I don’t recall if anyone has mentioned it, and my apologies if they have, but my guess is Brett is graduating with his degree in December. So academically it is a good time to move on as well. Pursue a Masters elsewhere, not to say Miami doesn’t have excellent Masters degree programs.
1 Like
Matt McLeod is also in the QB room. He put up some good prep numbers in a solid Bay Area program.
Having graduated it’s why he was able to jump in the portal today. Otherwise he would have had to wait until Dec 6.
1 Like
I will agree that we will be fine. I really like Humphreys videos. He’s a terrific prospect. But he has to play in games to learn. Brett was already there. His experience, the pieces around him, the OL and, of course, a very good defense all pointed to a solid year. Martin made two fundamental coaching errors that cost us the season: not pulling Brett not once, but twice. And he had to know two important facts to consider. First, Brett is injury prone. Second, he had to know he did not have a D1 QB to replace him. Aveon absolutely played his heart out. Ran like a starting rb. But, every throw over ten yards was up for grabs. He throws at his WR. Brett throws to them.
There is definitely a place for his skills. To relegate him to back-up QB if Humphrey’s wins the job would be a waste of his talent.
6 Likes
I think this is cliff jumping drano chugging news. I am impressed as to how much more mature all of you are handling this than me.
Brett Gabbert was a potential MAC player of the year.
Aveon Smith is a great runner and gutty competitor but he is not as good of passer as the soph high school qb at my sons high school and we run Armys offense.
Did anyone listen to Coach Martins postgame on the radio. He said when Gabbert went down at UK he was worried they would go 1-11.
Apparently the coaches think the QB room is bare. They never considered changing out Aveon because they dont think anyone is better?
I hate this news for today and forever
3 Likes
Did you see how BSU used their 3-star QB from Florida last night? That is how you use AS if you don’t convert him to a RB. I really do think if his passing skills don’t develop further over the off-season AS could be a very good RB for Miami. There is no shame in switching positions. Just ask Dom Robinson.
5 Likes
Or Quentin Rollins! Although I guess that was more of an entire sport.
2 Likes
Those runs of his didn’t go for as much once we maintained gap integrity and didn’t overpursue.
What many forget is that Smith got hurt his senior year of high school in 2019. So he hadn’t played a full year of football like this since 2018. There still may be some upside to his game. But I have to think there will be a competition for the job starting in the spring.
1 Like
Interesting! Had not heard about that.
I actually think the trend is in the opposite direction. I think Power 5 schools are taking fewer scholarship players, just the really top level guys, and letting the more marginal guys go to G5 schools who can develop them and then the P5 schools can take them in a couple of years. like UC and Virginia and Kansas grabbing 3 of our All MAC players with eligibility remaining.
However, I actually think we are now able to get some recruits that would have been developmental guys for P5 in the past They no longer need to develop those guys, G5 teams will do it for them. We are also benefitting somewhat by getting P5 guys who were not fitting in or getting enough playing time to satisfy them. Just last night Ugwu made the winning interception and Marshall made the winning touchdown catch. I think it remains to be seen whether the transfer portal rule helps us or hurts us.
It is hard to argue that the portal is not good for the players. If they went too high originally, they can drop to a level where they can play, or if they are good enough and want to climb to a higher competitive level, the opportunity is there to do so.
1 Like
More or less, the QB job is open every year. However, it is an area where experience is really important, and that gives Smith a big advantage over any of our other currently rostered QB’s. He went 5-3 as a starter, and came up huge in winning close games late vs Kent, NW, Ball State, and to an extent NIU. Next year he will be in his 4th season of college football and now has 8 starts behind him with a 5-3 record. Unless we bring in some highly rated P5 guy who has some actual experience, I think it unlikely that any of our current QB’s or any possible freshman recruits can beat him out. I also think his passing will improve. Having played 8 games he knows what works and what doesn’t and where he needs to get better. None of our other guys has that edge. Aveon has been a good leader and a great competitor, and the guys fought hard for him and believed that he would come through. That counts for a lot.
The only true freshman I can remember ever coming in ready to play was Gabbert. Even Ben did not start till year 2.
1 Like
This is unfathomable to me. Aveon is not a QB. His passing is really pretty horrid.
2 Likes
I posted this in another thread. The combined records of teams Miami beat this year is 14-52 (14-46 in games not involving Miami). The opposition was terrible. And our offense struggled MIGHTILY. To think we shouldn’t make changes, to staff and personnel, is a loser mindset.
7 Likes
MACtion!
You are probably right Dick but I hope not
I dont want another year of 6-6 where we have to win every game with solid punting and qb runs. 17-14 is hard to rely on every week
I have to believe that there is somebody in the country let alone our roster that is capable of providing better qb play
I know coach Martin actually prefers to win games 17-14. So you are probably right Dick
What I dont agree with though is that Aveon will become a much better passer. I need help thinking of an example
2 Likes
I have been advocating for a change in the Offensive Coordinator for some time. His stubborness with wasting play after play running the ball up the middle with little quick running backs with no positive results was the probably the most frustrating thing that happened this year. He actually did change that the last two games and guess what, we won!
Otherwise, we only got 4 starts from the preseason best QB in the league and he was not really healthy in 3 and a half of those games. Also, the offensive line was not as good as we all thought it would be. No reason to change other things which are not broken. Fix the thing that is broken and try to get better.
4 Likes
The QB position is definitely wide open next year. Aveon belongs on the field. But not as a starting QB. If (BIG IF) he drastically improves his passing skills…We would have a hell of a QB.
1 Like
Why are we content every year at barely making 5-7 or 6-6? Other G5 schools figure it out (OU, WKU etc). Our answer is to change OC’s and extend CM again to relive the same thing year after year? Can’t wait see next year’s masterful game plan against UC.
3 Likes
I am hardly content about Martin. His record at Miami is still a losing one, and overall his seasons have been average at best while Miami polishes a turd of an OOC record by only using MAC wins and losses in press releases.
Enough is enough. I am tired of 6-6 seasons repeatedly.
4 Likes