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2024 QB Battle - Excluding Shedeur of course.

#1 pick

#1 pick

Club Member
Club Member
I had a chance to watch every snap from Staub, Wade, Taylor, and Kuld. These guys are fighting for QB2. Where's my scouting report on all 4 QBs.

I'll start with the CU QBs

Ryan Staub -

6'1 200 - lean frame, strong base, decent arm for this level of play, high Football IQ, good footwork, quick release, nice accuracy within a clean pocket, best throwing on the move, struggles when coverage is tight, doesn't throw into tight windows well, prefers to see a WR open than anticipate his WR getting open, limited pre-snap abilities, decent post snap processor, good feel for the pocket, does a lot of damage with intermediate routes even with limited reps. Athletically is decent. Good agility, average speed, and average elusiveness. His strengths are movement, football IQ, and his release. His weaknesses are size, arm talent, and upside.

College Potential: High. NFL Potential: Non-Existent. If all works out well, his player comp is Todd Reesing. What's my expectation: I don't see him as a modern top 10 QB, but in a conference like the Big XII, two tiers below the SEC and B1G, he could develop into a good starting QB at this level. That said, with CU's expectations, I don't see him ever starting.

Gavin Kuld -
6'6 215 - lean frame, weak base, solid arm for this level of play, average Football IQ, poor footwork, decent release, poor release, poor feel for the position, didn't go through progression, really didn't see a FBS QB in limited reps. Solid athlete. Moves well for his size but is weak. Agility is below average, speed is decent for size. Looks like a D2 QB. Strengths: Size, he does move well for his height, and his arm strength is good at this level. Weaknesses: QBing, I didn't see an adequate processor, accuracy, limited ceiling.

College Potential: Below Average. NFL Potential: Non-Existent. If all works out well, his player comp is NA. He's a walk-on from JUCO with mediocre stats so just hitting the field at this level or the FCS is a massive accomplishment for this player. If he wants to play and get live reps, I suggest the mid-tier D2 or D3/NAIA route. I don't see a scholarship QB in his limited film.

Destin Wade -
6'4 223 - broad frame, very strong base, solid arm for this level of play, below average Football IQ, poor footwork, quick release, poor feel for the position, decision-making is average, decision-making dropped off like a rock when going through progressions, limited pre-snap and post-snap abilities, accuracy was spotty, can deliver passes in tight space, don't anticipate and prefers to see it open, average processor, I liked his short passes for his release. Athletically: He might be the best on the team with Hunter. 4.5 speed based on his FR and he can get to 4.4 and maybe sub-4.4. Elite agility. Very good acceleration. Excellent elusiveness. Rare athlete.


College Potential: Elite. NFL Potential: 1st rounder. If all works out well, his player comp is Justin Fields. He's nowhere close based on his freshman game v. Iowa to the passer of Justin Fields but he's a better athlete and a lot of his issues really can be fixed by experience and development. Development is not linear. Coaching, scheme, and willingness to be coached, are all critical. Justin was an elite 7v7 passer even though he was extremely raw as a QB as a true freshman at UGA. Whereas Wade is also extremely raw but lightyears away from Fields as a passer. He's going to have to work on that. His accuracy is better than the stats read. You also have to watch this game. Iowa had all of their best guys starting on defense and Kentucky had a mix of starters, backups, and a scout teamer like Wade. He had a very difficult task.

I believe he more than Staub or Taylor has to win the backup job to showcase his value. He's not an NFL freak talent-wise like Taylor. He needs to win the backup job so when he comes in as a 2nd string QB, he can show that, Prime doesn't need to hit the portal to find his starter for next year. Development is not linear so he may not develop much but if he does, watch out. He is a rare athlete. Extremely rare. Strength: Elite athlete at the QB position, tremendous frame, not in Tebow/Hurts tier in terms of strength based on his Iowa tape but is in that next tier, isn't that far away from being a good college QB due to his athleticism and strength, gets the ball out quickly, can deliver the ball in tight spaces, and can make difficult throws that protect his receiver. Weaknesses: Poor QB, more of an athlete playing QB at this stage, needs years of development (didn't play last year and that's needed), needs elite work ethic and a legit OC/QB coach to become what he may envision himself to me.



