I've been meaning to do a fall football bits for some time, but the roar of rumors on the insider sites has been strangely quiet this season, especially compared to the past couple seasons. Only now is there enough information that I could reasonably cobble together one of these pieces, but it still feels a bit light. Is that a function of a team with few pressing questions or some other factor? Not really sure. Regardless, we do have just enough information to put one of these pieces together and there will hopefully be one more round before the season starts. [Note: this is the offense football bits, defense is this afternoon]
Quarterback
What we want to hear: JJ McCarthy has transformed into a deity in the flesh, reading defenses better than ever, his deep ball right on the money, and ready to elevate himself into legitimate Heisman conversation. Jack Tuttle and Davis Warren have been engaged in a fierce battle for the backup job where the winner would legitimately start at half the other schools in the conference, and even Alexi Orji and Jayden Denegal look ready to play.
What we're hearing: Not much at all to be honest. Can't say it's surprising with a returning starter, but descriptions of McCarthy's play have been rather hard to find, with some focus on the backup spots. Most of what we've gotten on JJ ranges from the hyperbolic (Harbaugh labeling him "generational") to the mild, including details about his performance at last weekend's scrimmage. One source called it merely good ($), another used higher praise ($). Make of that what you want. Most of the other chatter about the squad's valiant starting QB has been about intangibles, leadership, that sort of thing. Nothing terribly interesting.
As for the backup position, there's been mixed signals here. It's between Jack Tuttle and Davis Warren, with Warren getting the extra reps at the scrimmage. Some have interpreted that as an indication that he's the clear QB2 ($), but reports earlier in camp were more favorable to Tuttle ($). When Sherrone Moore did a press conference last week, he gave no indication when asked specifically about Tuttle. Beyond those two, Denegal got a quick shoutout in one scrimmage summary but otherwise has mostly been absent in chatter. JJ was effusive in his praise of both Denegal and Alex Orji at a press conference early in camp, but that's mostly run of the mill from someone in McCarthy's position.
I would be remiss not to note the real chatter about Alex Orji, which is his potential acumen as a kick returner??? There were rumblings in insider reporting about a "special way to use Orji" that could not be divulged as if it were a state secret, only for Harbaugh to come out and say it himself publicly:
"Also a secret plan for Alex Orji,” Harbaugh said. “Got a chance to be maybe one of the greatest kick returners of all time. Big 230-235 pound guy, so he just started doing it, we’ll see how it goes"
Harbaugh followed it up by pouring a bit of cold water in saying, "we have to improve in our kickoff return blocking before I would agree to have Alex Orji returning the kick", but certainly something to keep an eye on.
What it means: McCarthy is The Guy and it's impossible to know how many strides he's made until we see him in regulation games, even if there was more buzz than there is. Tuttle and Warren are probably running close to even for QB2 but perhaps a tilt or lean towards Warren. Denegal praise is probably more obligatory than anything else, while the Orji kick returning chatter is 50% something that might actually work and 50% Something Crazy That Jim Wants To Try (remember when they lined up Dylan McCaffrey in the slot to catch a screen?).
[AFTER THE JUMP: less glamorous positions]
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