Wonder why Musgrave prioritized him over Moss. Nice, quick release, good at throwing on the run, mobile, but would really like to see more film of him going through progressions.
I think with Millner they see, and by they I mean Musgrave, a bright kid who picks up things fast and has a natural skillset that includes a lot of the things he looks for in a QB. He's got a strong foundation but still a lot of upside that'll come with S&C and next level coaching. But a lot of the raw material that he really likes.
Moss is very polished and very college ready at this point. He's been well coached, has great footwork, great mechanics, great anticipation, works through his progressions, etc. Millner has an inclination toward lots of those things but more athleticism and less experience. Another 20 lbs on that kid and a couple years with Musgrave and his ceiling is crazy.
That being said I believe the staff is still trying to recruit Moss. If he commits, awesome. If not then you've still got a guy that you're very excited about.
He's actually not the 10th rated pro style QB. 247sports has him at 33 and the composite has him at 24. Rivals has him listed at 26 pro style QB in the nation and the 10th best prospect in AZ. So maybe that's where that came from.
Stars are based off of a portfolio of stats, each service using a different set of stats. Whereas RBs, WR, TEs are positions where stats can have long-tail exceptions (eg, yards, TD), a QB has several stats that are efficiency based (eg, completion rate, TD to INT) where it's harder to have long-tail exceptions.
Take the 247 composite. There are only 3 five star QBs with #1 being Sam Huard (U Washington). Efficiency wise, Millner is quite similar, if not better than Huard. However, Huard's stats far outstrip Millner because the latter's WRs get tackled and Huard's often broke free.
Millner's top four receivers collectively had exactly zero stars, zero offers - with 3 out of 4 being 5'11" or shorter. Meanwhile, Huard's WR with the team's FOURTH most yards on the team is a 3 star recruit. Heck, the third most is Cal's Justin Baker. Collectively, Huard's top four receivers had 14 stars and 34 offers. I'm not going to say Millner is better than Huard as the latter's tape is just fantastic. But I am saying that there's things outside of a candidate's control that can significantly affect their star ratings.
The parallels between current Freshman QB Spencer Brasch and his successor at Higley HS are uncanny. Both are/were two-year year starters at Higley High School. Both are beanpole QBs. Both were no-doubt P5 prospects. Both throw an accurate long ball that focuses more on touch/loft than arm strength/velocity. Both remind me of Davis Webb in look and style.
Higley runs a lot of 11 personnel package (1 RB, 1 TE) with the 3 WR going on top-of-the-tree pro routes that stretch the field vertically rather than bottom-of-the-tree spread-option that focus on creating width space/mismatch/change of direction. As a result, you see Brasch and Millner make a primary read and usually stick with it and complete a long pass. Both Brasch and Millner had a decent amount of rushing TDs, but that may be due to scheme because the verticals routes left giant holes in the middle. I don’t think Brasch nor Millner can be called dual-threat in the Pac12, but perhaps be mobile enough to not be statues.
In terms of positive, Millner looks the part. Tall, quick throwing motion, good eye for seeing downfield windows, and very accurate touch. He is accurate to the point where he drops his passes into a very small window even when his man is partly covered. And his numbers don’t lie. Despite having a 13.9 YPC, he had a .642 completion average and a tiny 2.2 INT % rate. Those stats are comparable to the best stats that Brett Favre ever recorded during his pro-career.
And he did well against quality teams. While Higley did not play in the division with the largest schools – they played a very difficult schedule that included local 5A football program royalty Williams Field, Horizon, Millennium, Campo Verde, Mission – plus Miller Moss lead Alemany.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s talk about things he needs to work on. He appears to be an ectomorph, so like Brasch, may struggle to put on some muscle. And his arm strength is not great. Like Brasch before him, the speed of the Pac12 defenders will close passing windows that were previously open to him at the high school level. He will struggle to complete anything until he gets stronger. Second, Higley’s quick-release long-ball game means that Millner needs more experience going through progressions rather than locking in on his first look. Lastly – this may signal that elite prospect of Miller Moss coming to Cal just dimmed.