Walter Taylor -
6'7 239, slender frame with broad shoulders, strong base, elite arm for this level of play, average Football IQ, poor footwork, decent release, average feel for the position, decision-making is horrendous, decent pre-snap abilities, poor post-snap abilities, accuracy was poor, can deliver passes in tight space, don't anticipate and prefers to see it open, average processor, effortless arm strength. Lefty. Controlling his bazooka is probably his biggest struggle. His upside just doesn't come around that often. He has the most upside on this roster as a QB and that includes the likely #1 overall pick in 2025, Shedeur Sanders. Athletically: Excellent. 4.5 speed based on his film last year and he can get to 4.4. Good agility for size. Elite acceleration for size. Average elusiveness. Needs to get stronger, doesn't break tackles. Needs to get to 250-255. Rare athlete for his size if he can get stronger.

College Potential: Very High. NFL Potential: Top 10. If all works out well, his player comp is Josh Allen. He's probably a 7th rounder right now if he entered the draft just due to his insane upside. He does have two tremendous flaws and these are the two hardest to fix. Accuracy and decision-making skills. This is extremely difficult to fix. Pat Shurmur has his work cut out for him on Taylor. He's not a bad QB. It's clear he has positives to work on and his intelligence is exceptional in general. He's going to get better. Strength: Athleticism combined with arm strength with intelligence is a Josh Allen pairing. That's HARD to find. Doesn't have bad QB skills, just not any good yet. Weakness: Needs to get stronger and bigger, accuracy, control over arm strength, and decision making. What he lacks is difficult to fix but what he has is extremely hard to find. Needs more development. He will catch the scouts' eyes every time they come to see CU practice.

My final take: Staub is the best QB on the roster after 2 as he's at least an average QB at this level going into his true sophomore year. After that, it becomes difficult. Taylor and Wade are both below-average QBs atm from what we have. That said, if Kulb was on the heels of Staub. He needs to be truly scared of Taylor and Wade. Both players have tremendous college upside and Taylor has tremendous NFL potential if he hits. The QB room has tremendous talent inside of it now. While it's unknown what is to come of each player in this room, I know one thing, we now have the talent in this room that we did not have last year after 2.
 
This is very informative, as always, thank you.

So the obvious question(s), to me, is if/when do either Wade or Taylor or both of them "give up the dream" of being a QB? They both have the size to be studs at other positions. As you wrote, these guys need reps, game reps. They are not getting game reps at CU this season if it goes to plan. Both might have been better served transferring to a school that they could be the starting QB this season.

I'm not advocating for a change in position, but it is a topic that begs to be discussed.
 
#1 pick said:
I had a chance to watch every snap from Staub, Wade, Taylor, and Kuld. These guys are fighting for QB2. Where's my scouting report on all 4 QBs.

I'll start with the CU QBs

Ryan Staub -

6'1 200 - lean frame, strong base, decent arm for this level of play, high Football IQ, good footwork, quick release, nice accuracy within a clean pocket, best throwing on the move, struggles when coverage is tight, doesn't throw into tight windows well, prefers to see a WR open than anticipate his WR getting open, limited pre-snap abilities, decent post snap processor, good feel for the pocket, does a lot of damage with intermediate routes even with limited reps. Athletically is decent. Good agility, average speed, and average elusiveness. His strengths are movement, football IQ, and his release. His weaknesses are size, arm talent, and upside.

College Potential: High. NFL Potential: Non-Existent. If all works out well, his player comp is Todd Reesing. What's my expectation: I don't see him as a modern top 10 QB, but in a conference like the Big XII, two tiers below the SEC and B1G, he could develop into a good starting QB at this level. That said, with CU's expectations, I don't see him ever starting.

Gavin Kuld -
6'6 215 - lean frame, weak base, solid arm for this level of play, average Football IQ, poor footwork, decent release, poor release, poor feel for the position, didn't go through progression, really didn't see a FBS QB in limited reps. Solid athlete. Moves well for his size but is weak. Agility is below average, speed is decent for size. Looks like a D2 QB. Strengths: Size, he does move well for his height, and his arm strength is good at this level. Weaknesses: QBing, I didn't see an adequate processor, accuracy, limited ceiling.

