QB Heinrich Haarberg is N (Husker Legacy)

[LarstheRed]

the lockdown slowed things a bit for him, but given his athletic ability (and ability to play elsewhere) there's absolutely no way he was going to walk on. Huge, huge potential meant someone was going to offer in the P5 programs, likely some very high end programs.

We are lucky he showed up in our backyard.

I don't think there was anyway he was going to walk on. His physical tools alone make an offer seem wise, but when you toss in the possibility of patience, that tips the scales in my mind. By patience I mean HH seems to be a bit raw, somewhat of a project, and I think he knows it. If he's a year off of Smothers, and Smothers does what some have predicted, that might mean 3 years as a backup. What we'd hope is that we don't put a ton of work into the kid, only to see him get frustrated and leave if he isn't in the starter conversation by year 2. There aren't many teams that have the good fortune to play an entire season in a tough conference, and make it through with just one QB. The Lawrence's and Burrow's are rare. Heck, look at Alabama and Tua, if they'd had a Brook B., that season could have ended far better.

As against the current recruiting mindset as this might be, I think you need a blend of players who can contribute early or immediately, and those you know you will need to develop for at least a couple of years, and the players need to know that and be comfortable with it as well. Those might be unicorns in this day and age, but I think you can build a stronger, more stable team if you create those developmental layers.

 

[N2FL]

I love Smothers, but there’s so much that can happen in CFB. We don’t know who will actually perform under the lights. Injuries occur. Some guys improve while others regress. It’s way too early to be talking about HH as a tight end. He’s a QB and a damn good one, regardless of where he’s from. I hope he proves all the doubters wrong.

Whose doubting him?

 

[N2FL]

Maybe HH is content with getting a free education and playing qb for his home state team, even if he doesn't become the starter someday. Good education, getting in tip top shape, wearing the N, being part of the rebuild, that all might be enough to make him happy, who knows.

Hell I'd be ecstatic to get a football scholarship to play at DONU even if I knew I'd only play a few snaps a season.

I bet that's what everyone thought about Noah Vedral.

 

[Red Said Ted]

Whose doubting him?

People. People are doubting him.

Do you doubt that there are doubters? Or are you doubting the doubters?

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

For the same reasons others have mentioned, I felt like we might be settling with HH. Maybe Frost and Verduzco were challenged convincing higher quality qb's with our already loaded room. Maybe they felt safe because of that loaded qb room. Would he have been offered as a walk on under different circumstances? Whether any of that is right or wrong, the more I watch him the more I like him. He's a better player than I thought.

Watching vid on HH doing the QB training, he appears to be very flat footed at back of drop back. Not sure if it is a drill, but I have never seen one like that.

I know he is young, and I know he is Uber athletic, but that is asking for throwing off target passes and compensation that will lead to picks and incompletions. Additionally could lead to some bad sacks and injuries.

Any experienced QBs or coaches with insight? Maybe I am blind. I have been accused of worse lol.

It's a fair criticism, but did you also notice how he's very accurate while moving on his highlight film? Coaches can hone that, but--echoing Mike Leach--accuracy seems to be the one quality in a QB that is almost impossible to manufacture.

Nebraska fans are biased against their own. SEC teams weren't coming to snag a QB out of Kearney, NE with the thought that they'd turn him into a TE. He may very well end up there, but--good lord!--with all of the pouting and fussing around here about Keagan Johnson and Avante Dickerson going elsewhere, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth over Joe Burrow, can you imagine the heartburn over Haarberg choosing Auburn because Frost was too late to the party? The mere thought of it makes me want to buy stock in Rolaids and Tums.

Haarberg has a lot of natural athletic gifts that are rare, and while @N2FL is right that he has the lowest floor, he also has the highest potential ceiling of anyone currently playing for or committed to Nebraska. Because fans are fickle, Coach Verduzco went from being an eccentric genius a year ago to now being a questionable coach; he's still a very good QB coach, despite the fears, trepidations, and insecurities of our fan base. Haarberg is very much the sort of QB who Verduzco can work with and help transform into being a star. It's not a guarantee because we're talking about a 17-year-old kid,... but the ceiling is very high.

 

[Huskerthom]

It's a fair criticism, but did you also notice how he's very accurate while moving on his highlight film? Coaches can hone that, but--echoing Mike Leach--accuracy seems to be the one quality in a QB that is almost impossible to manufacture.

Nebraska fans are biased against their own. SEC teams weren't coming to snag a QB out of Kearney, NE with the thought that they'd turn him into a TE. He may very well end up there, but--good lord!--with all of the pouting and fussing around here about Keagan Johnson and Avante Dickerson going elsewhere, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth over Joe Burrow, can you imagine the heartburn over Haarberg choosing Auburn because Frost was too late to the party? The mere thought of it makes me want to buy stock in Rolaids and Tums.

