Yesterday, CaneInsider published part 1 of QB coach Ken Mastrole’s interview. Here’s the conclusion where he talks on the 2012 crop of high school quarterbacks and discusses Miami signal-callers Stephen Morris and Jacory Harris.
CaneInsider: What’s the most difficult aspect of correcting a quarterback’s flaws?
Mastrole: Everybody talks about keeping the elbow up and maintaining the high release. It’s not that difficult to correct if the release is flawed. The hardest thing is when a quarterback locks his front leg. Something I see even in the college kids: their passes are inconsistent when their chest is over the leg or the transfer of their weight is off. On the collegiate level there are a lot of arm throwers. We emphasize proper balance, weight distribution, and generating all that power to the target. We really stress the lower body. Even the top kids in the nation, there’s untapped power they’re not using.
CaneInsider: How difficult is it to transition at quarterback into the NFL?
Mastrole: It’s terribly difficult. The quarterback must fit the system. You can be put into a difficult situation, whether its protection, maybe you don’t fit the scheme. NFL teams run traditional schemes, such as the West Coast offense. It’s a complex league and its built on chess matches and matchups. As a quarterback, you have to learn all the protections. You need to be able to get your teammates into the right protections and formations. In the NFL, you have to make things more complex, just based on the defenses and how they’ve changed over the years.
It’s not a 9-5 job. It’s really a 14-16 hour a day job. It involves so much more than just going to practice. It’s getting that timing down with your receivers and getting the extra film work. The way film is broken down is by play structure, defensive coverages, and fronts. There’s so much to learn as a rookie that I think it is important to learn and settle into it the first couple of years. You get to the top of the mountain in college and you have to start all over again in the NFL.
All the good QB’s in the NFL are consistent in their fundamentals. In college you can get away from things and be a slinger. The dropback quarterbacks that are consistent, accurate passers, they win the Super Bowl every year. Look at the numbers. You have to be mechanically sound in the NFL.
CaneInsider: What are your thoughts on the 2012 crop of quarterbacks coming out of high school?
Mastrole: I think there are some great prospects. I’m getting to see a lot more of the kids with the combines, such the South Florida Express tryouts, the Under Armour Combine, and the Elite Scouting Services Combine. Overall, 2012 is a good class. I’m not sure it will be as strong as it was last year, but it will be pretty close. There are a few kids that I’m interested in seeing develop over next season. Gray Crow, good quarterback, will be attending Miami. I’ve watched him, seen film, and he’s done well. Gunnar Holcombe is an interesting prospect. He’s created quite a buzz around himself. He’s got a strong arm. I want to see how he does in the new offense at University School. Tyler Cogswell (American Heritage), he’s a 2013 kid, he’s rising. Akeem Jones (Carol City) is guy I worked with on Sunday. He has all the tools to play at the next level. He’s got the size and he gets it mentally. He’s going to be very highly recruited. I like his fundamentals. He can throw the deep ball with the best of them. Tyler Cameron out of Jupiter is good. He’s got the size and the arm. EJ Hilliard out of Northwestern is good. He’s got the fundamentals, strong arm, and can move around the pocket some. These kids have established themselves and I’m anxious to see how they develop.
CaneInsider: What’s your opinion on University of Miami quarterbacks Stephen Morris and Jacory Harris?
Mastrole: I’ve had a chance to see Morris and work with him at a combine. Morris has all the tools. I’ve seen Morris play. He’s a good athlete and throws a good ball. I think he can win the job. It’s going to be a very good battle going into spring ball. After speaking with Morris, I learned he’s a student of the game. He pays attention and understands the breakdowns of coverages. He’s an X’s and O’s quarterback, not just a kid with a big-time arm. His athletic ability will allow him to adapt to a different offense. The new offense at Miami will play more into his strengths. I think Jedd Fisch can help him as he continues to develop.
Harris will have a chance to step in and play in a more controlled offense. The running game will take some of the pressure off of him.
What coach Golden is doing with his program, he’s bringing in a very disciplined player. He’s doing all the right things to win; he’s being aggressive in the south Florida area. Miami will be in a position to win a national championship shortly.
Mastrole will be a featured guest on upcoming recruiting chats on CaneInsider. Visit his website, http://www.mastrolepassing.com/, for more information on how to enroll in his camp.
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Interview with Quarterback Coach Ken Mastrole- Part 2
byPublished on 02-23-2011 02:50 PM0 Comments
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