College Potential: Below Average. NFL Potential: Non-Existent. If all works out well, his player comp is NA. He's a walk-on from JUCO with mediocre stats so just hitting the field at this level or the FCS is a massive accomplishment for this player. If he wants to play and get live reps, I suggest the mid-tier D2 or D3/NAIA route. I don't see a scholarship QB in his limited film.

Destin Wade -
6'4 223 - broad frame, very strong base, solid arm for this level of play, below average Football IQ, poor footwork, quick release, poor feel for the position, decision-making is average, decision-making dropped off like a rock when going through progressions, limited pre-snap and post-snap abilities, accuracy was spotty, can deliver passes in tight space, don't anticipate and prefers to see it open, average processor, I liked his short passes for his release. Athletically: He might be the best on the team with Hunter. 4.5 speed based on his FR and he can get to 4.4 and maybe sub-4.4. Elite agility. Very good acceleration. Excellent elusiveness. Rare athlete.


College Potential: Elite. NFL Potential: 1st rounder. If all works out well, his player comp is Justin Fields. He's nowhere close based on his freshman game v. Iowa to the passer of Justin Fields but he's a better athlete and a lot of his issues really can be fixed by experience and development. Development is not linear. Coaching, scheme, and willingness to be coached, are all critical. Justin was an elite 7v7 passer even though he was extremely raw as a QB as a true freshman at UGA. Whereas Wade is also extremely raw but lightyears away from Fields as a passer. He's going to have to work on that. His accuracy is better than the stats read. You also have to watch this game. Iowa had all of their best guys starting on defense and Kentucky had a mix of starters, backups, and a scout teamer like Wade. He had a very difficult task.

I believe he more than Staub or Taylor has to win the backup job to showcase his value. He's not an NFL freak talent-wise like Taylor. He needs to win the backup job so when he comes in as a 2nd string QB, he can show that, Prime doesn't need to hit the portal to find his starter for next year. Development is not linear so he may not develop much but if he does, watch out. He is a rare athlete. Extremely rare. Strength: Elite athlete at the QB position, tremendous frame, not in Tebow/Hurts tier in terms of strength based on his Iowa tape but is in that next tier, isn't that far away from being a good college QB due to his athleticism and strength, gets the ball out quickly, can deliver the ball in tight spaces, and can make difficult throws that protect his receiver. Weaknesses: Poor QB, more of an athlete playing QB at this stage, needs years of development (didn't play last year and that's needed), needs elite work ethic and a legit OC/QB coach to become what he may envision himself to me.



Walter Taylor -
6'7 239, slender frame with broad shoulders, strong base, elite arm for this level of play, average Football IQ, poor footwork, decent release, average feel for the position, decision-making is horrendous, decent pre-snap abilities, poor post-snap abilities, accuracy was poor, can deliver passes in tight space, don't anticipate and prefers to see it open, average processor, effortless arm strength. Lefty. Controlling his bazooka is probably his biggest struggle. His upside just doesn't come around that often. He has the most upside on this roster as a QB and that includes the likely #1 overall pick in 2025, Shedeur Sanders. Athletically: Excellent. 4.5 speed based on his film last year and he can get to 4.4. Good agility for size. Elite acceleration for size. Average elusiveness. Needs to get stronger, doesn't break tackles. Needs to get to 250-255. Rare athlete for his size if he can get stronger.

College Potential: Very High. NFL Potential: Top 10. If all works out well, his player comp is Josh Allen. He's probably a 7th rounder right now if he entered the draft just due to his insane upside. He does have two tremendous flaws and these are the two hardest to fix. Accuracy and decision-making skills. This is extremely difficult to fix. Pat Shurmur has his work cut out for him on Taylor. He's not a bad QB. It's clear he has positives to work on and his intelligence is exceptional in general. He's going to get better. Strength: Athleticism combined with arm strength with intelligence is a Josh Allen pairing. That's HARD to find. Doesn't have bad QB skills, just not any good yet. Weakness: Needs to get stronger and bigger, accuracy, control over arm strength, and decision making. What he lacks is difficult to fix but what he has is extremely hard to find. Needs more development. He will catch the scouts' eyes every time they come to see CU practice.