Haarberg has a lot of natural athletic gifts that are rare, and while @N2FL is right that he has the lowest floor, he also has the highest potential ceiling of anyone currently playing for or committed to Nebraska. Because fans are fickle, Coach Verduzco went from being an eccentric genius a year ago to now being a questionable coach; he's still a very good QB coach, despite the fears, trepidations, and insecurities of our fan base. Haarberg is very much the sort of QB who Verduzco can work with and help transform into being a star. It's not a guarantee because we're talking about a 17-year-old kid,... but the ceiling is very high.

 

[N2FL]

It's a fair criticism, but did you also notice how he's very accurate while moving on his highlight film? Coaches can hone that, but--echoing Mike Leach--accuracy seems to be the one quality in a QB that is almost impossible to manufacture.

Nebraska fans are biased against their own. SEC teams weren't coming to snag a QB out of Kearney, NE with the thought that they'd turn him into a TE. He may very well end up there, but--good lord!--with all of the pouting and fussing around here about Keagan Johnson and Avante Dickerson going elsewhere, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth over Joe Burrow, can you imagine the heartburn over Haarberg choosing Auburn because Frost was too late to the party? The mere thought of it makes me want to buy stock in Rolaids and Tums.

Haarberg has a lot of natural athletic gifts that are rare, and while @N2FL is right that he has the lowest floor, he also has the highest potential ceiling of anyone currently playing for or committed to Nebraska. Because fans are fickle, Coach Verduzco went from being an eccentric genius a year ago to now being a questionable coach; he's still a very good QB coach, despite the fears, trepidations, and insecurities of our fan base. Haarberg is very much the sort of QB who Verduzco can work with and help transform into being a star. It's not a guarantee because we're talking about a 17-year-old kid,... but the ceiling is very high.

Couldn't agree more about the accuracy comment. NFL GMs and scouts pay a lot of attention to a guys career completion percentage. If a guy is hovering around 60% in college, he's generally not going to improve once the windows are smaller and they players are faster. If you look at the history of busts at QB they usually A) played in an offense that didn't translate into the NFL (a much bigger problem a few years ago before pro offenses morphed) or B) were inaccurate in college. Those were huge red flags that some teams ignored and it cost them, especially if the dude had a big arm like a Kyle Boller for example.

Haarberg absolutely has a high ceiling, but JMPO, Smothers has the highest ceiling of the four. I mean, all of them have tremendous potential, it's all subjective. I wouldn't be shocked at any of these four becoming the best of the bunch at some point, I just personally like Smothers the most.

 

[Huskerthom]

Couldn't agree more about the accuracy comment. NFL GMs and scouts pay a lot of attention to a guys career completion percentage. If a guy is hovering around 60% in college, he's generally not going to improve once the windows are smaller and they players are faster. If you look at the history of busts at QB they usually A) played in an offense that didn't translate into the NFL (a much bigger problem a few years ago before pro offenses morphed) or B) were inaccurate in college. Those were huge red flags that some teams ignored and it cost them, especially if the dude had a big arm like a Kyle Boller for example.

Haarberg absolutely has a high ceiling, but JMPO, Smothers has the highest ceiling of the four. I mean, all of them have tremendous potential, it's all subjective. I wouldn't be shocked at any of these four becoming the best of the bunch at some point, I just personally like Smothers the most.

For the record I agree with you. Smothers film really jumps off the screen. The WR and RB catching passes from him are almost always catching the ball in stride. I will further say that Luke is the guy most likely to move to another position permanently. The reason I say this is that he was not a QB until his Junior year of HS I believe. So he is not as tied to the position. I also think his family has a history of accepting where the coach puts them. They just want to play ball. I also think he has both the lowest ceiling at QB and the highest ceiling at another position. BTW saying Luke has the lowest ceiling at QB is not an insult. I just think he had the least accurate arm in HS.

 

[juju]

Couldn't agree more about the accuracy comment. NFL GMs and scouts pay a lot of attention to a guys career completion percentage. If a guy is hovering around 60% in college, he's generally not going to improve once the windows are smaller and they players are faster. If you look at the history of busts at QB they usually A) played in an offense that didn't translate into the NFL (a much bigger problem a few years ago before pro offenses morphed) or B) were inaccurate in college. Those were huge red flags that some teams ignored and it cost them, especially if the dude had a big arm like a Kyle Boller for example.

