Does it seem like today's college quarterback just isn't quite as good as the old college quarterbacks? That's a sentiment widely held by college football fans and pundits today. Quarterbacking just isn't what it used to be. The criticism extends into the NFL, too, with former players even lobbying criticism.
But what happened? Is it the NIL era? Does the transfer portal ruin quarterbacks? Those things might be factors, but former QB turned ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky thinks it's another issue with the teams and their coaches instead.
He thinks it's as simple as coaches not knowing how to develop these players anymore, and he cited a few reasons for it. First, tempo "became king," so teams just start running a high frequency of plays rather than high-quality plays. They are, in other words, throwing stuff at the wall.
The RPO also "became king" in Orlovsky's eyes. This playcall can work against modern defenses, but it's not exactly good at developing QBs, because it gives them too many options. There's no read progression with routes for the most part.
Another issue is that QBs tend to look to the sidelines for good playcalls instead of being involved in them themselves. This prevents the QB, Orlovsky said, from learning how to be a problem-solver.
The final issue is that so much of the modern college quarterback position is about athleticism instead of accuracy. A blinding sprint speed and cannon arm are one thing, but can the player hit his throws? Anthony Richardson in the NFL is a prime example right now. Brilliant athlete, but he can't seem to get the hang of the quarterback position.
Until those things change, Orlovsky believes the college quarterback is going to continue to be underdeveloped and have a much harder time translating to the NFL and finding a future in this game.