My final take: Staub is the best QB on the roster after 2 as he's at least an average QB at this level going into his true sophomore year. After that, it becomes difficult. Taylor and Wade are both below-average QBs atm from what we have. That said, if Kulb was on the heels of Staub. He needs to be truly scared of Taylor and Wade. Both players have tremendous college upside and Taylor has tremendous NFL potential if he hits. The QB room has tremendous talent inside of it now. While it's unknown what is to come of each player in this room, I know one thing, we now have the talent in this room that we did not have last year after 2.
Click to expand...

Great write up, thanks for the info.
 
Big Jim said:
This is very informative, as always, thank you.

So the obvious question(s), to me, is if/when do either Wade or Taylor or both of them "give up the dream" of being a QB? They both have the size to be studs at other positions. As you wrote, these guys need reps, game reps. They are not getting game reps at CU this season if it goes to plan. Both might have been better served transferring to a school that they could be the starting QB this season.

I'm not advocating for a change in position, but it is a topic that begs to be discussed.
Click to expand...
This is a good question. Both are currently below average QBs based on their most recent film.

That said, both likely best positions to move to is WR. For Taylor, he would have to lose weight and model his game after Johnny Wilson, that's a 4th round pick at best and he's light years from Wilson. He's much better to stick it out at QB.

I am not sure what Wade is at WR. He's a rare athlete but QB might be the best position for him to showcase his abilities. That said, out of the two, the move would make a tad more sense for him than Taylor and I don't think it makes much sense for either player.

I don't believe they would have came to Colorado if they weren't playing QB. So we should give them a chance. This is on them, their work ethic and our coaches to develop them and put them in position to succeed. They have aways to go, let's see how much they can improve. They are in year 3 so this is generally the turning point for QBs.
 
FLounder said:
having a weakness of “QBing”, as a QB, is quite the attribute.
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It means general aspect of being a quarterback. This isn't rare, we used to see a lot of QBs like this in the 80s and 90s but with top end QB coaches and trainers, it seemed like these QBs are miles ahead of their peers from the this era of football
 
Big Jim said:
This is very informative, as always, thank you.

So the obvious question(s), to me, is if/when do either Wade or Taylor or both of them "give up the dream" of being a QB? They both have the size to be studs at other positions. As you wrote, these guys need reps, game reps. They are not getting game reps at CU this season if it goes to plan. Both might have been better served transferring to a school that they could be the starting QB this season.

I'm not advocating for a change in position, but it is a topic that begs to be discussed.
Click to expand...
2025 QB1 is also assuredly not on the roster
 
Damn, didn’t realize we have three first round draft picks at QB!

buns GIF
 
#1 pick said:
Unless we land Juju Lewis, I'd think twice about the statement
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I said QB1 next year is not currently on the roster. It won’t be Wade, Taylor, Staub or Kuld. Yes, it could be Lewis if he decides to commit, although he reclassified from 26 so I’m curious if he would also be able to be a 25 early enrollee
 
The Alabaster Yak said:
I said QB1 next year is not currently on the roster. It won’t be Wade, Taylor, Staub or Kuld. Yes, it could be Lewis if he decides to commit, although he reclassified from 26 so I’m curious if he would also be able to be a 25 early enrollee
Click to expand...
The only part I agree with is the part of Lewis. That's it. And yes, he reclassified.
 
The Alabaster Yak said:
I don’t understand your posts. Why don’t you tell me what you mean
Click to expand...
I believe one of the three QBs could be the starter in 2025. They will have to make major strides this offseason but it's possible. If they do not then Prime will have no other choice but to pay top-dollar NIL in the portal or flip Bryce or Juju. You are literally talking about three QBs who will be in year 3 or 4. Those are college vets. QBs can have breakthroughs, we have seen it time and time again.
 
Last edited:
That's the QB race I'm most interested in this spring and summer.

Staub did play a good game on the road at Utah so it's understandable why he'd be in the lead for the QB2 spot. Let's see what spring and summer brings us when it comes to QB2.

I did a little research on the other QBs...except the juco guy.

As for Wade, that 2022 Music City Bowl probably isn't the best representation of him because that was his only game he played as a freshman QB and against what is usually a strong Hawkeye defense...not the best team to be making your first college start albeit as a freshman QB. Levis was the starting QB that season and apparently he was not available for the game. It appears that UK had a second QB (Kaiya Sheron) who was a redshirt frosh who had to play in place of Levis against South Carolina that year and UK lost that game too. I think the problem is UK didn't prepare their QBs not named Levis that year. UK also had only four scholarship QBs that season.

