370
“I think from a recruiting standpoint, you either have facilities or you don’t.
“Obviously, this makes the statement from the university.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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