Ashton Broyld playing QB, RB, AND WR?

[shizzah]

I understand why people want to see Broyld at LB. Ashton certainly has the measurables to play LB at this level, and when you factor in our depth chart on the surface it appears to be a no brainer.

However, Ashton is far more valuable on the offensive side of the ball. He is a potential mismatch at several positions. For those wondering why Ashton isn't redshirting and focused solely on playing QB, the answer is simple: we already have our QB of the future and his name is Terrell Hunt. The staff is very high on Hunt. Hopefully he is able to place perfumegate behind him and gets himself prepared to be our starting QB in 20113-2014. This isn't to say that Ashton cannot play at this level, and I don't want to eliminate the possibility of Broyld starting at QB for us someday, but I think a lot of you are underestimating Hunt's impact as the qb of the future. Remember, Hunt was a starter for Christ the King's hoops program, and a darned good one. He is an excellent athlete.

Broyld was recruited as an athlete. He was told he would get a shot a QB. Broyld would prefer to stay on the offensive side of the ball and I believe the staff will use him in a slash capacity for the time being. Eventually my guess is he ends up a 'tweener TE/WR, much like Stanford used Teyo Johnson years ago. The beauty about Broyld's game is he is also possesses great instinct when running with the ball. He can play a bit of RB as well. Can you imagine motioning him out of the backfield in to the slot where an OLB or SS is assigned to cover him one one one in the passing game? There's a lot you can do with someone as talented as Broyld, and the staff is going to take advantage of it. They don't want to stick him on the defensive side of the ball just because he is a big body and we are a bit thin at LB.

There is plenty of precedent of playing these slash types of athletes at multiple positions early in their career: obviously Tannyhill is a recent example, but guys like Michael Bush, Hines Ward, Teyo Johnson, the WR from Kansas a few years back, Kevin Johnson, etc etc. I am certinly in favor of getting our best players on the field early, and putting them in a position to be successful. In fact, my biggest gripe with this current staff has been their commitment to playing lesser talented athletes at times because of their mastery of the playbook as opposed to playing the young kids and letting them learn from their mistakes.

This is what I've been wanting to hear. Terrell Hunt to me is clearly the better quarterback prospect at this point. He is even in the same league as Ashton as an overall athlete. I've said this before but this looks like the updated version of McNabb and Kevin Johnson. Obviously Broyld is not going to be a WR but in terms of how its going to play out - I just don't see anyway Hunt doesn't beat out Ashton.

All there is to go on is the film and it doesn't lie; Hunt is calm, can throw accurately on the run, has a pro style delivery, more than adequate arm strength and tremendous mobility in and out of the pocket.

 

[cusestudent]

If I'm not mistaken ,this is Nassib's last year at Syracuse.What I really don't want is a freshman QB next season"2013 with no experience. I prefer rolling the dice that we play Broyld and we bring in another QB to replace Ashton when the time is right.couchburn

Who says Broyld will even stay at QB? At this point it seems much more likely that he will play elsewhere. The staff was extremely high on Hunt last year, and now Broyld this year when Hunt is on suspension. They don't even know what is going to happen at the QB position, and we probably won't know who our QB will be until next year.

 

[OrangeBlood]

Broyld is probably from day one their best offensive athlete, so he undoubtedly should be used. Wether it is RB, WR, TE, Option QB. However, from what I have gathered from high school and Milford, he is not a D1 every down QB. It is a huge issue that we have no successor to Nassib. Hunt had my hopes up but missing spring will hurt.

Broyld needs to be on offense, because frankly, the unit needs playmakers! The defense has good athletes (just look at DB core).

I think that Broyld will not be handled like Tebow's frosh year @ UF but like Trey Burton @ UF now. Played some QB, some H-back, Some TE, Some RB. That imo is more realistic.

 

[DeepThrowIt]

I think that Broyld will not be handled like Tebow's frosh year @ UF but like Trey Burton @ UF now. Played some QB, some H-back, Some TE, Some RB. That imo is more realistic.

The difference between Florida and SU is FL brings in superior talent every year. They don't need to redshirt.

 

[OrangeBlood]

The difference between Florida and SU is FL brings in superior talent every year. They don't need to redshirt.

