Let’s talk about some happenings off the field for once.
We’ve already talked enough about what’s been happening on the field.
Sept. 6, UCLA received a verbal commitment from high school senior quarterback Brett Hundley out of Chandler, Ariz.
This, my folks, is a big deal. Here’s why.
For one, Hundley is a dual-threat quarterback, meaning he can make plays with his feet and his arm.
Now, when quarterbacks try to make plays with their feet in the NFL, it usually doesn’t turn out too well. Guys in the pros simply hit too hard.
But in college, having a mobile quarterback is ideal. The defenders are smaller, and larger quarterbacks, such as Vince Young, can take hits from college linebackers.
In Hundley’s case, he will be able to take those hits. He’s listed as 6 feet 4 inches and 210 pounds, perfect size for a running quarterback considering his height will allow him to see over the defense, and his weight will allow him to take punishment while dishing a little bit out himself.
Another important attribute Hundley brings to the table is his ability to open up the UCLA offense.
Oftentimes, in college, we see the effectiveness of the option.
UCLA has not been afforded the luxury of running the option effectively in quite some time, seeing as how Kevin Prince and Kevin Craft are both pocket passers. And even before them, Ben Olson was a pocket guy.
Hundley will change that.
One of Hundley’s pluses is that he is not your typical running quarterback who wants to run rather than pass.
This kid has an arm.
Scouts have compared him to Donovan McNabb rather than Michael Vick or Vince Young, both of whom have been questioned about their accuracy in the pocket.
Although he is prone to using his feet and being a bit impatient with his drop-back passing, Hundley already has the arm strength to be an effective pocket passer. Teaching him patience in the pocket won’t be too difficult.
But what impresses me most about Hundley, after watching as many highlight videos on the Internet as I could find, are his intangibles and frankly, his courage.
When he decides to run, he runs hard. When he decides to pass, he lets it go confidently.
I’ve never heard this guy say a word, let alone seen him in person. But you can tell he’s a confident player. I haven’t seen many high school quarterbacks run or pass the way he does without hesitation.
Most importantly, the acquisition of Hundley may breathe new life into the Bruins’ football program, especially if UCLA isn’t able to turn things around this season.
I’ve always said Prince has the talent to be a high-level college quarterback. I’ve never backed off of that claim. And I firmly believe, if healthy, he can lead the Bruins to some big wins this season.
But Hundley brings something to the table that no UCLA quarterback has brought in recent years.
He plays with charisma, he has a certain flash to his game, and there has always been a fascination with the running quarterback.
I mean, if you go down the line from Michael Vick to Vince Young, from Marcus Vick to Michigan’s current quarterback Denard Robinson, something about the quarterback running up and down the field, juking right and spinning left, excites people. Hundley will be a crowd-pleaser and draw more attention to the Bruins.
Look at Robinson for instance. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez’s job is thought to be on the line, yet Robinson, with his feet, is going to save it single-handedly.
I can recall Tim Tebow, who has more of a bulky frame, somewhat similar to Hundley, easily running over smaller defenders in the secondary on numerous occasions. That’s what fans want to see.
Look at Michael Vick. When Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb got injured Sept. 12, Vick came in and immediately went back to his old ways. He excited the crowd with his feet and nearly led the Eagles to victory. His teammates became more enthused and rallied around their second-string quarterback.
And even though they still lost, the story after the game was whether or not Vick was back to form, not whether or not Vick would start next week.
The overall point is that the running quarterback is exciting. It excites people to see if they can win with their feet. It excites fans to see a different, flashy style of football.
So when Hundley arrives in Westwood, priority No. 1 will be to get some wins.
But priority No. 2 will certainly be to change the outlook of the UCLA quarterback for years to come.