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How many qb's have left ...................

Clark, lobato and numerous qb's who wouldn't come to cu because of the father/son thingy.
 
Matt Ballenger
Seth Lobato
Clark Evans

Those are the main QBs that have left; we've had a few others change positions (Moten, etc.) that are still on the team. Some guys just really want to play QB. It's their life, I say go for it.
 
There really have been a lot. QB has a high transfer and position switch rate, but it's been ridiculous at CU the past 5 years.
 
Matt Ballenger
Seth Lobato
Clark Evans

Those are the main QBs that have left; we've had a few others change positions (Moten, etc.) that are still on the team. Some guys just really want to play QB. It's their life, I say go for it.

White was also under Hawk was he not?
 
White was also under Hawk was he not?

Right. Looked to be the successor to Klatt during the Champ Sports Bowl but left the program before the Cox and Jackson debacle really had a chance to unfold in '06. Went to Portland State after.
 
while i'm not a complete Cody/nepotism believer (though i think the real damage is guys who simply didn't consider CU with the coaches son as a RS FR starter--say, maybe the in-state kid at Utah).....but, if you turn the question around and say....who was the only CU QB to actually redshirt? that's Cody, even as bad as the QB situation was with BJax in 06. TH has tried to RS twice, but Cody is the one who rode his RS out.
 
while i'm not a complete Cody/nepotism believer (though i think the real damage is guys who simply didn't consider CU with the coaches son as a RS FR starter--say, maybe the in-state kid at Utah).....but, if you turn the question around and say....who was the only CU QB to actually redshirt? that's Cody, even as bad as the QB situation was with BJax in 06. TH has tried to RS twice, but Cody is the one who rode his RS out.

Jordan Wynn? A California recruit. But yes, and to add to that the most notable example from Hawk's tenure is probably Landry Jones. If a QB on the roster was light years ahead of Cody in terms of natural ability and knowledge of the system I think he'd get a fair shake at starting the last two seasons. But since it's been lesser recruited guys at QB we've had to endure the "Well, he's taller, faster and has a better arm than Cody, so he's obviously going to win more" argument, which won't unseat the incumbent if there's still doubts in practice and the team doesn't have a much better record with the other guy starting.
 
Jordan Wynn? A California recruit. But yes, and to add to that the most notable example from Hawk's tenure is probably Landry Jones. If a QB on the roster was light years ahead of Cody in terms of natural ability and knowledge of the system I think he'd get a fair shake at starting the last two seasons. But since it's been lesser recruited guys at QB we've had to endure the "Well, he's taller, faster and has a better arm than Cody, so he's obviously going to win more" argument, which won't unseat the incumbent if there's still doubts in practice and the team doesn't have a much better record with the other guy starting.

i thought was from Grand Junction or something. oh well, wrong again. but, excellent point about Landry Jones....though remains to be seen how good he'll be. i think he's a legit BCS QB but not sure he'll make Sooner fan forget Jason White or Bradford. looked good in their bowl game against Stanford IIRC.
 
i thought was from Grand Junction or something. oh well, wrong again. but, excellent point about Landry Jones....though remains to be seen how good he'll be. i think he's a legit BCS QB but not sure he'll make Sooner fan forget Jason White or Bradford. looked good in their bowl game against Stanford IIRC.

Jones was never coming to CU. He'd been a boomer fan for a long time, so it's basically his dream school.
 
White and Cox, at least the first spring.

Bernard Jackson (wearing #7) was the starter in the 2006 season, with James Cox as #2. Cody red-shirted.

10 Cox, James QB 6-3 220 Sr. Simi Valley, Calif. (Royal)
12 Hawkins, Cody QB 5-11 190 Fr. Boise, Idaho (Bishop Kelly)
7 Jackson, Bernard QB 6-0 200 Jr. Corona, Calif. (Santiago)
But in this story (Support Comes from Surprising Places for Bernard Jackson) it says Jackson was the starter in 2006, but moved to 3rd on depth chart in spring 2007.

After Barnett was fired after the 2005 season, Jackson emerged as the starting quarterback for new coach Dan Hawkins the following year. Jackson ran for 677 yards and threw for 1,298 for a 2-10 team.
In late 2006, his teammates voted him a captain for the 2007 season. After spring ball, though, he was listed as the No. 3 quarterback and was playing receiver.
So who would have been #1 and 2? (I'm assuming Cody was one or the other, but who WAS the other guy ahead of Jackson? Was it Nick Nelson? Ballenger red-shirted that fall, so it wasn't him.)