The problem with shirting Broyld is, he already missed a year while at Milford. If they do see him as the future QB I am all for giving him the shirt but I don't think the staff sees him as the future QB. They see him as a playmaker from day one, who can help them on the field immediately.

 

[Scooch]

Agree, he took snaps at RB in Rochester, so if someone were to care all that much about our secrets, they'd know them by now anyway.

I hope Ashton is McNabb 2.0, with a more iron constitution, but somehow I don't think opposing teams, who already know who we recruited, are going to be up all night wondering where or how SU might use a true freshman this year.

What's encouraging to me is just knowing that it sounds like we'll be continuing to increase the # of athletes on the field. When you have that, you don't have to care as much about the element of surprise. Surprises only work for the opener anyway, can't hide that film.

You know why Jim Boeheim is great? Among other things, it's because he gets his best players the most shots. Sounds stupid, but so many coaches waste their time with offensive schemes that don't enable their best players to take the most shots.

Football coaches make this game 1,000,000 times more difficult than it needs to be. Here's a case where you have a great athlete (supposedly), so if he can run the ball a few times, catch the ball a few times, or throw the ball a few times, and contribute, then you just do it. Get the kids who can make plays the ball. Stop throwing to 4th string TEs and using fast RBs as decoys.

 

[Rocco]

Flashton will be playing in Hackett's new "Otto Back" role.

 

[CIL]

The difference between Florida and SU is FL brings in superior talent every year. They don't need to redshirt.

One could argue the exact opposite of your post as well. Why redshirt a player when he is clearly superior to the players in front of him?

I think there is a disconnect between posters in this thread. I would agree with you 100% if Ashton's future was at QB. I don't believe Ashton will play QB here (but would love for him to prove me and everyone else wrong). However, he is clearly more gifted then say Adrian Flemming, Beckett Wales, or even Alec Lemon. It's not as if Broyld needs a redshirt year to get bigger.

We need to get playmakers on the field now. He is a playmaker.

 

[All4SU]

Maybe I'm nuts, but it looked to me that Lynch has gotten taller.

I always think people have gotten taller. Turns out it's me getting shorter.

 

[DeepThrowIt]

One could argue the exact opposite of your post as well. Why redshirt a player when he is clearly superior to the players in front of him?

I think there is a disconnect between posters in this thread. I would agree with you 100% if Ashton's future was at QB. I don't believe Ashton will play QB here (but would love for him to prove me and everyone else wrong). However, he is clearly more gifted then say Adrian Flemming, Beckett Wales, or even Alec Lemon. It's not as if Broyld needs a redshirt year to get bigger.

We need to get playmakers on the field now. He is a playmaker.

You are right, CIL with regards to redshirting. My comment was only relevant if the staff sees him as a future QB. I don't and have stated that in earlier posts.

We hope he is a playmaker. He has not PROVEN anything yet. With his skill set, I have a feeling his best position may be Linebacker. I know a few schools recruited him as a LB exclusively.

The gist of my original post was that I hope we aren't trying to create a RB/WR/TE when he may be better suited at LB.

 

[All4SU]

This is where we disagree. If his future is at QB, I believe he should redshirt. This will be beneficial to the team in the long run. Especially considering how well (sarcasm) we are recruiting QBs lately. The hypothetical question I'm sure the staff is asking themselves is whether or not AB playing RB or WR is going to win SU more games this year. Remember Sales is back in addition to Lemon and some of the younger WRs we have heard the staff speak highly of. RB is more of a question mark and I don't know how effective AB can be as a 6'4 running back.

It would be silly to waste a redshirt on a handful of plays at other positions if he's the future at QB. just my opinion.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but we've got a coach in the 4th year of a 5 year contract and a fan base that could probably be described as anything from hopeful to disgruntled to apathetic. The future is now.

 

[CaliCuse]

This is what I've been wanting to hear. Terrell Hunt to me is clearly the better quarterback prospect at this point. He is even in the same league as Ashton as an overall athlete. I've said this before but this looks like the updated version of McNabb and Kevin Johnson. Obviously Broyld is not going to be a WR but in terms of how its going to play out - I just don't see anyway Hunt doesn't beat out Ashton.

All there is to go on is the film and it doesn't lie; Hunt is calm, can throw accurately on the run, has a pro style delivery, more than adequate arm strength and tremendous mobility in and out of the pocket.

