Boise State's presence at NFL Combine a reminder of Pease's ability to develop talent
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | Football, Scott Carter
In his first year as Florida's offensive coordinator, one of Brent Pease's biggest tasks is to determine the Gators' starting quarterback over the next few months.
With spring practice set to begin March 13, the battle for No. 1 is expected to be a duel between sophomores Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel. Third-stringer Tyler Murphy is back, and come fall, incoming freshman Skyler Mornhinweg adds another arm to the mix.
Pease has an open mind about the competition and is well-schooled in quarterback surprises. After all, no one projected Kellen Moore as a record-setting quarterback at Boise State when he arrived on campus as a shaggy-haired lefty who hadn't grown an inch since ninth grade.
However, there Moore was at the NFL Combine last weekend along with such notable quarterbacks as Andrew Luck and Heisman winner Robert Griffin III.
How did the 6-foot, 197-pound Moore earn a trip to the combine?
“His play is what got him to that point – how he played over his career,'' said Pease, Moore's quarterbacks coach at Boise and the offensive coordinator in 2011. “The kid prepares. He is very smart, anticipates [throws] and is highly accurate.”
Moore wasn't the only Boise State player in Indianapolis. While the Gators had two players at the combine – running back Chris Rainey and defensive tackle Jaye Howard – Boise State sent seven.
“They probably should have had eight,'' Pease said, referring to receiver Tyler Shoemaker, who set numerous school records as a former walk-on that developed into one of Moore's favorite targets. Shoemaker is scheduled to work out for NFL scouts on Boise State's Pro Day instead.
According to NFL.com analyst and long-time league executive Gil Brandt, the group of Broncos were not invited to Indy by mistake. Brandt has five of the Boise State players ranked in his top 69 prospects for April's draft.
Defensive tackle Billy Winn, defensive end/linebacker Shea McClellin, running back Doug Martin, safety George Iloka and defensive end Tyrone Crawford are high on Brandt's list, while Moore and offensive lineman Nate Potter rank lower in the view of most draft analysts.
The reports on Moore say he is too small, slow-footed and doesn't have enough arm strength, common labels given to players who don't fit what a prototypical NFL quarterback should look like according to scouts.
“The combine is not a place Kellen Moore is going to shine,'' NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks said during the event's TV coverage. “You have to really focus on the game tape to see what he is. He needs to play with all 11 on the field so he can show you his anticipation and the things he does from that stand point."
Pease has watched plenty of game tape on all the players and won't be surprised if they are successful on the next level. He said the large group of Broncos at the combine was not something Boise's coaching staff saw coming when the talented group arrived on campus.
“They developed,'' Pease said. “You really never know what you have. Out of all those when they first got there, I would have thought after the first year that, OK, we knew Doug Martin might have a shot. Nate Potter was going to always have the ability and George Iloka definitely had the ability and Billy Winn had ability. But Shea and those other guys just developed.”
Pease is now ready to get to work on helping develop some Gators.
(Photo: Former Boise State QB Kellen Moore throwing at the NFL Combine/Associated Press).