A team not having a backup QB prepared isn't a foreign concept to CU fans since that is something that has occurred for many years in Boulder.

Kuld...he's JAG and is purely an emergency QB.

Taylor...I'm thinking he is a large wildcat QB and if he can get to 250 behind a big OL, he can just grind down opposing offenses. I'm salivating at the thought of using him in the new EA Sports College Football because I love running QBs who can punish opposing defenses. But if his arm is as advertised and we have Travis Hunter who could stretch opposing defenses which could make it easier for the running game to operate and a receiver to have more one on one opportunities.

Wade and Taylor appear to be more of the running QB type and dual QBs were more of a necessity in the old Big 12 and perhaps still true of the new Big 12.
 
#1 pick said:
I had a chance to watch every snap from Staub, Wade, Taylor, and Kuld. These guys are fighting for QB2. Where's my scouting report on all 4 QBs.

I'll start with the CU QBs

Ryan Staub -

6'1 200 - lean frame, strong base, decent arm for this level of play, high Football IQ, good footwork, quick release, nice accuracy within a clean pocket, best throwing on the move, struggles when coverage is tight, doesn't throw into tight windows well, prefers to see a WR open than anticipate his WR getting open, limited pre-snap abilities, decent post snap processor, good feel for the pocket, does a lot of damage with intermediate routes even with limited reps. Athletically is decent. Good agility, average speed, and average elusiveness. His strengths are movement, football IQ, and his release. His weaknesses are size, arm talent, and upside.

College Potential: High. NFL Potential: Non-Existent. If all works out well, his player comp is Todd Reesing. What's my expectation: I don't see him as a modern top 10 QB, but in a conference like the Big XII, two tiers below the SEC and B1G, he could develop into a good starting QB at this level. That said, with CU's expectations, I don't see him ever starting.

Gavin Kuld -
6'6 215 - lean frame, weak base, solid arm for this level of play, average Football IQ, poor footwork, decent release, poor release, poor feel for the position, didn't go through progression, really didn't see a FBS QB in limited reps. Solid athlete. Moves well for his size but is weak. Agility is below average, speed is decent for size. Looks like a D2 QB. Strengths: Size, he does move well for his height, and his arm strength is good at this level. Weaknesses: QBing, I didn't see an adequate processor, accuracy, limited ceiling.

College Potential: Below Average. NFL Potential: Non-Existent. If all works out well, his player comp is NA. He's a walk-on from JUCO with mediocre stats so just hitting the field at this level or the FCS is a massive accomplishment for this player. If he wants to play and get live reps, I suggest the mid-tier D2 or D3/NAIA route. I don't see a scholarship QB in his limited film.

Destin Wade -
6'4 223 - broad frame, very strong base, solid arm for this level of play, below average Football IQ, poor footwork, quick release, poor feel for the position, decision-making is average, decision-making dropped off like a rock when going through progressions, limited pre-snap and post-snap abilities, accuracy was spotty, can deliver passes in tight space, don't anticipate and prefers to see it open, average processor, I liked his short passes for his release. Athletically: He might be the best on the team with Hunter. 4.5 speed based on his FR and he can get to 4.4 and maybe sub-4.4. Elite agility. Very good acceleration. Excellent elusiveness. Rare athlete.


College Potential: Elite. NFL Potential: 1st rounder. If all works out well, his player comp is Justin Fields. He's nowhere close based on his freshman game v. Iowa to the passer of Justin Fields but he's a better athlete and a lot of his issues really can be fixed by experience and development. Development is not linear. Coaching, scheme, and willingness to be coached, are all critical. Justin was an elite 7v7 passer even though he was extremely raw as a QB as a true freshman at UGA. Whereas Wade is also extremely raw but lightyears away from Fields as a passer. He's going to have to work on that. His accuracy is better than the stats read. You also have to watch this game. Iowa had all of their best guys starting on defense and Kentucky had a mix of starters, backups, and a scout teamer like Wade. He had a very difficult task.