THIS BEGS THE QUESTION Is Hunt going to come back?? Or allowed to come back I haven't heard anything unless I missed another memo .

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Ashton "Slash" Broyld.

Shouldn't his nickname be "char"

Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk 2

 

[JeremyCuse]

Knee issues limited his mobility severely. He doesn't have the sideline to sideline ability to play LB at a D1 school unfortunately.

This is really a heartbreak for SU, he could have started from Day 1 here. Marrone really needs to addres LB depth in this years class id say we take at least 3 and thats at a minimum. The good news is we have some young guys but really zero coming in this fall due to all the late decommits which were lb's

 

[TheSpaz]

THIS BEGS THE QUESTION Is Hunt going to come back?? Or allowed to come back I haven't heard anything unless I missed another memo .

Yeah you did he is only suspended for the spring.

 

[orangepassion]

I also wonder if getting him involved helps give him more incentive tio stay on the straight and narrow. he might get disenchanted w/ a redshirt year after already spending a year in Milford.

 

[SoBristol]

I also wonder if getting him involved helps give him more incentive tio stay on the straight and narrow. he might get disenchanted w/ a redshirt year after already spending a year in Milford.

Getting Broyld involved isn't part of a social work project. The staff needs to find ways to spice up a dull offense that lacked playmakers. There are 4 candidates on the horizon -- Broyld, Thompson & the two frosh RBs, both of whom can be receivers out of the backfield. Maybe Kobena and Morgan are other candidates.

We don't have a lot going at TE or FB, so it is the perfect time for Hackett to show some creativity, borrow from some of the better college offenses, experiment with formations & backfield roles. You have to bet that Marrone and his OC are looking for ways to get Broyld and these other 3 into the mix early. Can't stand pat.

 

[GoSU96]

Getting Broyld involved isn't part of a social work project. The staff needs to find ways to spice up a dull offense that lacked playmakers. There are 4 candidates on the horizon -- Broyld, Thompson & the two frosh RBs, both of whom can be receivers out of the backfield. Maybe Kobena and Morgan are other candidates.

We don't have a lot going at TE or FB, so it is the perfect time for Hackett to show some creativity, borrow from some of the better college offenses, experiment with formations & backfield roles. You have to bet that Marrone and his OC are looking for ways to get Broyld and these other 3 into the mix early. Can't stand pat.

And Hale, and Gully, and Sales. All guys that weren't able to contribute last year.

 

[All4SU]

And Hale, and Gully, and Sales. All guys that weren't able to contribute last year.

Exactly. It certainly will help to have those three guys playing -- an infusion of talent, and guys that have been in the system for a while.

 

[Shenexon]

He's going to help us the most by being on the field with the ball in his hands. Jim Brown I think was 6'2" and 230. Broyid is 6'3" and about the same weight. How is that size a problem for a running back? Larry Fitzgerald is about the same size with similar speed and think he's done pretty well. Whatever position he plays he's someone that can account for a significant portion of the yards we need to win games. I also think he wants to play, not sit on the bench or redshirt. If he isn't our first-string QB, he still can be a first-string something. However the coaches tailor a position that fits him and the team as a whole, I'm all for it.

 

[SoBristol]

He's going to help us the most by being on the field with the ball in his hands. Jim Brown I think was 6'2" and 230. Broyid is 6'3" and about the same weight. How is that size a problem for a running back? Larry Fitzgerald is about the same size with similar speed and think he's done pretty well. ... I also think he wants to play, not sit on the bench or redshirt. If he isn't our first-string QB, he still can be a first-string something. However the coaches tailor a position that fits him and the team as a whole, I'm all for it.

Those (Jim Brown & Larry Fitzgerald) are some heady comparisons -- better not to put expectations on young Ashton that only superman could meet.
The incomparable Jim Brown was probably closer to 215 during his SU days; and Larry Fitzgerald at Pitt was more sleek than Broyld.
But I agree with the bottom line -- and it applies to several candidates, not just Broyld. We aren't going to be a deep-threat passing team and I hope we don't get stuck in the rut of a pro-formation with a TE and blocking FB. So, we need to be more creative in how we use two backs, misdirection, throwing to a wingback, Wildcat runs. You work the plays to the talent on hand.