What's the Plan for Taulia this year?

BamaMoon · Sep 4, 2019

mlh said:
I think the plan is to bring Lia along with the hopes he can be the starter next year after Tua leaves for the NFL. For some reason, I see Mac as a perennial backup. If Lia burns his redshirt and Tyson keeps his, then I think Tyson sticks around to be the backup to Lia, then the starter for 1-2 years. Of course, that changes if we get a great QB recruit who can come in and compete for the starting job as a true freshman.

That's always going to be the rub for QBs. You could be a real good qb and a generational player comes along and he forces you to the bench and eventually into the transfer portal.

That's exactly what happened to Jalen, as we all know.

I guess the upside for a program like ours is after Jalen and Tua we will probably always attract some top tier candidates and if one comes along next year or the year after that is a "day one starter" the other guys will have a decision to make.

It's the new world we live in with QBs.

Ledsteplin · Sep 4, 2019

mlh said:
I think the plan is to bring Lia along with the hopes he can be the starter next year after Tua leaves for the NFL. For some reason, I see Mac as a perennial backup. If Lia burns his redshirt and Tyson keeps his, then I think Tyson sticks around to be the backup to Lia, then the starter for 1-2 years. Of course, that changes if we get a great QB recruit who can come in and compete for the starting job as a true freshman.

I don't believe there is such a plan. Mac is № 2 for a reason. He's a very capable QB. His 95 yard TD pass to Waddle was short, but it was quick and on the money. We really haven't seen him play that much, except in 4th quarter mop up. We know Lia can throw, but haven't seen him do so in a game yet. He may surpass Mac at some point, but Saban will play who he thinks has the best chance of winning games. Mac, Lia, and Tyson will battle it out in practice and on the field. That's the plan. The winner will be 2nd behind Tua, and possibly our starter next year. We need to see more of both Mac and Lia on the field, and so does Saban.

RTR91 · Sep 4, 2019

Ledsteplin said:
I don't believe there is such a plan. Mac is № 2 for a reason. He's a very capable QB. His 95 yard TD pass to Waddle was short, but it was quick and on the money. We really haven't seen him play that much, except in 4th quarter mop up. We know Lia can throw, but haven't seen him do so in a game yet. He may surpass Mac at some point, but Saban will play who he thinks has the best chance of winning games. Mac, Lia, and Tyson will battle it out in practice and on the field. That's the plan. The winner will be 2nd behind Tua, and possibly our starter next year. We need to see more of both Mac and Lia on the field, and so does Saban.

Mac is #2 because he’s in year three while the others have only been on campus 8 months. If he wasn’t #2, that would be a big problem.

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mlh · Sep 5, 2019

Ledsteplin said:
I don't believe there is such a plan. Mac is № 2 for a reason. He's a very capable QB. His 95 yard TD pass to Waddle was short, but it was quick and on the money. We really haven't seen him play that much, except in 4th quarter mop up. We know Lia can throw, but haven't seen him do so in a game yet. He may surpass Mac at some point, but Saban will play who he thinks has the best chance of winning games. Mac, Lia, and Tyson will battle it out in practice and on the field. That's the plan. The winner will be 2nd behind Tua, and possibly our starter next year. We need to see more of both Mac and Lia on the field, and so does Saban.

I think you're right. And I expect Lia to move ahead of Mac into the #2 spot by the end of the year.

CrimsonForce · Sep 5, 2019

If Tua went down mid game I think Mac would come in and run the offense. If Tua was out for an extended period of time I think Taulia would take over as the starting QB. Similar to the Star Jackson / AJ McCarron situation years ago. AJ was the 3rd string QB but would have been the one playing if the starter went down with a significant injury..

BamaMoon · Sep 5, 2019

mlh said:
I think you're right. And I expect Lia to move ahead of Mac into the #2 spot by the end of the year.

CrimsonForce said:
If Tua went down mid game I think Mac would come in and run the offense. If Tua was out for an extended period of time I think Taulia would take over as the starting QB. Similar to the Star Jackson / AJ McCarron situation years ago. AJ was the 3rd string QB but would have been the one playing if the starter went down with a significant injury..

I don't necessarily disagree with y'all, but is this based on a "gut feeling" (which is why I agree) or is it based on some evidence that Lia is already showing more capability and that MJ's #2 position on the DC is more about seniority than skill?

mlh · Sep 5, 2019

BamaMoon said:
I don't necessarily disagree with y'all, but is this based on a "gut feeling" (which is why I agree) or is it based on some evidence that Lia is already showing more capability and that MJ's #2 position on the DC is more about seniority than skill?

Purely a gut feeling on my part.

BamaMoon · Sep 9, 2019

I'm not sure game #2 brought any clarity here. Even though game #2 would have been a slightly better environment to see Lia or Tysen we only saw MJ. I thought Lia might get at least a couple of series.

If there is a plan to redshirt Lia, I think it's kinda a shame he burned one of his 4 games with 2 plays against Duke.

JustNeedMe81 · Sep 9, 2019

BamaMoon said:
I'm not sure game #2 brought any clarity here. Even though game #2 would have been a slightly better environment to see Lia or Tysen we only saw MJ. I thought Lia might get at least a couple of series.