I believe he more than Staub or Taylor has to win the backup job to showcase his value. He's not an NFL freak talent-wise like Taylor. He needs to win the backup job so when he comes in as a 2nd string QB, he can show that, Prime doesn't need to hit the portal to find his starter for next year. Development is not linear so he may not develop much but if he does, watch out. He is a rare athlete. Extremely rare. Strength: Elite athlete at the QB position, tremendous frame, not in Tebow/Hurts tier in terms of strength based on his Iowa tape but is in that next tier, isn't that far away from being a good college QB due to his athleticism and strength, gets the ball out quickly, can deliver the ball in tight spaces, and can make difficult throws that protect his receiver. Weaknesses: Poor QB, more of an athlete playing QB at this stage, needs years of development (didn't play last year and that's needed), needs elite work ethic and a legit OC/QB coach to become what he may envision himself to me.



Walter Taylor -
6'7 239, slender frame with broad shoulders, strong base, elite arm for this level of play, average Football IQ, poor footwork, decent release, average feel for the position, decision-making is horrendous, decent pre-snap abilities, poor post-snap abilities, accuracy was poor, can deliver passes in tight space, don't anticipate and prefers to see it open, average processor, effortless arm strength. Lefty. Controlling his bazooka is probably his biggest struggle. His upside just doesn't come around that often. He has the most upside on this roster as a QB and that includes the likely #1 overall pick in 2025, Shedeur Sanders. Athletically: Excellent. 4.5 speed based on his film last year and he can get to 4.4. Good agility for size. Elite acceleration for size. Average elusiveness. Needs to get stronger, doesn't break tackles. Needs to get to 250-255. Rare athlete for his size if he can get stronger.

College Potential: Very High. NFL Potential: Top 10. If all works out well, his player comp is Josh Allen. He's probably a 7th rounder right now if he entered the draft just due to his insane upside. He does have two tremendous flaws and these are the two hardest to fix. Accuracy and decision-making skills. This is extremely difficult to fix. Pat Shurmur has his work cut out for him on Taylor. He's not a bad QB. It's clear he has positives to work on and his intelligence is exceptional in general. He's going to get better. Strength: Athleticism combined with arm strength with intelligence is a Josh Allen pairing. That's HARD to find. Doesn't have bad QB skills, just not any good yet. Weakness: Needs to get stronger and bigger, accuracy, control over arm strength, and decision making. What he lacks is difficult to fix but what he has is extremely hard to find. Needs more development. He will catch the scouts' eyes every time they come to see CU practice.

My final take: Staub is the best QB on the roster after 2 as he's at least an average QB at this level going into his true sophomore year. After that, it becomes difficult. Taylor and Wade are both below-average QBs atm from what we have. That said, if Kulb was on the heels of Staub. He needs to be truly scared of Taylor and Wade. Both players have tremendous college upside and Taylor has tremendous NFL potential if he hits. The QB room has tremendous talent inside of it now. While it's unknown what is to come of each player in this room, I know one thing, we now have the talent in this room that we did not have last year after 2.
Click to expand...

You're insane. Wade and Taylor won't end up making any kind to f impact at CU or anywhere else.
 
H.E. Pennypacker said:
There is about a 3 game sample size between the the 3 of them, they are young and everyone transfers now. Yet somehow you know that Staub has "IT" and the other two will never play anywhere. Yeah okay, you don't possibly know any of that.
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Well save this post, then in three years when I'm right, praise my glory.

It's what's going to happen.
 
FLounder said:
I disagree.
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Both of them are/were questionable takes. Now and at the time we took their verbals.

Kentucky and Vandy fans weren't sad to see them go, and as I said, Kentucky fans and others in the know said we took Destin to get his brother, who was the actual prize.
 
Medford M. said:
There's a reason they transferred, and there's a reason their transfer ratings are so low. Neither is a QB.
Click to expand...
Michael Penix Jr got a transfer grade of 87 while Taylor is a 88.

Medford M. said:
Both of them are/were questionable takes. Now and at the time we took their verbals.

Kentucky and Vandy fans weren't sad to see them go, and as I said, Kentucky fans and others in the know said we took Destin to get his brother, who was the actual prize.
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It didn't seem like the 247 writers agree.

Vandy 247 said he believes Taylor can be a top 5 pick if he hits. Kentucky was a lot less optimistic on Wade at QB but definitely seemed to be extremely high on Destin athletically.

