Recent Vince Young Notes
Vince Young
as a scrambler, he has few peers, rivaling atlanta's michael vick in the elusiveness he shows avoiding the pass rush. he demonstrates very good head fakes and the loose hips to make the initial tackler miss, but has had serious ball security issues (29 fumbles). he has the straight-line speed to win most of the foot races and has the hip snap to sidestep pass rushers. if the chance arises, young is more apt to break tackles and move the chains rather than sit back and wait for his targets to get open.
On sheer athletic ability, Young has many NFL teams salivating for his services. He is still too raw of a product to step into the action at the next level and has to totally refine his throwing mechanics. While many compare him to Michael Vick, you have to wonder if either of them will develop into a solid pocket passer. Much like Vick, thoughts of Akili Smith (Bengals) run through your mind when you see Young play.
young displays good peripheral vision and can step up and out to avoid pressure and buy time, but relies too much on his raw instincts rather than read the defenses and go through progression reads. he does not check down in time and must do a better job of keeping his head on a swivel. when he holds the ball too long and locks on to his primary target, the result is usually seeing him tucking the ball and running with it rather than throwing the ball away.
Young did learn how to take some heat off his short throws, especially on dump-offs, and can drop it in over the top when he sets his feet properly before throwing. He is not that effective hitting his receivers in stride on the long throws, though. He seems to be on the page better when working with his backs and tight ends, but did make some long ball improvement during his junior season.
there is no questioning his competitiveness, but it sometimes gets in the way of his judgment. he will try to improvise too much and while some say he is cool under pressure, anyone that examines the 2005 ohio state and texas a&m games might say that he is really oblivious to the blitz, at times. he needs to stand in and deliver, but because of his lack of pocket awareness, he will get in trouble by firing into a crowd or taking off with the ball at inopportune times (28 interceptions, 29 fumbles in 37 games).
In 2005, Young took better control in the huddle. He is not really a vocal leader, but is confident in his ability to be assertive when the need arises. He is well-liked and respected by his teammates and proved in quite a few games that he can rally the team and remain composed down the stretch (see 2006 Rose Bowl).
while the receiver will be forced to adjust on occasion when young throws to the short-to-intermediate areas, he does show good touch. he seems to have a better understanding of when to zip the ball when working underneath and has shown decent improvement when firing into tight coverage away from the defender.
Young has enough arm strength to lay the ball out for the receiver to run under, but his long throws tend to hang. He keeps the ball too low in his release point and looks like a shotputter on his long throws, taking a windmill-type of wind-up on the seams and deep outs. He lacks consistency trying to put the ball on the outside shoulder of his target and it is rare that the receiver will be hit in stride. With that long throwing arc he displays, he does not always follow through.
negatives
Needs total refinement of his throwing motion...Has a very low release that allows defensive linemen to deflect the pass at the line of scrimmage...Lacks ideal field awareness and struggles to read complicated coverages...Does a poor job of making progression reads, failing to look off his primary targets...Has a "run first" mentality when his protection breaks down, but does a poor job of protecting the ball on the run, resulting in 29 fumbles in 37 games...Can fire the ball into tight areas, but when he attempts to go long, his passes hang up in the air, allowing the defense to settle under the ball to make the interception...Looks awkward with his footwork driving back from center and looks more comfortable working out of the shotgun...Must do a better job of anticipating the receivers' breaks on his deep tosses (too many times the receiver has to adjust to make the catch)...Anyone that saw his up-and-down performances in the 2005 Ohio State and Texas A&M games can see that he does not have ideal decision-masking skills (will look like Bambi staring at the headlights of a truck at times).
positives
Has excellent size, functional strength, room for more growth on his developing frame and excellent balance, body control and foot speed...Quick-footed athlete who does a very good job throwing off the sprint and roll-out action...Assertive in the huddle and has good confidence in his ability to improvise...Has better accuracy on his short throws, understanding when to zip the ball...Has a natural feel for avoiding the rush, sliding and eluding with his foot speed...Knows when to take something off his dump-off throws...Can break tackles and move chains with his valid feet and leg drive...Easily eludes defensive linemen and linebackers in the open field...Shows much better accuracy when throwing on the run...Best when rolling away from the pocket, as he can pick apart defenses better when the opponent has to chase after him...Shows very good composure in pressure situations.
young is one of the finest athletes in the collegiate game. he has excellent quickness, agility, balance and body control rolling out of the pocket. he has a tall, angular physique with good upper body muscle development, tight abdomen, fluid hips and thick thighs and calves.