I'm well aware that Jackson had other things going on that contributed to his not playing in 2007 - many things - but it seems a big leap downward to go from starter to #3 to two guys who haven't played yet, unless one of them is Matt Barkley.
 
It was Nelson in 2007. He may have actually been in the lead midway through that spring, but I'm not totally sure that I'm remembering that correctly. Can anyone recall?
 
when exactly did white leave the program? i seem to remember that he was around at the beginning of camp or the first game or two and was never played so he then left. is that right or no? anyone remember?
 
when exactly did white leave the program? i seem to remember that he was around at the beginning of camp or the first game or two and was never played so he then left. is that right or no? anyone remember?

He was definitely on the team for 2006 fall camp. At least that's what I remember without checking. Hawk had an issue with him and buried him on the depth chart. I think I remember White only staying around a couple weeks into the season and then quitting before transferring.
 
when exactly did white leave the program? i seem to remember that he was around at the beginning of camp or the first game or two and was never played so he then left. is that right or no? anyone remember?
I believe that's correct. The thing with White is he never bothered to learn the playbook. He basically quit on his teammates. I can't really put that on Hawk and staff.
 
He was definitely on the team for 2006 fall camp. At least that's what I remember without checking. Hawk had an issue with him and buried him on the depth chart. I think I remember White only staying around a couple weeks into the season and then quitting before transferring.

that sounds about right to me a timeline. seems like i recall there was a "not learning the playbook" issue. didn't know how to signal in the plays
 
White left after James Cox lost the starting job to Bernard Jackson, I think for the CSU game. If he had stuck around he probably would have gotten the job by default, considering how bad our qb play was that year. But it says alot that he wasn't able to beat out Cox in the first place.
 
I believe that's correct. The thing with White is he never bothered to learn the playbook. He basically quit on his teammates. I can't really put that on Hawk and staff.

i was not trying to imply anything one way or the other. i just could not remember when exactly he left.
 
Cox started vs. Montana State in week one
BJax started vs Colorado State in week two.
Brian left after the CSU game.

Link
 
Last edited:
What it really boils down to is that QB play has been bad for the entirety of Hawkins tenure here.
 
I was a big Brian White fan thinking that finally we'd have a big time college QB. Followed his career closely and fully expected him to start once Klatt left (Barnett did too, he even said so and was surprised when he didn't). So I was shocked when Cox got the start against Montana St. and even more shocked to see Bjax start over White against CSU since White was second string. White left the very next week. I followed BW's career at Portland St. PSU actually had better QBs on the roster than did CU. They had a kid that transferred from Cal who beat out White at one point. He broke an ankle the very next week and White regained the starting position for the rest of the year. His coaches, Jerry Glanville and Mouse David, loved him and said a ton of nice things about his game.

My theory is that if he could have started we would have had a solid QB for two years (and Cody would never have started his RS freshman year). And by the time BW left Hansen would have been available so maybe Cody would have never seen the field.

Just sucks in my opinion. White was 6'5" and groomed for three years to be the starter and Hawk screws it up and we end up with Cox and Bjax. If you take into consideration some of the players that have bailed on this coach like Jfly, DS, Sumler, Simas. We've lost some great players and other CU coaches never had this kind of problem hanging on to players. People make excuses for Hawk but all these players gone and it can't be just a coincident. Although I lay the blame for losing the RBs on Hagan more than anyone else.
 
What it really boils down to is that QB play has been bad for the entirety of Hawkins tenure here.

I was pretty hyped about Hawk coming to Colorado. Finally, I tell myself, we will be able to bring in some good QB's to CU. WRONG.


2006 -
Cody Hawkins - A good pickup at the time imo. I felt that he should probably start until Hawkins brought in a stud recruit at QB.

2007-
Nick Nelson - Never really panned out. Couldn't step it up in practice and overtake Cody. I don't think it was unfair to Nick, I just never really thought he was that good.

Matt Ballenger - The staff totally mishandled this one. I feel he got the hook way too early in the game he played in. He transferred at the end of the year i think.

2008 -
Tyler Hansen - A good pickup imo. Just not quite the top QB that I was expecting Hawk to reel in. No disrespect to Tyler here. His HS stats are pretty good. He has a chance to really step up, I guess I just expected a better QB from Hawkins. This is yet another QB that the staff has clearly mishandled. He should be a RS-Soph. this season.

Cameron Wright - Came in as a walk on. I think they switched him to safety. Left the team.

2009-
Clark Evans - Moved to TE. Transferred.

Josh Moten - Moved to CB.