With guys like Wade and Taylor, it's truly hit or miss. They are low floor, high upside plays. Growth is the hardest item to determine in sports for a quarterback. It's not linear like a video game in real life. It's not linear at any position but QB has literally more to do with elements than any other position in sports. Things like quality of coaching matters. Things like personnel matters. Work ethic is not the only determining factor.

Look at Shedeur, freshman year, 6'2 220, running a 5 flat or 5.05 40. Skinny fat frame. Elite pre snap, very good post snap, very high Football IQ, tremendous QB vision, very good footwork, excellent processor. Athlete: Poor. Agility, poor. Acceleration, poor. Speed, poor. Elusiveness, below average. Due to size and level of play, he does break tackles even as a true freshman. Looked like a poor man's Bailey Zappe that exact year.

Next year: Coach Mo comes in from UGA, 6'2 196, running a 4.6 flat. Skinny frame, gets better at everything film wise but does struggle grades wise with the regression of his receivers due to the scheme change to the Air Raid and the lack of compatibility of the WRs at this level with this scheme. Athlete: Average. Improvements throughout the board. Stop breaking tackles, lost too much bulk for that part of his game.

Next year: Goes to CU, breakthrough year. Continues get better at everything. Is on many draft boards as either a top 5 pick or late 1st round QB depending on the scout or evaluator.

6'2 215. Decent frame. Coach Mo now has a top notch nutrition program which they didn't have at JSU. He once again has tremendous growth. Maintains his athletic growth and can break tackles again.

This is why Shedeur is #1 overall projected pick in 2025 and was a top 5-10 expected pick if he left early. He has made tremendous growth each year. Growth isn't linear but when it is and it's abundant, you can see it clearly. Don't count out Taylor or Wade or even Staub.

Taylor has an exceptional tool kit, was a late bloomer, grew two inches in college, is a physical marvel and has top notch intelligence. Wade is known for elite Intangibles and having a tremendous work ethic. Not to mention, he has tremendous frame and is an elite athlete. Staub obviously is made of the right stuff or he wouldn't still he here and everytime he took the field, he was substantially better than the last time we saw him. That's something within that allows you to do that. These three are made of the right stuff. It's on Shurmur, our staff, their QB trainer, Coach Mo, and most importantly themselves to make this growth. It's a collaborative effort.
 
#1 pick said:
I had a chance to watch every snap from Staub, Wade, Taylor, and Kuld. These guys are fighting for QB2. Where's my scouting report on all 4 QBs.

I'll start with the CU QBs

Ryan Staub -

6'1 200 - lean frame, strong base, decent arm for this level of play, high Football IQ, good footwork, quick release, nice accuracy within a clean pocket, best throwing on the move, struggles when coverage is tight, doesn't throw into tight windows well, prefers to see a WR open than anticipate his WR getting open, limited pre-snap abilities, decent post snap processor, good feel for the pocket, does a lot of damage with intermediate routes even with limited reps. Athletically is decent. Good agility, average speed, and average elusiveness. His strengths are movement, football IQ, and his release. His weaknesses are size, arm talent, and upside.

College Potential: High. NFL Potential: Non-Existent. If all works out well, his player comp is Todd Reesing. What's my expectation: I don't see him as a modern top 10 QB, but in a conference like the Big XII, two tiers below the SEC and B1G, he could develop into a good starting QB at this level. That said, with CU's expectations, I don't see him ever starting.

Gavin Kuld -
6'6 215 - lean frame, weak base, solid arm for this level of play, average Football IQ, poor footwork, decent release, poor release, poor feel for the position, didn't go through progression, really didn't see a FBS QB in limited reps. Solid athlete. Moves well for his size but is weak. Agility is below average, speed is decent for size. Looks like a D2 QB. Strengths: Size, he does move well for his height, and his arm strength is good at this level. Weaknesses: QBing, I didn't see an adequate processor, accuracy, limited ceiling.

College Potential: Below Average. NFL Potential: Non-Existent. If all works out well, his player comp is NA. He's a walk-on from JUCO with mediocre stats so just hitting the field at this level or the FCS is a massive accomplishment for this player. If he wants to play and get live reps, I suggest the mid-tier D2 or D3/NAIA route. I don't see a scholarship QB in his limited film.