His change of direction agility and foot speed is outstanding for his position. He is an instinctive runner, but has struggled with the mental aspect of reading defenses in passing situations, resulting in 28 interceptions as a starter. He relies a lot on his foot speed and strength to gain positive yardage when flushed out of the pocket. Despite lofty statistics, you can see that the "light is not on" all the time when it comes to making proper reads and reacting quickly to schemes and coverages (see 2005 Ohio State and Texas A&M games and 2004 Oklahoma and Missouri contests).
young shows very good quickness and the ability to throw off sprint and rollout action. he looks more comfortable in the shotgun, but has improved his drop-back ability from center. he can get a quick push away from the line of scrimmage in his drops, but looks hesitant when his primary target is covered and is more apt to run with the ball than make proper route progression reads to locate his secondary receivers. unless young plays in a spread offense at the next level, it will take quite a bit of time for him to start getting comfortable operating out of the pocket.
As a passer, he needs to refine his mechanics. He has an awkward throwing motion that has resulted in more than a handful of his passes getting batted down. He does a poor job of adjusting his release to the situation and while he is good at creating plays, his timing and ball placement lack consistency. He throws a decent spiral on short to intermediate tosses and has the arm strength to air the ball out on long routes, but is prone to forcing the ball into tight coverage (see 2005 Ohio State and Texas A&M games and 2004 Rice, Missouri and Oklahoma State clashes). He has the ability to pick apart zones, but has yet to develop the patience needed to do so.
Campus: Not available.
Attended Madison (Houston, Tex.) High School, playing football for head coach Ray Seals
Three-year starter at quarterback who accounted for 7,624 yards from scrimmage during his career
Named Parade and Student Sports National Player of the Year as a senior
The 2001 Texas 5A Offensive Player of the Year was listed as The Sporting News' top high school prospect after he helped lead the team to a 14-1 record, 50.3 points per game and a berth in the Texas 5A Division II state semifinals
Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after his final season, winning the Pete Dawkins Trophy after leading the West squad to a 26-6 triumph
As a senior, Young completed 131-of-224 passes for 2,545 yards, 35 touchdowns and only four interceptions
Rushed for 1,274 yards on 116 carries with 24 scores and amassed 3,819 yards in total offense and 59 touchdowns that year
Completed 18-of-30 passes for 400 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 92 yards on 18 carries and a score vs. Austin Westlake in the 2001 state semifinals
Named the District Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, when he connected on 78-of-135 passes for 1,309 yards and 16 touchdowns
Added 760 yards and 14 scores on the ground, as the offense averaged nearly 49 points per game that year
Hit on 62 passes for 1,006 yards and 10 touchdowns and also netted 730 rushing yards as a sophomore
Four-year letter-winner and two-time All-District selection in basketball, averaging over 20 points per game while competing as a guard/forward
Lettered three times in track, where he was a member of two District Champion 400-meter relay squads
Also played the outfield and pitched for the baseball team for two years.
Liberal Arts major
Earned a spot on UT's Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll in fall 2002
Very active in Texas' community service program
Mentors at local elementary and middle schools
Took part in the LEAP (Learn, Enjoy and Play) Program serving as a student teacher and mentor for middle school math and science students in the summer of 2005
Has volunteered at Austin YMCA and served as a speaker at several youth organizations in Austin
Also is active in community service projects through his church and speaks to local elementary school children and at youth football banquets
Born Paul Young, Jr., on 5/18/83 in Houston, Texas.
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