But the talent is absolutely there. The Coaching is there. He’s a smart kid. If he picks up Davis Webb’s work ethic, I will be all too happy to see all those long touchdowns that will happen in the near future. Have a fantastic senior season Kai (hopefully it gets played). You’re in for a special time at Cal.
I will say his touch passes looked pretty great in his highlights, of course they are just that...his best passes. I would be very happy if he has Webb like work ethic (but not mobility), that'd signal he'll see playing time at some point. If he had 20lbs more muscle Im sure he'd be a 4* easily, Im sure he can put some muscle on easier than Goff - who did gain weight every year even if it looked like he never changed lol. Ill also add I dont know why people think one 3* committing means one of the most highly saught QBs in the nation, Miller Moss, would be less likely to come. Look at the other schools that have offered him, the one with the worst QB lineup is UCLA (outside of CAL) ....you think he's scared to compete with a 3* when hes seriously looking at USC, Bama, Lsu....etc ? hah
Are U saying Moss dimmed because Cal offered Milner thinking they won’t get Moss, or because Moss is less likely to come if Milner is there? I’m guessing that’s what Effini was implying, but not sure. If I’m Moss I don’t care what 3* are at the school I want to attend.
SG youre more than welcome to say why we are less likely to get Moss now, than a month ago, or 3? Why would Milner change anything? We offered him back in Jan, you think the staff has been sleeping on one of the top QB prospects in the nation since January despite him been very interested in CAL just because we got Milner now? Or had offered him?
Again, Ill say Milner commiting wont have any impact on Moss's decision making OR the staff doing their damn best to bring a TOP QB prospect in.
In this article, Miller mentions the schools that he talked to this past week. Alabama, LSU, USC, UCLA but no Cal. It looks like Cal may have made their choice at QB and be done with the position.
I blame autocorrect..... not because it’s true, but when I was typing I was THINKING “Millner”! Wait!!!! It WAS autocorrect! It just tried again! So NOW I blame my laziness for not reading my post first! Where’d that damn “preview” function go.....dang it.....
The culture of fan edits for graphics for players in various uniforms is very deep. Twitter and Instagram you can find all of your favorite players wearing uniforms of teams they do not play on. Rest assured that Millner, had he gone to any other school already had photoshopped versions of himself into any school he considered.
Each university, including Cal, has dedicated graphic artists who put these out. That's why the branding is so consistent. I'm not sure which school started it, but the recruits really reacted to the "love" of getting the graphics, the bags of swag, and birthday wishes. So it became an arms race and now each major athletic department have staff who do this.
The biggest thing for me is that he was prioritized by Musgrave, the only guy he offered, and they brought him in. So now, if they get Moss then great. If not, it's not the end of the world because Musgrave got HIS guy.
Thank you for the fun news!!! Looks like a great get, and I'm sure we have Charlie Rangle to thank, along with Coach Musgrave! I SO need this sort of hopeful post at times like this......
He throws a pretty ball, AND is mobile both in extending plays and gaining yards. Not "duel threat" as far as I saw on Hudl, but mobile like Chase, and maybe a bit more.....
I think of Chase as a duel threat. I just don't want him running too often because he's too darn valuable. So, for 2020, is the backup QB competition mainly between Brasch and Modster and Rowell? Or am I forgetting someone? Congrats Kai Millner!
I think of Chase more as an "if things break down he's mobile enough to make good things happen (yeah Big Game!)", but not dual threat like K. Tate, or a slew of sorta recent Oregon QBs. Defenses need to plan for him, but not necessarily dedicate a body to just him. Agreed on not running too often; we saw what the downfall of THAT is.......
Wonder why Musgrave prioritized him over Moss. Nice, quick release, good at throwing on the run, mobile, but would really like to see more film of him going through progressions.