Destin Wade -
6'4 223 - broad frame, very strong base, solid arm for this level of play, below average Football IQ, poor footwork, quick release, poor feel for the position, decision-making is average, decision-making dropped off like a rock when going through progressions, limited pre-snap and post-snap abilities, accuracy was spotty, can deliver passes in tight space, don't anticipate and prefers to see it open, average processor, I liked his short passes for his release. Athletically: He might be the best on the team with Hunter. 4.5 speed based on his FR and he can get to 4.4 and maybe sub-4.4. Elite agility. Very good acceleration. Excellent elusiveness. Rare athlete.


College Potential: Elite. NFL Potential: 1st rounder. If all works out well, his player comp is Justin Fields. He's nowhere close based on his freshman game v. Iowa to the passer of Justin Fields but he's a better athlete and a lot of his issues really can be fixed by experience and development. Development is not linear. Coaching, scheme, and willingness to be coached, are all critical. Justin was an elite 7v7 passer even though he was extremely raw as a QB as a true freshman at UGA. Whereas Wade is also extremely raw but lightyears away from Fields as a passer. He's going to have to work on that. His accuracy is better than the stats read. You also have to watch this game. Iowa had all of their best guys starting on defense and Kentucky had a mix of starters, backups, and a scout teamer like Wade. He had a very difficult task.

I believe he more than Staub or Taylor has to win the backup job to showcase his value. He's not an NFL freak talent-wise like Taylor. He needs to win the backup job so when he comes in as a 2nd string QB, he can show that, Prime doesn't need to hit the portal to find his starter for next year. Development is not linear so he may not develop much but if he does, watch out. He is a rare athlete. Extremely rare. Strength: Elite athlete at the QB position, tremendous frame, not in Tebow/Hurts tier in terms of strength based on his Iowa tape but is in that next tier, isn't that far away from being a good college QB due to his athleticism and strength, gets the ball out quickly, can deliver the ball in tight spaces, and can make difficult throws that protect his receiver. Weaknesses: Poor QB, more of an athlete playing QB at this stage, needs years of development (didn't play last year and that's needed), needs elite work ethic and a legit OC/QB coach to become what he may envision himself to me.



Walter Taylor -
6'7 239, slender frame with broad shoulders, strong base, elite arm for this level of play, average Football IQ, poor footwork, decent release, average feel for the position, decision-making is horrendous, decent pre-snap abilities, poor post-snap abilities, accuracy was poor, can deliver passes in tight space, don't anticipate and prefers to see it open, average processor, effortless arm strength. Lefty. Controlling his bazooka is probably his biggest struggle. His upside just doesn't come around that often. He has the most upside on this roster as a QB and that includes the likely #1 overall pick in 2025, Shedeur Sanders. Athletically: Excellent. 4.5 speed based on his film last year and he can get to 4.4. Good agility for size. Elite acceleration for size. Average elusiveness. Needs to get stronger, doesn't break tackles. Needs to get to 250-255. Rare athlete for his size if he can get stronger.

College Potential: Very High. NFL Potential: Top 10. If all works out well, his player comp is Josh Allen. He's probably a 7th rounder right now if he entered the draft just due to his insane upside. He does have two tremendous flaws and these are the two hardest to fix. Accuracy and decision-making skills. This is extremely difficult to fix. Pat Shurmur has his work cut out for him on Taylor. He's not a bad QB. It's clear he has positives to work on and his intelligence is exceptional in general. He's going to get better. Strength: Athleticism combined with arm strength with intelligence is a Josh Allen pairing. That's HARD to find. Doesn't have bad QB skills, just not any good yet. Weakness: Needs to get stronger and bigger, accuracy, control over arm strength, and decision making. What he lacks is difficult to fix but what he has is extremely hard to find. Needs more development. He will catch the scouts' eyes every time they come to see CU practice.

My final take: Staub is the best QB on the roster after 2 as he's at least an average QB at this level going into his true sophomore year. After that, it becomes difficult. Taylor and Wade are both below-average QBs atm from what we have. That said, if Kulb was on the heels of Staub. He needs to be truly scared of Taylor and Wade. Both players have tremendous college upside and Taylor has tremendous NFL potential if he hits. The QB room has tremendous talent inside of it now. While it's unknown what is to come of each player in this room, I know one thing, we now have the talent in this room that we did not have last year after 2.
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Wow, what a post. Grateful for this read and hope your analysis proves true on a few points
 
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