Quarterback assessment, Part 2

Khalil Tate – the only other QB in a red, no-contact jersey – did not participate in the scrimmage because of a minor thumb injury. So that gave Donavan Tate, Rhett Rodriguez and K’Hari Lane plenty of opportunities. You can see the raw skills Tate possesses, especially when he runs; he’s a big, strong, impressive athlete. But you also can see rust. Tate lofted a pass over the middle to Brian Casteel that should have been thrown with more zip; Casteel ended up taking a big hit from Jarvis McCall Jr. The more Tate plays, the less tentative he’ll be. Rodriguez looked better than he did during the open practice two weeks earlier. You can tell he knows what he’s doing. The problem is, when he has to throw under pressure or off-platform, he doesn’t quite have the size or arm strength to remain accurate. He needs a year in the weight room. Lane is the least polished of the three. One sequence in particular illustrated that: Despite having time to throw and a clear lane, he airmailed consecutive slant passes. He seems destined to redshirt.

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