FOOTBALL

Graham Harrell On QB Decision

Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said he agreed with Clay Helton‘s decision to start JT Daniels.

“I think we were all on the same page,” Harrell said.

Harrell said backup Kedon Slovis was “a special talent.”

Meanwhile, Jack Sears did not speak to the media.

Below is what Petros Papadakis said today.

Excerpt: “They are so afraid of playing Sears. It is so plain to see how desperately they don’t want this young guy to be featured at all. … How about the guy that balled in an actual Pac-12 game? He is a fouthh string guy?! . . . (Daniels) must be protected politically by the depth chart.”

Full interview here

28 thoughts on “Graham Harrell On QB Decision”

  3. Harrell’s enthusiasm is totally for Slovis. He is making that about as obvious as he can.

    “I think we were all on the same page” is not the same thing as Harrell saying “JT clearly won the starting job.”

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Agree 100%, 67. “I THINK (classic qualifier) we’re all on the same page” is not much of an endorsement —but it still says a lot. It says that Harrell is not calling the shots for the offense —and, based on last year, that is a HUGE problem….
      #HeltonIsASillyLittleMan….

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. Yes, Helton is all of that. A fellow has to know his limitations. Or else he just might find himself as OC at Eastern Illinois…

        Liked by 3 people

  4. Even a bigger slap in the face to Sears. Fink left the program then can’t find anywhere to go and returns and jumps ahead of the guy that stayed and competed and competed as well as any of them. If our O-line is as bad as it looks, Sears is the guy to make plays when it breaks down.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  5. Not surprising news for anyone who reads The Athletic. Daniels was clearly the most consistent according to reporters who were A) there B) don’t have an agenda.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. JT is protected by the pizza agreement.

    Because Harrell needs employment for the entire bozo 2019 schedule, he gingerly complies with Helton’s QB edict.

    However, dollars to donuts, Harrell would start Slovis’ NFL arm if he had the authority.

    Helton is between a SUCCX rock and hard spot: He must win with the lead foot Alligator.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. My Dear Owns —Obviously I don’t agree with you on J. T. —I think he has a fairly high ceiling and will be more successful than many on this site imagine. But I entirely agree with your assessment of Harrell: He wants to go with Slovis. I think that’s what he meant when he said last spring that the eventual winner of the QB competition just needed more time — “over time it will become clearer and clearer who the starter should be.”
      Daniels, Sears and Fink didn’t need more “time” to develop. They already had plenty of time to develop. Slovis was the one who needed a bit more time.
      The MUCH bigger problem that has surfaced out of all this — Helton is gonna hang on to as much power as he can, punish anybody who won’t go along and take the ship down with him. He’s already proven that he just doesn’t know any other way to go.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. Frankly I wasn’t impressed with Slovis in the fall showcase. I think Harrell wants to keep the pressure on JT to lead and to set the tone that this is a new culture. Because it’s Helton’s butt on the line every fInal player decisions are his with serious input from his coaches. think we will know what we have after Fresno State because they will be well coached.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Memo to: MG

    I base my Alligator opinion on his 2018 FB performance.

    However, that doesn’t mean JT can’t improve in 2019, but MG, JT has to operate an alien, complicated offensive scheme that requires some balls and a rocket arm.

    Laugh me off the blog should JT be successful!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

      1. I’m with Owns on this one (to include will “loser leave town” so to speak with respect to how well this plays out). JT strikes me as a far less capable Jeff George. Neither he no Helton seem to have the ability to fathom what the legacy of USC football means, or why their performance last year was indefensible and unacceptable. We will see…

        Liked by 4 people

      2. I will admit defeat guys if J. T. doesn’t score a TD per quarter in the opener. And lead us to at least a 10 point win.
        As for Helton —he lost a ton of credibility with me when he placed a guy who has been nothing but loyal to the team (Sears) behind a guy who tried to leave (Fink). What a small thing to do to a kid —just to insulate yourself from second guessing if Sears comes in and leads the team to a win. [And –although it’s off point —the more I think about Swann saying that all we want to do this year is overcome our poor recruiting, the more I want to puke. What an insincere clown we have for A.D.] —-

        Liked by 3 people

      3. MG-
        Stay strong and don’t let us wear you down (not that that could happen-but the drama! Wolf probably feeds on that as well)…
        That’s one thing, regardless of where one stands on the JT-Sears/QB issue, that everyone should recognize – even if the decision was correct (about half of us think it was, half of us think it wasn’t – it will play itself out), the way the process was carried out, along with the general cluelessness of Swann and Helton…someone should strap them to a chair and make them watch the 1992 presidential debates and apply shock therapy (financial shock therapy would be even better, but one suspects the penultimate form of that will soon be at hand…or at least I/we may hope) until they can answer the simple question of “Why did the incumbent lose?”

        Liked by 3 people

      5. Since we’ve accomplished something of a rapprochement with Owns…

        Your answer deserves a DING! goes the (___) Bell…out of touch…tone deaf…and on and on…

        Liked by 2 people

      7. I had to swallow a mouthful of shredded roses this morning on that account! But what is the old saying about such matters? There are no permanent allies, only permanent interests?

        Liked by 2 people

  8. hellton hired another puppet…
    AD , who is maybe more of a hypocrite than hellton, lied about all the changes in reality…intentionally .

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. For what it’s worth I sense Harrell is feeling his way. If this offense works, his influence over the team will grow —and, hopefully, he can stop playing nice with Helton & do what he’s paid to do 100% of the time.
      And I sincerely thank you, Tim, for coming up with the word I’ve been searching for to describe Swann: “Hypocrite.” It takes a special kind of guy to look straight into the camera and lie (and lie some more) without even a twinge of conscience. And that’s exactly what he does every single time he’s given the opportunity to do it. How dumb (or worse) could USC’s President be to back this jerk?

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  9. As much is made about Harrell and his knowledge, just exactly who was in the hunt for his services…NoBody, NOBODY, but Hapless Helton.
    He had to find someone after Kingsbury said, thanks, but no thanks and left. Helton and Swann are grasping at straws, attempting to sell the “Norte Dame Theory” of reviving relevance.

    It’s obvious (at least to those who pay attention) there are several position groups on this team that are underperforming, I won’t name them, those who pay attention Know which they are.

    Harrell and his Hybrid Air Raid concept will not surprise anyone in the PAC12, they all have seen it for seven years with Leach. Incidentally, If WSU didn’t have Gardner Minshew last year (Leach’ Sam Darnold) they would have been the 7-9 team they always are, ‘also rans’ in conference.

    It won’t become apparent till the season is over if Harrell will be viewed as a ‘Messiah Or Pariah’ on that, rests Hapless Helton’s Future.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  10. Clay Helton is a sloppy waste of space. Every penny USC is paying him is too much. If Clay Helton volunteered to coach at a local Tee-ball league he would get out-coached by Mike the Barber and Sam the Shoe Salesman.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  11. JT Daniels is consistent? I’ll him that.

    At throwing Picks? He threw them last year and he’s picked up right where he left off this off season.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to factor13 Cancel reply