MM, your analysis as always is great and there is no disputing the data, clearly BW has accuracy issues. Without retracing what I have read with specific links I will paraphrase to provide some rational on why we should still be very excited, none of which has anything to with his recruitment coming out of HS........
Allegedly the ND staff did not bench BW for most of the obvious reasons. He was 13-3 as a starter and put up the only 600 yd+ games (three) they have had over the past 2 years. Going into this past season the ND staff decided they needed to play ball control to keep a suspect D off the field and Book gave them the best chance at that. Book would have started the season but the coaches decided that they needed BW to beat Michigan in the 1st game. After the 1st game he remained in the lineup but he was clearly not a good fit for a ball control scheme so they switched after game 3. Some of the underlying considerations that have been cited of his accuracy issues include suspect QB coaching, not a good fit for the scheme and lack of skilled position players around him....perhaps I am making a leap but I am basing much optimism on our coaches judgement and ability to coach QBs....here is what has been said......
The offensive staff is super excited. They feel they got one of the top two grad transfers on the market (and didn't really see a difference comparing him against Jalen Hurts). They love his athleticism, running ability, frame and arm for the deep ball, which is going to be super important given Heup's love of the vertical passing game. There's also a sense that he will thrive in this system, not only working with Heup and Lebby but having better offensive skill around him than he did at Notre Dame.
And perhaps most importantly, Wimbush is a mature, high-character individual. He won't bring any added drama to the QB room and will always handle himself the right way.
UCF will have a true quarterback competition this spring and summer instead of simply handing the job to Mack. Now, don't discount Mack at all - nothing is being given to or was promised to Wimbush. Mack could still come away with the job. But with only three starts to his name, you really needed another experienced player in the mix.
No doubt Wimbush is an unbelievably dangerous runner.. I mentioned that in my writing and it was a reason I didn't chart his designed runs because it's fairly obvious. He's probably a top 3, maybe even 1, in terms of most dangerous QB's in the run game.
Also, high character and a great kid is what I've read as well and that seems to be accurate which is awesome, no denying that.
I think Hurts and Wimbush might've been the only two grad transfer QB's outside of Austin Kendall (OU backup) so I hope they feel like they got one of the top 2 haha. I also charted Hurts and wrote about him as well, but didn't post it here.
Everything you said about, frame, athletic ability and big arm, also accurate. But, that doesn't equal a good quarterback imo. The traits of the potential to be one, yes, but until I see it, I'll believe it. He threw a deep ball on over 22% so it's not like it's something he didn't do at ND.
And then the QB change... I'm reading it as, it's hard to have consistent offensive success with a QB who is consistently inaccurate. Playing ball control while have a running QB seems ideal, so the only way to actually read into it is, it's hard to have a consistent offense without an accurate QB (at all depths of the field).
I try not to read what coaches say because you can't believe it all and therefore you don't know what is actually true and what isn't.
As far there being nothing promised to Wimbush, the only people who truly know what was said to Wimbush during his recruitment are him, his family, and the coaches. I'm all for it if there is an open competition, my only thought on this is I don't know a grad transfer QB who didn't get an opportunity to start, it's kind of the point of being a grad transfer.
Tried to include the points from everyone in here.
Just my thoughts
