With spring football less than a week from kicking off, another quarterback competition is underway at the University of Miami. The names and faces are the same, but growth, maturity and paths of the two participants are a bit different.
Jorge Milian of the Palm Beach Post penned a piece on Stephen Morris this morning, talking about the change in the incoming sophomore since his redshirt was burned in the second half of last season’s loss at Virginia.
Since stepping foot on campus last year, Morris has packed up upwards of thirty pounds and has gone from unknown back up to Jacory Harris, to possibly the present and future of what was once known as Quarterback U.
“Last spring was just about getting accustomed to college football and the game speed,” said Morris. “This spring it’s more about getting adjusted to the new playbook, making good decisions, being fast and taking the role of being a lead quarterback instead of just a freshman.”
Morris won’t predict who will earn the starting job – which could be named soon after the Spring Game on April 16th – but he did let the college football world know that last year was merely an ‘introduction’ to what he’s all about.
For those who missed that intro, Morris shone in the second half against the Cavaliers, almost erasing an early fourth quarter 24-0 deficit, rallying the Canes to within five.
A week later Morris hurled a game-winning touchdown pass to Leonard Hankerson, giving Miami the 26-20 come from behind victory against Maryland. The following week, Morris again looked crisp in a lopsided 35-10 win at Georgia Tech. Smart decisions, zip on the ball, pocket presence and moxie all on display in the then-true freshman’s second career start.
Harris earned the start in the Sun Bowl after Randy Shannon was fired and the-offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland took over as interim head coach. Miami fell 33-17 against Notre Dame, with Harris going 4-of-7 for 37 yards – all three ‘incompletions’ resulting in interceptions – before giving way to Morris early in the second quarter.
While with Canes’ defense faltered and the Irish were content sitting on a 30-3 early fourth quarter lead, Morris still outperformed his counterpart with a 282-yard performance and two touchdowns on a 22-for-33 showing.
Though Milian’s article didn’t touch on Harris, it should be noted that the senior quarterback has earned a black jersey in practice and is said to have experienced his share of change this off-season, looking to right last year’s wrongs. While some fans have given up on No. 12, Harris hasn’t given up on himself and this new coaching staff has stated that both kids have as good as a shot at winning the starting gig as the other.
For the first time in forever, Miami has two quality kids going into a quarterback competition and finally has a coaching staff ready to fairly judge both. Tune in Saturday to see things getting underway.
if it's even REMOTELY close between the two of them by the end of spring.. i don't see ANY reason to start jacory.. none.
I agree with Anonymous. Jacory has to have an unbelievable spring to keep his job IMO. Morris just has too many physical tools to be kept off the field…just needs to be smarter with the ball and the job is his.
Wow you didn't bag on j12 too much. He will show improvement and I hope he starts I really do. But if morris out plays him then give him the job. If its even you go with experience and I predict a big season from j12 and more wins than last year. I don't see the games where the team doesn't even show up to play like we saw last season.
Fun prediction
J12 3000 plus yards 30 tds 10 ints
James and miller both over 1000 yards on the ground and 10 tds a peice
Johnson byrd benjamin ayles ford 30 receptions plus a peice
Defense will be nasty like the days of old
Wow you didn't bag on j12 too much.
… a little hypersensitive there dscott? Where did I 'bag' on Jacory? Outside of listing he stats – which are fact, not opinion – the only thing I even wrote about No. 12 was
"Though Milian's article didn't touch on Harris, it should be noted that the senior quarterback has earned a black jersey in practice and is said to have experienced his share of change this off-season, looking to right last year's wrongs. While some fans have given up on No. 12, Harris hasn't given up on himself and this new coaching staff has stated that both kids have as good as a shot at winning the starting gig as the other."
As for your 'fun prediction', would love nothing more than for it to come true … though right now it seems more like a pipe dream than reality, based on 38 touchdowns to 32 interceptions the past two seasons.
I supported Harris from day one and hope he turns it around, but straight up – I like what I've seen out of Stephen Morris and if the competition is even CLOSE, you ABSOLUTELY go with the true sophomore (and his tremendous upside) over the maligned senior.
Jacory Harris is damaged goods. 32 ints in 2 seasons is completely unacceptable. I like J-12 and would love for him to be the comeback story of 2011, but I have seen nothing but backward movement, bad passes, and bad decisions from him and I see no reason to be optimistic about his Senior season. He is alot like Kyle Wright, in that we just keep waiting for him to be the QB we think he can be, but it never happens. I say the job should be Stephen Morris' to lose!
That's what I meant by bag on his stats that's all man. You would like to go with upside I prefer experience. To opinions who knows who is right but I guess the fall will tell us. But please don't think I don't think morris has upside because I do I just think a full year holding the clipboard learning is going to pay off way more than throwing him in the fire again and wait to see if he gets burned. I think this based off what guys like mcelroy from bama and even guys in the nfl like rogers palmer romo and others have used to go on to great success.
I do think its time for the famed 08 class to finally fill the hype though. Too many under achievers with nfl talent in that class. Still think b harris made a huge mistake leaving but hopefully he can channel his inner sam shields and learn the nfl game quickly.
Off topic, but I want to give props to DVD for running a 4.28 in the 40 at the combine. He made some money off of that alone. I am becoming convinced that some of the former staff was not coaching the kids properly and I think DVD can be another Sam Shields, but with 4 years of CB play under his belt. Great job DVD!
-Columbus Cane
I think we are in good hands as long as both JH and SM remain healthy. The U's fan base is quick to blame JH for the failure of this team last year. I feel the majority of the blame goes to the coaching staff. JH didn't seem to have a big problem his first two years at the U and now he can't play football. I think the entire team was in disarray and hopefully that problem has been solved with the new coaching staff. I look at this team being similiar to Dallas Cowboys. Talented with subpar coaching. New coach, all out effort from the players.
Let's face it,, Scarecrow sucks,, period. He was GIVEN the job by the old regime in exchange for his Northwestern teammates.
In four years,,, has he EVER even gained any muscle mass? Does he know where the weight room is??
I like a lot of what we saw out of Stephen Morris, but I really wanna believe that Jacory can be the Jacory we though he was during that four game fun at the start of 09… it seemed like the sky was the limit for him then, and I still hold out hope that he can find his game. If not, good to know Morris is ready (hopefully!) to be the guy…
new ACC football recruiting blog:
http://accfootballrecruiting.blogspot.com/