As a sophomore Williams was thrust into action when senior quarterback Bryn Renner suffered a season ending injury. Williams brought an added dimension which lifted a struggling Tar Heel running game. Where Williams struggled in accuracy he made up for it for lengthening plays with his running ability. The new season is around the corner and North Carolina Coach Larry fedora must determine who will lead the Tar Heels this fall. Williams is the favorite to start this fall however freshman Mitch Trubisky has the talent to win this job during training camp.
Hitting Your Target
Williams completed 58% of his passes however in the offense Larry Fedora has installed in Chapel Hill a quarterbacks completion percentage must be in the mid to high sixties. The reason is because of the number of screen passes North Carolina runs and the importance of putting the ball in a place where play makers Quinshad Davis and Ryan Switzer can catch the football in stride. That small margin of error can be the difference between a three yard gain and a touchdown. The fast paced offense requires precision which is the difference in being in second or third and long type situations. If defensive backs are tackling the receivers right away on the screen game either the wrong target was thrown to or the ball was just enough off target to slow down the receiver. Trubisky showed an accurate arm during spring practice however the offense is set to an advantage with defensive players not allowed to hit the quarterback. There are plenty of play makers on the offensive side of the ball and whoever is behind the center must put them in positions to make plays after the catch.
Extending the Play
Last season we saw Williams ability to escape a pass rush extended plays which allowed some of North Carolina’s less experienced players to find holes in the defense. With a young offensive line this play making ability is a feather is Williams cap however Trubisky came to North Carolina with a reputation for being able to make plays with his feet. Williams demonstrated the ability to make plays with his legs while at the same time his accuracy at times suffered when he threw down field without setting his feet. College football is becoming more improvisational from the quarterback position and Williams has proven he can make things up on the fly.
Experienced Talent versus Talent
For every Jameis Winston there are a thousand college freshman quarterbacks who struggle out of the gates before finding the confidence needed to win games at this level. Marquise Williams has meaningful game experience the past two years and his time starting was invaluable. Williams just as Trubisky entered UNC with a wealth of accolades and offers from football powerhouses. Williams had to sit behind UNC quarterback Bryn Renner until his moment came. Williams grabbed that opportunity and led the Tar Heels to win six of it’s last seven games. Mitch Trubisky has the ability to start right away however is that the best way to bring him along? As fast as North Carolina plays Larry Fedora can give Trubisky meaningful series to gauge how the freshman will handle the pressure when the bullets are flying around him. The schedule sets up for North Carolina coaches to use the first two weeks to evaluate players before heading to Greenville after the bye week.
The Uncontrollable
The one factor the coaching staff cannot worry itself with is the ramifications of choosing either Williams or Trubisky. I have read to many message board posts, tweets and other snippets concerned that one of the players will transfer if they are not chosen as the opening day starter. The day of sitting waiting your turn appears to be over. In some cases I do not blame players however plenty of positions have kids waiting for their opportunity. The quarterback position is one though where you could sit for your entire career without ever seeing the field just for losing one position battle in the spring or fall. Just look not further than Matt Cassell when he sat behind quarterback Matt Leinart.