If there is a plan to redshirt Lia, I think it's kinda a shame he burned one of his 4 games with 2 plays against Duke.

Why? He has 3 games left to play before he could redshirt. First game was perfect for the coaches to assess the players and decide how to use them. I don't think we will really know how Coaches will use Tauila/Tyson. They may wanted to see how Mac does. I think we will see Tauila sight at some point this season.

BamaMoon · Sep 9, 2019

JustNeedMe81 said:
Why? He has 3 games left to play before he could redshirt. First game was perfect for the coaches to assess the players and decide how to use them. I don't think we will really know how Coaches will use Tauila/Tyson. They may wanted to see how Mac does. I think we will see Tauila sight at some point this season.

Why? Because can you really evaluate a player on 2 plays when one of them is a called handoff and the other is a victory formation snap. I could have played both of those snaps and done exactly what Lia did in game 1. That's why it seems a waste to me.

RTR91 · Sep 9, 2019

BamaMoon said:
Why? Because can you really evaluate a player on 2 plays when one of them is a called handoff and the other is a victory formation snap. I could have played both of those snaps and done exactly what Lia did in game 1. That's why it seems a waste to me.

I get your point, but it's not like the staff knew Ford was going to score on that play when they put Lia out there.

BamaMoon · Sep 9, 2019

RTR91 said:
I get your point, but it's not like the staff knew Ford was going to score on that play when they put Lia out there.

Fair point...but I'm operating under the assumption that we want to give him some real game reps so I was fairly surprised he didn't get some more in game #2.

4Q Basket Case · Sep 9, 2019

I can't tell you how I know, but I know.....at the end of fall camp, the gulf between Mac Jones and Lia / Tyson was greater than the gap between Tua and Mac Jones. If either of the freshmen are playing in a game that matters before it's salted away, we have a significant problem, likely an insurmountable one.

They simply weren't ready. And given the fact that Mac is likely getting 80%+ of the QB coaching that doesn't go to Tua, I don't see the freshmen closing that gap during the season unless something happens to either Tua or Mac.

I know many might say that Tua did it in 2017. There's a major difference between now and 2017. That year, Tua was Jalen's backup, and got enough coaching to develop significantly during the season. This year, we have a capable backup who has 3 years in the system. No, he's not Tua (not many are), and he might or might not have the ceiling that one or both of the freshmen do. But we can win with him today. I have no doubt whatsoever....we want the freshmen to redshirt and battle with Mac for the 2020 job.

mlh · Sep 10, 2019

4Q Basket Case said:
I can't tell you how I know, but I know.....at the end of fall camp, the gulf between Mac Jones and Lia / Tyson was greater than the gap between Tua and Mac Jones.

Coach Saban basically said this prior to the season starting. Something to the effect that there was a significant separation between Mac and the freshmen. We just don't know how much either has progressed with more practice. If that's the case, then Lia and Tyson need to redshirt and Mac needs the work in order to be ready to step in should Tua get injured.

JustNeedMe81 · Sep 10, 2019

BamaMoon said:
Fair point...but I'm operating under the assumption that we want to give him some real game reps so I was fairly surprised he didn't get some more in game #2.

Saban did alluded that Mac was way ahead of those two QBs... I still think Tua will get 3 games experience throughout the year.. it is possible that he may play toward end of the year when he is developed more.

mlh · Sep 10, 2019

I also remember Coach alluding to the maturity of the freshmen. I took that to mean learning how to protect the ball and playing within the system. They can't be as reckless with the ball as they were in HS.

It will be interesting to see how things develop as the season progresses. I'm just praying Tua stays healthy.

rgw · Sep 10, 2019

Interesting that Lia nor Tyson got on the field last week. Partly I think this was due to the Mac Jones led offense not really clicking and the 2nd/3rd team defense inability to get NMST off the field in the 4th quarter. Still, if the freshmen don't see action in games like this then I think it is likely we're going to see them play 2-4 games in the regular season barring injury.

Ole Man Dan · Sep 10, 2019

BamaMoon said:
I don't necessarily disagree with y'all, but is this based on a "gut feeling" (which is why I agree) or is it based on some evidence that Lia is already showing more capability and that MJ's #2 position on the DC is more about seniority than skill?

IMO: Mack is a very capable #2, until the pressure is on then he hasn't moved the chains.
That is why I think Lia will move ahead of Mack.
Mack has maxed out on his capabilities, Lia has a much larger upside and room to grow.

JustNeedMe81 · Sep 10, 2019

Ole Man Dan said:
IMO: Mack is a very capable #2, until the pressure is on then he hasn't moved the chains.
That is why I think Lia will move ahead of Mack.
Mack has maxed out on his capabilities, Lia has a much larger upside and room to grow.

Mack plays for Browns in NFL.

TiderJack · Sep 10, 2019

Agreed that both Taulia and Paul will both red-shirt and compete in 2020 with Mac for the starting job.

Taulia and Paul need to develop quickly since the kid we have a commitment from in the 2021 class is going to come in ready to compete.

What's the Plan for Taulia this year?

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