Here at the WBN, we’ll be doing a preseason analysis of each position group as we near the beginning of the 2010 season. We start things off today with the Quarterback position.
Quarterback
The contenders:
#5 – Mike Hartline – SR – 6’6 / 210 – Canton, OH
Hartline hasn’t really been a fan favorite in his time in Lexington. Part of this can be attributed to his hot-and-cold play on the field, and a lot of this can be attributed to his infamous incident where he blamed his teammates for his getting benched. He has struggled to be consistent in his time in Lexington and the coaches have typically protected him with conservative play calling. As his senior season rolls around, he’s now been in this offensive system for five years and it’s time to prove he’s the man for the job or get out of the way. Constantly dropping the ball off to the backs and tight ends when there are open receivers down field won’t cut it any longer. With as much offensive talent around him as Kentucky has had since 2007, there’s no excuse to be timid. The most important factor to this teams success will be Quarterback play an Mike will need to prove that he is capable of throwing accurate passes, stretching the field, limiting turnovers, and leading this team if he wants to win the job.
#12 – Morgan Newton – SO – 6’4 / 235 – Carmel, IN
When you talk about throwing someone in the fire, Morgan Newton is an easy example to use. He was slated to be redshirted last season to help him mature and better grasp the offense and his responsibilities. When Hartline went down to injury, Newton was thrust into the spotlight and played like most would expect a true freshman to play. He frequently floated passes to high for his receivers, missed the open man, and took off running at the first sign of pressure. After having an opportunity to grasp the offensive scheme during the offseason and preparing to compete for a starting job, Newton should be right in the mix to take over under center. If Morgan hopes to win the job, he’ll need to show that he’s more than a big, strong athlete. He needs to show he can lead the offense to scores, hit the receiver he’s throwing to and limit turnovers. As far as physical tools are concerned, Newton has it all. If he can nail down the mental aspects of the position, he’ll be hard to beat out.
#7 – Ryan Mossakowski – FR – 6’4 / 224 – Frisco, TX
Kentucky hasn’t had a great deal of success recruiting the state of Texas, so getting Mossakowski was a little bit of a surprise. Considered a quality prospect, his calling card was his cannon of an arm, but a shoulder injury limited his productivity as a senior and then forced him to redshirt his first year at Kentucky. He should be fully healed by now and will enter the competition this fall slightly behind Hartline and Newton. Mossakowski will need to prove that he fully grasps his responsibilities inside the offense and show confidence in the pocket to win the job. He’s more mobile than people give him credit for.
The Verdict
I think Hartline asserts himself as the leader of the offense and takes the job by the second week of camp. Newton has the physical tools to be great, but his accuracy leaves a lot to be desired and the playbook is less diverse with him in. Mosakowski is probably just a little too far behind right now, but next years spring practice battle should be intense between he and Newton.
Hartline will win the job based on his experience and the flexibility he affords the coaching staff. Being in the same system for five years has given him a lot of time with the playbook and there is n need to limit the types of plays called with Hartline in. His accuracy has always been adequate, but improving this along with showing he can throw the deep ball will be keys to the Wildcats success this year. If he falters though, you can bet Newton and Mossakowski will be waiting for their chance. This will be the most highly scrutinized position battle during camp because it’s the Quarteback position and because of how close all three players are.
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