Sean White and his arm

[aubfaninga 16]

Please don't turn this into a bash thread but I am really curious into the thinking that Sean has little arm strength.

How far of a deep ball does a QB need?

Do you feel he lacks "zip" on his shorter passes?

I don't see Sean as having a 70 yard arm like NM but his deep balls look fine and most have dropped with near perfect depth. Some have strayed a little to the left or right but his ball drops where it seems he wants it to.

[BHDAU1 240]

I think that it's a ridiculous thing to say about him. He can throw a long ball just fine. His passes are usually tight spirals, fast enough, and accurate. He has touch on the ball that we haven't seen at Auburn for a long time! I'll take very accurate and the ability to throw it fast or float it accurately it to a WR if needed any day over being able to throw a super long bomb with moderate accuracy. We also need to consider that he protects the ball well and to be honest his stats would be even better if not for the large number of drops that have hit the receivers right in the hands. I would also say that on the contested balls that our receivers have dropped more than what the average should be. I think that SW is a real bright spot on our team and I believe he will be one of the main reasons we have a lot of success next year.

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

Interesting to read this 2013 article now about Sean:

Published on Sep. 20, 2013

Back in July, all in a day, Sean White received an offer from Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and accepted that offer. The decision capped off one of the most impressive displays by a high school quarterback in recent years.

White won the Elite 11 quarterback competition and was MVP of the 7-on-7 competition at The Opening.

Here's Go Big Recruiting's TJ Gaynor's breakdown of the future Auburn quarterback.

Scouting Report:

QB Sean White, University School (Hollywood, Fla.)

What stands out:

The Brain. Sean White knows exactly what's he's doing on the football field at all times. He displays no hesitation in his decision-making, and one look at his 2012 stat line will tell you that he consistently makes the right choices. His innate feel for the position is already better than most college and some professional quarterbacks. In particular his pocket awareness and ability to slide away from pressure stand out for a high school prospect. He can sense the rush around him extremely well and always has his eyes scanning downfield for the open receiver.

-- His footwork and command of how to position his body properly for every throw also set his game apart. Whether he's in rhythm in the pocket or scrambling, he always has his hips and shoulders aligned perfectly when it's time to reach back and spin the rock.

-- White marries his physical intuition and spatial awareness with great technical knowledge of coverage and route concepts. As an example, he consistently displays exceptional touch on the deep ball because he possesses rare anticipation on his release. Since he's been able to merge that anticipation with the right footwork and body positioning, the end result is consistent downfield accuracy.

-- Time after time I watched him drop the pigskin precisely into the correct window for his receiver just as he got over top of the defensive back. His ball placement is so good that it's rare that you'll see White cause a receiver to slow down or break stride to catch the football. He also does an outstanding job of delivering the ball accurately on the run, especially moving to his left.

What needs development: (Canuck's comment - interesting how Sean has shrunk from 6'2" on many recruiting reports to 6'0" at Auburn)

-- The Brawn. Unless you're playing behind the 2012 Alabama offensive line, life as an SEC quarterback can be hazardous to your health. At best, White appears to be about 6-2 and 200 pounds, so he needs to develop that frame. While he's nimble in the pocket, he doesn't yet possess the elite agility or core strength required to face the Sunday pass rushers that will be chasing him down on Saturdays in the near future. As well-developed as his mind is today, his body needs to become bigger, stronger and faster if he's going to survive the rigors of what's ahead.

Numbers that matter: Auburn at LSU

What's next:

This season can't end quickly enough for Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. The sooner he can get White on campus and start feeding him the playbook, the better. White has that "it" factor when it comes to accuracy and decision-making that will allow Gus to be Gus again. Now that White's in the fold, the primary focus for the Auburn staff has to be finding enough of the right offensive linemen to protect their latest prized triggerman.

-- TJ Gaynor was a two-time All-Pac-10 offensive lineman at Stanford. During his time on the Farm, he played for a long list of great coaches, including Hall of Famer Bill Walsh. After tryouts with the 49ers and Lions, Gaynor spent time as a high school coach and analyst for Scout.com. He is Go Big Recruiting's senior recruiting analyst.

