The N&O is running a nice profile on Pack QB Harrison Beck. Here’s an excerpt:
The Pack will hold its first preseason scrimmage today, and O’Brien said his three quarterbacks — Beck, Daniel Evans and Justin Burke — will get an equal amount of snaps. O’Brien would like to settle on a starter as quickly as possible but also said, “You want to make the right decision, not a fast decision.”
Evans is the returning starter and Burke, who starred at Lexington (Ky.) Catholic High, was recruited by O’Brien’s staff at BC. But it is Beck, who sat out last year as a transfer, who appears to intrigue so many Wolfpack fans.
The sophomore has the big arm. He was a big recruiting target in 2004 at Countryside High in Clearwater, Fla. — rated the No. 3 pro-style quarterback by one recruiting service — and made an early commitment to Nebraska, turning down offers from Florida, Michigan, NCSU and others.
“I can throw a football, obviously,” Beck said. “I can throw it all over the field.”
You’ve got to like that confidence. But Marcus Stone was a confident QB, too.
In a sense, Beck was the forgotten man last year, as fans debated the potential of the highly-touted true freshman Justin Burke and the level-headness and grit of the barely-recruited Daniel Evans. However, my gut tells me that Beck might be the best fit for our offense in 2007. My theory is simple (and by no means foolproof) – Beck’s big arm gives us the best chance to keep teams from stacking 8 or 9 in the box. Even the best backfield in college football (and the Brown/Baker combo has to be in that conversation) has trouble running against a 9-man front – especially behind a somewhat suspect OL. Trestman’s offense called for more short, precision passes (suited more for Evans’ arm) – but it’s an open question whether Evans can keep defenses honest in Bible’s system. However, as the N&O points out:
Beck, like Evans and Burke, is aware that O’Brien isn’t looking for the strongest arm. O’Brien wants his quarterback to make wise decisions, the right throws.
I think Coach O’Brien will wait and see how much Beck’s decision making progresses between now and September. He knows what he has in Daniel Evans. The job is not really Beck’s to lose, but it seems there for the taking. A 7-8 win season requires almost everything to fall the Pack’s way – and probably the “complete package” at QB.
