Here we have it, folks, the ULTIMATE WVU QUARTERBACK DEBATE. Fans have spoken, and now Brad and Clark will take center stage to give their points of view. Jarret Doege or Garrett Greene, who should be WVU’s starting quarterback?
- Brad Smith, Owner of The Voice of Motown:
STANCE: Start Garrett Greene
West Virginia quarterback Jarret Doege is a perfectly average, serviceable, average quarterback that doesn’t lose games for the Mountaineers but also doesn’t win games either.
He’s fine. Jarret Doege is experienced, he grades out well on Pro Football Focus every week, his stats are very good, his arm strength is okay, but unfortunately it has become abundantly clear that he is not going to lead West Virginia to a Big 12 Championship.
He’s just not. Doege is not comfortable enough in the pocket, he doesn’t make big throws at big times and he lacks mobility. The absence of mobility is perhaps the most pressing issue.
West Virginia runs an offense that requires a mobile quarterback. A Zone Read offense sans a mobile quarterback is not a Zone Read offense. It’s a very bland, very predictable offense that easily stopped.
And this is the problem with the Mountaineers under Jarret Doege. He is not a threat to keep the ball on read plays and so the opposing defense can key on West Virginia running backs Leddie Brown and Alec Sinkfield.
This, of course, makes West Virginia one-dimensional. A team with a one-dimensional offense in the Big 12 will not get many wins, even with one of the best defenses in the country.
Most successful college teams use a dual threat quarterback because as the phrase dual threat implies, they are a dual threat.
Mobile quarterbacks can escape pressure and create plays when the pocket collapses and they have to make thing happen with their feet. Having a mobile quarterback is particularly important when a team has an average or offensive line. A mobile quarterback adds a whole new dynamic to the West Virginia offense.
Enter precocious, highly-touted young freshman Garrett Greene. Greene is what Doege is not – he’s confident, he moves well, he adds a whole new dimension to the offense and he’s a winner, a competitor.
Although Greene is only a freshman, he has a different level of confidence and spunk than a typical first year player, and he wants to play right now. Neal Brown, let’s get creative and play the freshman at the very least when the offense sputters and needs a jolt.
I’m very aware that the backup quarterback is always the fans most liked player on team, but this isn’t simply a case of the grass is greener on the other side, Garrett Greene is truly the player on the West Virginia roster that can kick start real change and progress for the Mountaineers.
- Clark Johnson, Football Analyst for The Voice of Motown:
Stance: Stay with Jarret Doege
Hear me out, I am excited about the future with Garrett Greene – but it just isn’t time for him yet. Jarret Doege has done absolutely nothing to lose his starting job with the Mountaineers. So far this season, he has completed 65% of his passes for 2,007 yards and eleven touchdowns to three interceptions. Pretty solid numbers for any signal-caller.
He has been graded highly virtually every week by Pro Football Focus, and he rarely puts the ball into harm’s way. Sure, he may not be the best quarterback in the nation or conference, but not every quarterback is going to be (unless of course you’re Oklahoma).
Benching Jarret Doege just wouldn’t make sense right now – and after all, even if he was benched, I’m sure it would be Austin Kendall going in, not Greene. Doege has the most experience, and gives West Virginia the best chance to win right now. I think the arguments against Jarret Doege should actually go towards the receivers. He is the quarterback, he can’t catch the passes too.
As much as fans want to blame Doege, his supporting cast is just young. If he had the receivers that Geno Smith, and even Will Grier had, I have no doubt that we would be talking about Doege as one of the best quarterbacks the program has ever had. It’s all about perspective, and when you take into account how solid the Mountaineer offense has actually been this season, it’s hard to have any arguments whatsoever against Doege.
If I had to compare Doege to any other WVU quarterback, it would be Skyler Howard. He’s not a fan favorite, and he’s not the most talented, but he gets the job done and wins games. Just be patient with Doege, I have no doubt that 2021 will be the year he finally arrives, along with his help. You have to remember, this offense was one of the worst in the nation in 2019. It wasn’t going to go from that to stellar in one season. Doege and the offense will arrive, it is not a question of if, but rather when.