[thaitopher 807]

aubfaninga I am sure you did not intend for this to happen, but in very short time all of the SW haters out there will jump on this thread and use it as an opportunity to say why SW is overrated, or why Gus doesn't know how to run an offense with a pocket passer and that he is only good with a dual threat quarterback in 3.....2.....1......

[cole256 17,042]

He can make most the throws but when it's the tough ones he has to wind up and seems to throw with all he's got. The last throw of last game he threw as hard as he could it seemed to make sure he can get it there when Ray was wide open he really didn't have to do it (Ray still should've caught the ball)

Lastly people love to talk about fundamentals and all of that but it's what you do under duress that makes a qb special so those throws downfield while on the run he's probably not going to be able to make, but when he has time and can set his feet he's fine.

Lastly the term deep ball is subjective, so opinions will vary, in what I consider deep passes I don't think I've seen him even attempt more than 4 of them

[aubfaninga 16]

Interesting to read this 2013 article now about Sean:

Published on Sep. 20, 2013

Back in July, all in a day, Sean White received an offer from Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and accepted that offer. The decision capped off one of the most impressive displays by a high school quarterback in recent years.

White won the Elite 11 quarterback competition and was MVP of the 7-on-7 competition at The Opening.

Here's Go Big Recruiting's TJ Gaynor's breakdown of the future Auburn quarterback.

Scouting Report:

QB Sean White, University School (Hollywood, Fla.)

What stands out:

The Brain. Sean White knows exactly what's he's doing on the football field at all times. He displays no hesitation in his decision-making, and one look at his 2012 stat line will tell you that he consistently makes the right choices. His innate feel for the position is already better than most college and some professional quarterbacks. In particular his pocket awareness and ability to slide away from pressure stand out for a high school prospect. He can sense the rush around him extremely well and always has his eyes scanning downfield for the open receiver.

-- His footwork and command of how to position his body properly for every throw also set his game apart. Whether he's in rhythm in the pocket or scrambling, he always has his hips and shoulders aligned perfectly when it's time to reach back and spin the rock.

-- White marries his physical intuition and spatial awareness with great technical knowledge of coverage and route concepts. As an example, he consistently displays exceptional touch on the deep ball because he possesses rare anticipation on his release. Since he's been able to merge that anticipation with the right footwork and body positioning, the end result is consistent downfield accuracy.

-- Time after time I watched him drop the pigskin precisely into the correct window for his receiver just as he got over top of the defensive back. His ball placement is so good that it's rare that you'll see White cause a receiver to slow down or break stride to catch the football. He also does an outstanding job of delivering the ball accurately on the run, especially moving to his left.

What needs development: (Canuck's comment - interesting how Sean has shrunk from 6'2" on many recruiting reports to 6'0" at Auburn)

-- The Brawn. Unless you're playing behind the 2012 Alabama offensive line, life as an SEC quarterback can be hazardous to your health. At best, White appears to be about 6-2 and 200 pounds, so he needs to develop that frame. While he's nimble in the pocket, he doesn't yet possess the elite agility or core strength required to face the Sunday pass rushers that will be chasing him down on Saturdays in the near future. As well-developed as his mind is today, his body needs to become bigger, stronger and faster if he's going to survive the rigors of what's ahead.

Numbers that matter: Auburn at LSU

What's next:

This season can't end quickly enough for Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. The sooner he can get White on campus and start feeding him the playbook, the better. White has that "it" factor when it comes to accuracy and decision-making that will allow Gus to be Gus again. Now that White's in the fold, the primary focus for the Auburn staff has to be finding enough of the right offensive linemen to protect their latest prized triggerman.

-- TJ Gaynor was a two-time All-Pac-10 offensive lineman at Stanford. During his time on the Farm, he played for a long list of great coaches, including Hall of Famer Bill Walsh. After tryouts with the 49ers and Lions, Gaynor spent time as a high school coach and analyst for Scout.com. He is Go Big Recruiting's senior recruiting analyst.

Thanks for this read.

I would swear this article was written this past week with very little editing.