Haarberg absolutely has a high ceiling, but JMPO, Smothers has the highest ceiling of the four. I mean, all of them have tremendous potential, it's all subjective. I wouldn't be shocked at any of these four becoming the best of the bunch at some point, I just personally like Smothers the most.

I am with you on Smothers. I think it will be harder for HH without the same level of reps coming in to college vs year round 7v7.
Tommy Armstrong and Taylor Martinez were both superior athletes and could have easily played other positions. They didn't improve footwork and accuracy never got really good. Both had hitches in their throws. Not from the ear types. Looking at HH throw it isn't a wide windup, or a long windup, but it isn't from the ear. I just watched the hudl vid. Watch his first red zone TD. His feet are in concrete, the wrong direction.

Then go watch Vedral go through his progressions with his feet.


I don't see huge upside as a QB that doesn't have good fundamental mechanics to rapidly transition through reads, then deliver with a tight quick release. I don't see the next Aaron Rodgers type that can make accurate throws on roll outs.

Vedral on the other hand threw for 75% ballpark as a freshmen at UCF and 65% ballpark last year.

If Vedral had 2AM / Tommy Armstrong strength, not sure we would be talking about 2AM vs a RFR and an incoming TR Frosh as much. Plus he is athletic enough to bring up a safety at times which will open PA stuff down the middle some.

I haven't lived in Kearney for a good while, but why is HH a better prospect then Matt Masker? Because he is 6'5"? Masker as it stands is like 7% better in career HS completion rate, granted HH still has a senior year to go. He may continue growing into a beast athlete, but I don't see QB. Hope he proves me wrong, but at QB you can't just out athlete someone to accomplish your primary responsibilities like WR, HB. That is why Trevor Lawrence is a unicorn, but skill position players much more regularly start and even excel as Freshmen.
Nobody wanted to face Jerry Jeudy as a freshman.

Caveat to all this being, Coach V may be just the person for the job, HH sees that and realizes it is his best chance. If not, playing another position for NU would still be pretty sweet with the straight line speed he has.

 

[LarstheRed]

Couldn't agree more about the accuracy comment. NFL GMs and scouts pay a lot of attention to a guys career completion percentage. If a guy is hovering around 60% in college, he's generally not going to improve once the windows are smaller and they players are faster. If you look at the history of busts at QB they usually A) played in an offense that didn't translate into the NFL (a much bigger problem a few years ago before pro offenses morphed) or B) were inaccurate in college. Those were huge red flags that some teams ignored and it cost them, especially if the dude had a big arm like a Kyle Boller for example.

Haarberg absolutely has a high ceiling, but JMPO, Smothers has the highest ceiling of the four. I mean, all of them have tremendous potential, it's all subjective. I wouldn't be shocked at any of these four becoming the best of the bunch at some point, I just personally like Smothers the most.

Like you, there was something about seeing the limited film I saw on Smothers that just looked different from the rest. He appears to not just be a really good athlete making plays with his physical talent, but a guy who is mentally beating people as well, and that's probably the part that has him ahead of HH in my book. But if we are talking about just the physical part, a kid who is a good 6'5" (could grow to 6'6"), is ridiculously athletic, and can legitimately pack on another 40 lbs of muscle, that does create a pretty freaky image. His eyes being 3 to 4 inches higher gives an advantage in seeing the field. His release being at the end of an arm that is going to be 4 to 6 inches further out is another advantage. The difference in my opinion is going to be how he develops between the ears, because Smothers seems to have been mentored very well, and it showed against some pretty stiff competition. If HH can pick things up, and continues to develop physically, we could see a string of QB success that hasn't been seen before at this program, if these guys all reach their potential, which is unlikely, but I'm going glass half to three quarters full today.

 

[LarstheRed]

For the record I agree with you. Smothers film really jumps off the screen. The WR and RB catching passes from him are almost always catching the ball in stride. I will further say that Luke is the guy most likely to move to another position permanently. The reason I say this is that he was not a QB until his Junior year of HS I believe. So he is not as tied to the position. I also think his family has a history of accepting where the coach puts them. They just want to play ball. I also think he has both the lowest ceiling at QB and the highest ceiling at another position. BTW saying Luke has the lowest ceiling at QB is not an insult. I just think he had the least accurate arm in HS.

I totally agree on Luke. IF you really look at the limited number of throws he had this year, it would be hard to suggest they were things of beauty. If at least one is more accurate and on time, it's 6 points. At least 2 hung too long, and could have been picked if a defender had been in better position. And I really don't recall anything that looked like a guy threading the needle or fitting into a tight window. I may have missed it, but I don't recall thinking, 'Wow, what a great pass'. I may have said, 'Wow, what a great play', but I don't remember passes looking particularly strong. If we are going to move him around, like many, I like the idea of the kid being in the Wildcat. It reduces the pounding on AM, he's going to force defenses to account for his speed, he's not a terrible passer by any means, so it would seem a great tool to exploit defenses.

