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Jul24
Adam Weber
Filed under: General, Players; Tagged as: Adam Weber, Big Ten, College Football, Gopher Football, QB Ratings, QuarterbackAs a redshirt Freshman, Adam Weber took the reins as the Gopher quarterback running a new spread offense. Adam Weber came to the University of Minnesota from Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, Minnesota. For many years now, Mounds View has run an option offense that requires an athletic quarterback who is able to pass on the move. While different from the spread offense, Mounds View’s option offense prepared Weber for passing out of the pocket and rushing when needed.
For Big Ten quarterbacks with 100 or more pass attempts, the 2007 rankings sorted by quarterback rating stack up as follows (QB rating does not take into account rushing stats):
While he only ranked number 9 out of 12, these statistics are deceiving as to his actual performance and his projections for the future. First, the spread offense is complicated. Weber was a redshirt Freshman running a new offense with no prior Big Ten experience. Second, his only Senior receiver was Ernie Wheelwright, and his top receiver Eric Decker was only a Sophomore. Third, the Gopher defense gave up 36.7 points per game and pressured the offense to take chances on big plays.
The quarterback with the top rating in the Big Ten was Ohio State’s Todd Boeckman, who didn’t start until his Junior year. Indiana’s Sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis was the second best, and is similar to Weber in that he frequently passes out of the pocket and will run the ball. Let’s compare Lewis’s freshman year to Weber’s:
When comparing the two players at the same stage of experience, Weber has Lewis beaten in every statistic but TD to Interception rate. If his accuracy in horseshoes is a good indicator, the interceptions should decrease as he learns the spread offense and has more experienced receivers to target. At 6′3 220 lbs Weber also has good height and size for a Big Ten quarterback. So far, Weber has demonstrated durability by avoiding injury despite rushing for 617 yards.
When the factors of age, experience with the system, and his supporting cast are taken into account, marked improvement should be expected from Adam Weber in 2008. He’ll have a few new offensive linemen due to graduations, but his protection should remain similar to 2007. Expect the interceptions to go down and the completion rate to go up. If Adam Weber continues to develop and avoid injury, he should finish in the top 4 for Big Ten quarterbacks as a Sophomore. 2009 should be interesting with an experienced Weber, a versatile David Pittman, and the heralded recruit Marquies Gray competing for the starting job in the new stadium.
7 Responses to “Adam Weber”
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So what is the story with Vince Hill? I hear that he is no longer on the U’s roster on their website.
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[...] Adam Weber appeared to be a more accurate passer than this time last year. Besides Eric Decker, the options that Weber had as wide receiver targets were sparse. Weber looked more mature and confident at quarterback, but he was telegraphing his passes. Good linebackers and defensive backs key on the quarterback’s eyes, and Weber is giving them plenty of warning as to where he plans on throwing the ball. While he had a great game versus Northern Illinois, teams with quicker defensive personnel could take advantage of this tendency. If he can learn to avoid staring down his primary target, he could become an elite NCAA passer. That’s a BIG IF, because if he continues to telegraph passes expect the interceptions to be numerous versus top tier opponents. It’s important to remember that he’s only a sophomore and should continue to mature and develop throughout the season. [...]
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Week 2 Preview: Minnesota vs. Bowling Green « Buck Bravo’s Gopher Football Blog September 5th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
[...] David Pittman’s hamstring is finally healed, expect him to add another dangerous option for Adam Weber in addition to Eric Decker and Jack Simmons. However, if the Gopher offense commits too many [...]
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Week 3 Recap: Gophers Show Inexperience in Victory « Buck Bravo’s Gopher Football Blog September 14th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
[...] McKnight are learning the complex Gopher spread offense and fine tuning their skills. Adam Weber will need more options than Eric Decker and Jack Simmons to be successful in the Big [...]
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[...] also racked up 909 yards and 9 touchdowns. The dangerous passing tandem of freshman quarterback Weber to sophomore receiver Decker was a ray of hope for the Gophers in a down year. Once again, [...]
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[...] Adam Weber has yet to throw an interception in his first three games. Last year he gave up 4 picks to FAU. If Weber can maintain his improved passing, the Gophers will have a much better showing this time around. The Daily Gopher has a great in-depth preview of what to expect during the game. Some interesting interviews about the Gophers with FAU players including quarterback Rusty Smith are on an FAU blog that can be viewed by clicking here. My own thoughts are that with an improved defense, an experienced Weber, and home field advantage the Gophers will win this time around. I’ll predict a score of 38-20. [...]
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Can the Gophers Chop Down the Buckeyes? « Buck Bravo’s Gopher Football Blog September 23rd, 2008 at 5:02 am
[...] with a defense that is two-deep with blue chip recruits, he will present a formidable challenge to Adam Weber and the Gopher offense. Brian Robiskie is one of the top wide receivers in the nation, and will [...]