[NoALtiger 3,849]

Nothing wrong with this kids arm at all. He can make all throws necessary IMO.

[AUWE03 0]

I'm not sure what games you have watched but Sean White's arm is strong. On short passes he actually has some touch that allows our guys to catch it and actually run with the ball. He threw about a 35 yard frozen rope to Louis down the middle of the field and hit him in stride for a TD against Ole Miss on a bad knee. He also won the Elite 11 long throw with a 74 yard toss. I have no idea why or how someone can question his arm strength.

[aubfaninga 16]

aubfaninga I am sure you did not intend for this to happen, but in very short time all of the SW haters out there will jump on this thread and use it as an opportunity to say why SW is overrated, or why Gus doesn't know how to run an offense with a pocket passer and that he is only good with a dual threat quarterback in 3.....2.....1......

I hope not. Just noticed it popping up while scrolling through threads and wanted to see if there was any explanation that I could grasp.

[thaitopher 807]

I don't know how strong SW's is or is not, but to be a great college quarterback, arm strength weighs far below accuracy. I have seen many elite college quarterbacks without a strong arm. Once they get to the pro level, that changes.

[aubfaninga 16]

He can make most the throws but when it's the tough ones he has to wind up and seems to throw with all he's got. The last throw of last game he threw as hard as he could it seemed to make sure he can get it there when Ray was wide open he really didn't have to do it (Ray still should've caught the ball)

Lastly people love to talk about fundamentals and all of that but it's what you do under duress that makes a qb special so those throws downfield while on the run he's probably not going to be able to make, but when he has time and can set his feet he's fine.

Lastly the term deep ball is subjective, so opinions will vary, in what I consider deep passes I don't think I've seen him even attempt more than 4 of them

Thanks cole.

[autigeremt 6,597]

Good lord......

[cole256 17,042]

I don't know how strong SW's is or is not, but to be a great college quarterback, arm strength weighs far below accuracy. I have seen many elite college quarterbacks without a strong arm. Once they get to the pro level, that changes.

This is true, and Sean white did not win the biggest arm, at least not at the elite 11. They also mentioned how deshaun Watson didn't have the biggest arm at the camp....he's like the top qb in the nation this year. There's nothing holding SW back from being a good qb

[aubfaninga 16]

I'm not sure what games you have watched but Sean White's arm is strong. On short passes he actually has some touch that allows our guys to catch it and actually run with the ball. He threw about a 35 yard frozen rope to Louis down the middle of the field and hit him in stride for a TD against Ole Miss on a bad knee. He also won the Elite 11 long throw with a 74 yard toss. I have no idea why or how someone can question his arm strength.

Just to clarify, I have personally seen nothing to question and I have watched every game probably three times. More if you count watching plays multiple times just watching individuals.

I did not know about the 74 yard throw. Thanks and heres to hoping we never have to see this side of him since we will have a good lead when the clock runs out from now on.

[aubfaninga 16]

Good lord......

He is Good...

[IronMan70 3,277]

SW's arm strength sure looked good when he hit RL over the middle for that TD or when he dropped him a pass down the sidelines for another long gain. As far as zip, if anything he needs to take some zip off some of his short passes and use a tad more touch. With his bad knee, the ball is going just a little high sometimes but that is temporary. Darn good QB if you ask me.

[AURealist 2,185]

While SW does look like he heaves the long ball a bit, he's pretty accurate with it.

With a leg injury, a QB is forced to use more arm to compensate, which actually results in less 'touch'. SW was doing that on some passes last game. To be effective, SW needs to be healthy and have solid pass protection. He gets those and AU has no worries at QB.

[BigWhiskey91 632]

In my opinion he looks fine out there. What really stands out to me is his authority of his passes. He's the type of guy I am cool with rifling the slants in. The only draw back I see in his game is on some of the shorter passes he has to develop a bit more of a touch pass. Other than that, I would be okay with Auburn throwing 30+ times with him at QB. Take back some drops and this team is looking very different heading into A&M.