Jerry Slota - Walk on. Transferred to De Anza College.

Seth Laboto - Walk on. Transferred to Northern Colorado.

Blake Stanley. Walk on. Not on the roster this year.

2010 -

Nick Hirschman - I really like this kid. I believe he's probably the best QB Hawk has brought to Colorado. I just wish Hawk could've produced a kid like this sooner.

Justin Gorman - Walk on. Practiced at WR before finally deciding to keep him at QB.







Did I miss anyone?
 
My theory is that if he could have started we would have had a solid QB for two years (and Cody would never have started his RS freshman year). And by the time BW left Hansen would have been available so maybe Cody would have never seen the field.

I don't see how you can blame Hawkins for Brian not wanting to put in work and learn the playbook.
 
I was pretty hyped about Hawk coming to Colorado. Finally, I tell myself, we will be able to bring in some good QB's to CU. WRONG.


2006 -
Cody Hawkins - A good pickup at the time imo. I felt that he should probably start until Hawkins brought in a stud recruit at QB.

2007-
Nick Nelson - Never really panned out. Couldn't step it up in practice and overtake Cody. I don't think it was unfair to Nick, I just never really thought he was that good.

Matt Ballenger - The staff totally mishandled this one. I feel he got the hook way too early in the game he played in. He transferred at the end of the year i think.

2008 -
Tyler Hansen - A good pickup imo. Just not quite the top QB that I was expecting Hawk to reel in. No disrespect to Tyler here. His HS stats are pretty good. He has a chance to really step up, I guess I just expected a better QB from Hawkins. This is yet another QB that the staff has clearly mishandled. He should be a RS-Soph. this season.

Cameron Wright - Came in as a walk on. I think they switched him to safety. Left the team.

2009-
Clark Evans - Moved to TE. Transferred.

Josh Moten - Moved to CB.

Jerry Slota - Walk on. Transferred to De Anza College.

Seth Laboto - Walk on. Transferred to Northern Colorado.

Blake Stanley. Walk on. Not on the roster this year.

2010 -

Nick Hirschman - I really like this kid. I believe he's probably the best QB Hawk has brought to Colorado. I just wish Hawk could've produced a kid like this sooner.

Justin Gorman - Walk on. Practiced at WR before finally deciding to keep him at QB.







Did I miss anyone?

Slota. Right. That was who I was forgetting.

and one more: Matt Johnson. A walk-on that Buffnik said just didn't pan out. He was here in the spring.

Blake Stanley had a serious injury to his arm (not football related) - at the spring game this year. Stitches all the way up his right arm.

Ballenger left right around the 2009 spring game. IIRC a day or two BEFORE the game (which is what annoyed me), they announced he was third behind Cody and Hansen. If they'd let all three play it out - for the competition of it all, we seem to be enamoured of -- then it would have been clearer to all who was 1, 2 and 3. But that was handled in a very odd way.

Ballenger is playing basketball now, but it will be easy to watch Lobato to see how he does at QB. He will be competing with Parker Orms' older brother at UNC for the spot. Pretty sure Dylan Orms is a junior this fall.
 
Nick Nelson - Never really panned out. Couldn't step it up in practice and overtake Cody. I don't think it was unfair to Nick, I just never really thought he was that good.

as far as Nick goes, I remember a scrimmage in Folsom (spring or fall don't remember) in which he threw some really bad deep balls. never even a catchable one. flat arc, overthrown by 10-15 yards. they were like stray bullets. arm strength was fine, just Nuke LaRouche type throws. other than that, he looked OK. just never really seemed like a guy who could step up and take the job the one time it was probably, maybe really up for grabs with Cody.
 
I don't see how you can blame Hawkins for Brian not wanting to put in work and learn the playbook.

I'm not sure on the playbook issue. It may have been a reason Cox got ahead of White going into that Montana State game, but I'm not sure that was ever mentioned specifically. White had the lead going into camp, then Hawk said they were even, and then Cox was the starter a week before Montana State. I remember at the time that Cox was just practicing better. The big issue between White and Hawk was that White either didn't know, or didn't care to help signaling in playcalls during the Montana State game. Most likely he was throwing a fit that Cox got the start over him, and considering how horrible Cox was in that game, I can see where he's coming from. Anyways, that got White in Hawk's doghouse, so Bjax got the start against CSU, and that was it pretty much.
 
Brian is a good kid. Everyone makes mistakes. I know if all my mistakes were the talk of a internet message board, I don't think I'd handle it very well. Especially at that age.
 
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