There is still studying to be done in the classroom. I think Foles riding the pine for the year did help out his NFL prospects, absolutely - the pro style aspects were taught to him, unlike the other spread QBs that played in 1 system. Look at the "Spread QBs" that played in a pro style offense for at least 1 year in college. 2 have come into this league and experienced success. Those 2 QBs are Foles and Russel Wilson. If we asked Joe Flacco if he learned ANYTHING in Pittsburgh, I am sure he will tell you yes. Even so, Flacco never ran a spread offense in college. He shouldn't be part of this discussion. Greatness has to start somewhere. Some take a longer road then others. I didn't want Hoyer, but I was def on the Foles bandwagon a few years ago.
the only success Foles has had at all in this league has been in Chip Kelly's spread system. a system he learned in his 4 years at Arizona where they ran a similar system, not in the 1 year at MSU where they run something completely different. a year he probably spent running the opponents plays in practice for the scout team anyway this really isn't worth going back and forth. I'm not even making an extreme argument like in the case of Flacco where you point out I'm sure he learned something at Pitt. I'm not stupidly claiming that he didn't learn anything at all there or that Foles didn't learn anything at all at MSU... I'm just pointing out that If I want to talk about MSU and how they groom QBs, its a really silly stretch to include Foles and his less than 1 year before transferring. that's just silly
Nick Foles had success with Andy Reid / Marty M too, as a mid-round pick thrown into the fire. Just because the guy isn't on the field as a starter doesn't mean the guy didn't learn anything. I think you are underrating what these kids learn in the classroom. It's an interesting debate, because spread QBs just don't translate to the next level well. Foles and Wilson 2 QBs that had knowledge of the pro-style offense are both successful. Foles has been good under 2 pro systems. You don't think there's a correlation there? I think you have to include Foles in the conversation to SOME capacity. If he learned ANYTHING under MSU, then MSU deserves partial credit even if it's like 5%.
foles sucked under andy reid IMO. we'll see how he looks in STL though. I doubt he looks any good there. But yeah, 5% of his averageness was groomed at MSU. MSU, Quarterback U, 3 below average NFL QBs in the league and 5% of one average one!
Credit is credit! What other school is breeding NFL QBs right now? It's impossible to breed pro bowl QB after pro bowl QB. I would take Hoyer, Foles, and Connor Cook over our QBs right now that's for sure.
Grantland just did some pieces on Boykin (TCU), Hackenberg (Penn St), and Kaaya (Miami [FL]). The former two could be on the radar for 2016. Also, we should probably watch out for Zach's little brother, Nate at UI.
QB U is Baylor and Art Briles. The guy produced Kevin Kolb and Case Keenum at Houston and has RG3 and Petty at Baylor. The kid we have starting this year Seth Russell is going to be a beast. They are the definition of spread offense and need the right situation in the NFL to be successful which I think Petty has with the Jets.