[BHDAU1 240]

One of the best things to me about SW is that when he is in the game I don't feel like its a turnover waiting to happen. I am confident that he can, and will, make virtually every throw that is asked of him. What I worry about is if the line will block long enough for our WRs to get open and when the ball gets there if our WRs will catch it!

[aubfaninga 16]

Off subject but I would love to see if Sean and the receivers can add the back shoulder pass to our arsenal.

Man I hate seeing it against us.

[cole256 17,042]

SW's arm strength sure looked good when he hit RL over the middle for that TD or when he dropped him a pass down the sidelines for another long gain. As far as zip, if anything he needs to take some zip off some of his short passes and use a tad more touch. With his bad knee, the ball is going just a little high sometimes but that is temporary. Darn good QB if you ask me.

I have absolutely no certainty but I think the qb's are taught to throw high when it's one on one situations. SW has actually thrown high more than this game and JJ would do it to. I think the result is supposed to be like the td that tied the Jax st game up. I think the qb's should take in account who the wr is though, lead Ray for the jump ball but maybe not Davis. This is just my opinion from watching all the games as a whole

[alexava 6,973]

It is a little weird his short quick throws were high Saturday. It has to be the injury. Maybe not getting his lower body positioned like he usually does. The future is bright for him but I want him to be the last non-dual threat qb we recruit.

[I_M4_AU 7,789]

He can make most the throws but when it's the tough ones he has to wind up and seems to throw with all he's got. The last throw of last game he threw as hard as he could it seemed to make sure he can get it there when Ray was wide open he really didn't have to do it (Ray still should've caught the ball)

Lastly people love to talk about fundamentals and all of that but it's what you do under duress that makes a qb special so those throws downfield while on the run he's probably not going to be able to make, but when he has time and can set his feet he's fine.

Lastly the term deep ball is subjective, so opinions will vary, in what I consider deep passes I don't think I've seen him even attempt more than 4 of them

I think SW's arm is strong and his play will only improve with experience and he is getting great experience this year. To evaluate a player on one play (his last throw) is usually not a good way to evaluate a player as a whole. IIRC, SW's last throw of the game (on the last thow of the game SW was not on the field) was a 4th and 9 and it seemed it was a one WR route. SW could not follow through on the throw due to an injury and threw it off his back foot. This might be why he felt he needed to wind up before the throw.

SW has demonstrated that he can perform at a high level when under duress. I have seen him stand in and deliver a very accurate pass knowing he is about to be hit. He has demonstrated, on several occations, that he has great pocked presence and moves very well to extend the play. On the first 3rd down in the UK game, he rolled out to his left and bought time to hit our WR for a first down. He has replicated that play several times this season.

As other people have pointed out, SW will hold the ball too long, but with more experience I hope this will improve. I do get a little nervous when a pass play is called in the RZ and the primary receiver is covered, SW rolls out looking down field and I hold my breath. SW's first interception was on this type of play and could have had his second in the UK game on the same type of play.

I hope SW will continue to improve and yes, he has a strong arm.

[aubfaninga 16]

SW's arm strength sure looked good when he hit RL over the middle for that TD or when he dropped him a pass down the sidelines for another long gain. As far as zip, if anything he needs to take some zip off some of his short passes and use a tad more touch. With his bad knee, the ball is going just a little high sometimes but that is temporary. Darn good QB if you ask me.

I have absolutely no certainty but I think the qb's are taught to throw high when it's one on one situations. SW has actually thrown high more than this game and JJ would do it to. I think the result is supposed to be like the td that tied the Jax st game up. I think the qb's should take in account who the wr is though, lead Ray for the jump ball but maybe not Davis. This is just my opinion from watching all the games as a whole

The higher thrown balls have always jumped out at me as far back as Chris Todd. Maybe I will watch some old Tulsa or maybe Arky st too see if I notice it.

I also hold to conspiracy theory of the 3rd and very long deep-pass-lob-punt being taught. Shhh

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,656]

Not Marshall or Johnson level but I think once you get some possession receivers that can consistently catch and some more consistent speed threats, you won't need the massive 65 yard broken play and can build a drive off of 20-30 yard chunks.