 

[HuSkaBob]

I totally agree on Luke. IF you really look at the limited number of throws he had this year, it would be hard to suggest they were things of beauty. If at least one is more accurate and on time, it's 6 points. At least 2 hung too long, and could have been picked if a defender had been in better position. And I really don't recall anything that looked like a guy threading the needle or fitting into a tight window. I may have missed it, but I don't recall thinking, 'Wow, what a great pass'. I may have said, 'Wow, what a great play', but I don't remember passes looking particularly strong. If we are going to move him around, like many, I like the idea of the kid being in the Wildcat. It reduces the pounding on AM, he's going to force defenses to account for his speed, he's not a terrible passer by any means, so it would seem a great tool to exploit defenses.

Agree with this, wanted to add that Luke has an underhand pass that he works on which is effectively a 25 yard sideways pass - have seen it a couple times in practice highlights - brings a defender in like an option and lets her rip. Not a great pass, but a great "wow" play.

 

[N2FL]

For the record I agree with you. Smothers film really jumps off the screen. The WR and RB catching passes from him are almost always catching the ball in stride. I will further say that Luke is the guy most likely to move to another position permanently. The reason I say this is that he was not a QB until his Junior year of HS I believe. So he is not as tied to the position. I also think his family has a history of accepting where the coach puts them. They just want to play ball. I also think he has both the lowest ceiling at QB and the highest ceiling at another position. BTW saying Luke has the lowest ceiling at QB is not an insult. I just think he had the least accurate arm in HS.

I think it helps that his dad and brother are/were pros. His dad could keep it real with him and tell him his best shot at playing in the NFL, ultimately, is playing WR. Even if he wins the job in Lincoln and is All-Conference, he still needs to switch positions in the NFL. So if he doesn't beat out Smothers or Haarberg (or future commits), Frost and his father could show him an achievable path to the NFL anyways. Frost lived it.

It's something they could do for Smothers and Haarberg too in the same situation. We'll see if it's needed or if it's reciprocated down the line.

 

[RogelioVB]

This is why I've subscribed to HuskerMax ! ! ! Great information and opinions and solid support with facts and direct observations. Not solely drinking the "red koolaid" but being analytical and objective. Thanks to everyone who posted on this forum !

 

[groundNpound]

I am with you on Smothers. I think it will be harder for HH without the same level of reps coming in to college vs year round 7v7.
Tommy Armstrong and Taylor Martinez were both superior athletes and could have easily played other positions. They didn't improve footwork and accuracy never got really good. Both had hitches in their throws. Not from the ear types. Looking at HH throw it isn't a wide windup, or a long windup, but it isn't from the ear. I just watched the hudl vid. Watch his first red zone TD. His feet are in concrete, the wrong direction.

Then go watch Vedral go through his progressions with his feet.


I don't see huge upside as a QB that doesn't have good fundamental mechanics to rapidly transition through reads, then deliver with a tight quick release. I don't see the next Aaron Rodgers type that can make accurate throws on roll outs.

Vedral on the other hand threw for 75% ballpark as a freshmen at UCF and 65% ballpark last year.

If Vedral had 2AM / Tommy Armstrong strength, not sure we would be talking about 2AM vs a RFR and an incoming TR Frosh as much. Plus he is athletic enough to bring up a safety at times which will open PA stuff down the middle some.

I haven't lived in Kearney for a good while, but why is HH a better prospect then Matt Masker? Because he is 6'5"? Masker as it stands is like 7% better in career HS completion rate, granted HH still has a senior year to go. He may continue growing into a beast athlete, but I don't see QB. Hope he proves me wrong, but at QB you can't just out athlete someone to accomplish your primary responsibilities like WR, HB. That is why Trevor Lawrence is a unicorn, but skill position players much more regularly start and even excel as Freshmen.
Nobody wanted to face Jerry Jeudy as a freshman.

Caveat to all this being, Coach V may be just the person for the job, HH sees that and realizes it is his best chance. If not, playing another position for NU would still be pretty sweet with the straight line speed he has.

Yikes. Love how we’re already under selling HH before he has even played a down of senior year high school wasnt maskers best offer SDSU and doane? I’ll trust the judgement of the D1 coaches making the offers. Competion percentage is such a bad stat to look at in high school btw, especially someone playing C1 ball where most kids dont gave jerry rice type hands.