Ed MOTHEREFFING G
Chances make champions
He is a Victor. And one of the best.
:youngdevo:
Michigan's Devin Gardner reminds Al Borges of NFL star Robert Griffin III
ANN ARBOR -- Devin Gardner isn't like a lot of normal quarterbacks.
At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Gardner has a size advantage over many. He possesses the ability to both throw and pass, both with equal aptitude and he's quick on his feet.
Gardner's unique, on and off the field -- just check out his Twitter and Vine accounts.
So, who does Gardner remind Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges of? Well, no one, actually.
Except Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
"He’s not really like anybody I have had," Borges told the Big Ten Network's Tom Dienhart this week. "I’ve had so many prototype drop-back passers. He isn’t like (former Auburn quarterback) Jason Campbell, who was athletic but he really wasn’t a runner. I haven’t had a lot of real runners.
"He’s different. He’s hard to compare to someone else. He’s more like (a Robert Griffin III) type of guy. He’s a little taller than RG3 but plays a lot like him. I expect him to be 1000x better."
Griffin obviously made a name for himself during an incredibly productive collegiate career at Baylor, culminating in a 2011 Heisman-winning season that saw Griffin throw for nearly 4,300 yards and 37 touchdowns along with 699 rushing yards and 10 scores. The 6-foot-2 Griffin parlayed that season into a No. 2 overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft, and won the AP's Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season with the Washington Redskins.
Obviously Borges isn't saying Gardner is as good, or is even remotely on the same level, as Griffin at this point in his development. He's saying he's better.
But it's easy to see the raw comparisons.
Both players have big arms, both are a threat to run, both are high-IQ players and both have the right size to succeed as a dual-threat quarterback.
Borges will open up his playbook for basically the first time in 2013, allowing Gardner to play in more of a pro-style set after running a spread-option package with Denard Robinson for the past two seasons.
"We’d like to be around 50-50 (run-pass)," Borges told Dienhart. "Maybe favor a little more run than pass. The best years we have had as a coordinator we are in that area. You wanna have a 1,000-yard rusher, if it’s possible, or have a couple guys combine to do it. You’d also like a guy to catch 1,000 yards worth of passes. A tight end who can catch upwards of 35 balls.
"But I don’t really put numbers on it that much. But the biggest thing is maintaining that balance and efficiency. If you can just threaten the defense two ways, the numbers don’t have to be exactly the same. You just have to make the defense play both dimensions and then you have what you want. At the end of the day, as long as ohio goes down in flames, we good
."
:youngdevo:
Michigan's Devin Gardner reminds Al Borges of NFL star Robert Griffin III
ANN ARBOR -- Devin Gardner isn't like a lot of normal quarterbacks.
At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Gardner has a size advantage over many. He possesses the ability to both throw and pass, both with equal aptitude and he's quick on his feet.
Gardner's unique, on and off the field -- just check out his Twitter and Vine accounts.
So, who does Gardner remind Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges of? Well, no one, actually.
Except Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
"He’s not really like anybody I have had," Borges told the Big Ten Network's Tom Dienhart this week. "I’ve had so many prototype drop-back passers. He isn’t like (former Auburn quarterback) Jason Campbell, who was athletic but he really wasn’t a runner. I haven’t had a lot of real runners.
"He’s different. He’s hard to compare to someone else. He’s more like (a Robert Griffin III) type of guy. He’s a little taller than RG3 but plays a lot like him. I expect him to be 1000x better."
Griffin obviously made a name for himself during an incredibly productive collegiate career at Baylor, culminating in a 2011 Heisman-winning season that saw Griffin throw for nearly 4,300 yards and 37 touchdowns along with 699 rushing yards and 10 scores. The 6-foot-2 Griffin parlayed that season into a No. 2 overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft, and won the AP's Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season with the Washington Redskins.
Obviously Borges isn't saying Gardner is as good, or is even remotely on the same level, as Griffin at this point in his development. He's saying he's better.
But it's easy to see the raw comparisons. Both players have big arms, both are a threat to run, both are high-IQ players and both have the right size to succeed as a dual-threat quarterback.
Borges will open up his playbook for basically the first time in 2013, allowing Gardner to play in more of a pro-style set after running a spread-option package with Denard Robinson for the past two seasons.
"We’d like to be around 50-50 (run-pass)," Borges told Dienhart. "Maybe favor a little more run than pass. The best years we have had as a coordinator we are in that area. You wanna have a 1,000-yard rusher, if it’s possible, or have a couple guys combine to do it. You’d also like a guy to catch 1,000 yards worth of passes. A tight end who can catch upwards of 35 balls.
"But I don’t really put numbers on it that much. But the biggest thing is maintaining that balance and efficiency. If you can just threaten the defense two ways, the numbers don’t have to be exactly the same. You just have to make the defense play both dimensions and then you have what you want. At the end of the day, as long as ohio goes down in flames, we good
."
