Pachyderm_Wave
Hartselle Tigers (15-0) 5-A State Champ
I'm actually about 90% done with a write-up on Yates in the same style as the Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Mallett write-ups.
I think the reason he gets ignored is the same reason Jason Campbell was ignored and became sort of a late riser up the Draft boards. For so long, the guy didn't 'get it' and you are pretty sure you knew what he was. Then he puts together this one year and you're sure it has to be a farse, you're sure it can't be that he really just needed time to develop and now he gets it. The media (and to some extent the scouts) just need time to get used to the idea that what they thought about a guy for a long time...might have been wrong. In Campbell's case, people satisfied themselves with the easy excuse that his final year was the first time he'd had the same offense and offensive coordinator from one year to the next. That's an understandable explanation and people want an understandable world. But sometimes the light just clicks on. Look at Campbell today, he still has his doubters...for some good reasons and some bad...but all he does is put together QB ratings in the mid-80's and produce offense. The Raiders have scored an average of 27+ points in games where he took most of the snaps. And yet they still want to play Bruce Gradkowski ahead of him.
It's funny I re-visited my initial notes on T.J. Yates. The name "Peyton Manning" popped up in at least four notes. I hadn't done that much background on the guy yet though and so I just did so because of the write-up I'm working on. Sure enough, grew up around Indianapolis, favorite team is the Colts, follows them very closely to this day. Definition of 'not a coincidence'. Wouldn't be surprised if he's been to Camp Manning.
Jason Campbell's Senior year was actually his first season under Al Borges....
Borges came in and turned Campbell into a 1st round pick in one year.... Campbell is like a sponge, he absorbs information quickly and is able to process it. That's what you have to be able to do in order to play the quarterback position in the NFL.
I absolutely loved Jason Campbell as a QB prospect coming out of Auburn. A lot of guys are just "throwers" of the football, but some guys are actually natural "passers" of the football... there's a difference....
Jason Campbell was always a natural passer of the football.
The problem he ran into in the NFL was he never had the same offensive coordinator from year to the next in the NFL... and his career suffered because of it. It's easy for people to rip on Jason Campbell NOW, but I know for a fact he's one of the most natural and smooth quarterback prospects that have come out in the past 10 years.