I think with Millner they see, and by they I mean Musgrave, a bright kid who picks up things fast and has a natural skillset that includes a lot of the things he looks for in a QB. He's got a strong foundation but still a lot of upside that'll come with S&C and next level coaching. But a lot of the raw material that he really likes.
Moss is very polished and very college ready at this point. He's been well coached, has great footwork, great mechanics, great anticipation, works through his progressions, etc. Millner has an inclination toward lots of those things but more athleticism and less experience. Another 20 lbs on that kid and a couple years with Musgrave and his ceiling is crazy.
That being said I believe the staff is still trying to recruit Moss. If he commits, awesome. If not then you've still got a guy that you're very excited about.
I know star ratings are often silly, but if he's 10th overall pro style QB, why's he only a 3-star? Is this a weak class or something?
He's actually not the 10th rated pro style QB. 247sports has him at 33 and the composite has him at 24. Rivals has him listed at 26 pro style QB in the nation and the 10th best prospect in AZ. So maybe that's where that came from.
Stars are based off of a portfolio of stats, each service using a different set of stats. Whereas RBs, WR, TEs are positions where stats can have long-tail exceptions (eg, yards, TD), a QB has several stats that are efficiency based (eg, completion rate, TD to INT) where it's harder to have long-tail exceptions.
Take the 247 composite. There are only 3 five star QBs with #1 being Sam Huard (U Washington). Efficiency wise, Millner is quite similar, if not better than Huard. However, Huard's stats far outstrip Millner because the latter's WRs get tackled and Huard's often broke free.
Millner's top four receivers collectively had exactly zero stars, zero offers - with 3 out of 4 being 5'11" or shorter. Meanwhile, Huard's WR with the team's FOURTH most yards on the team is a 3 star recruit. Heck, the third most is Cal's Justin Baker. Collectively, Huard's top four receivers had 14 stars and 34 offers. I'm not going to say Millner is better than Huard as the latter's tape is just fantastic. But I am saying that there's things outside of a candidate's control that can significantly affect their star ratings.
Kai Millner
QB – Higley HS (Gilbert AZ)
6’2” 180 lbs (self-declared)
c/o 2021
3 star consensus (#33 QB National)
The parallels between current Freshman QB Spencer Brasch and his successor at Higley HS are uncanny. Both are/were two-year year starters at Higley High School. Both are beanpole QBs. Both were no-doubt P5 prospects. Both throw an accurate long ball that focuses more on touch/loft than arm strength/velocity. Both remind me of Davis Webb in look and style.
Higley runs a lot of 11 personnel package (1 RB, 1 TE) with the 3 WR going on top-of-the-tree pro routes that stretch the field vertically rather than bottom-of-the-tree spread-option that focus on creating width space/mismatch/change of direction. As a result, you see Brasch and Millner make a primary read and usually stick with it and complete a long pass. Both Brasch and Millner had a decent amount of rushing TDs, but that may be due to scheme because the verticals routes left giant holes in the middle. I don’t think Brasch nor Millner can be called dual-threat in the Pac12, but perhaps be mobile enough to not be statues.
In terms of positive, Millner looks the part. Tall, quick throwing motion, good eye for seeing downfield windows, and very accurate touch. He is accurate to the point where he drops his passes into a very small window even when his man is partly covered. And his numbers don’t lie. Despite having a 13.9 YPC, he had a .642 completion average and a tiny 2.2 INT % rate. Those stats are comparable to the best stats that Brett Favre ever recorded during his pro-career.
And he did well against quality teams. While Higley did not play in the division with the largest schools – they played a very difficult schedule that included local 5A football program royalty Williams Field, Horizon, Millennium, Campo Verde, Mission – plus Miller Moss lead Alemany.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s talk about things he needs to work on. He appears to be an ectomorph, so like Brasch, may struggle to put on some muscle. And his arm strength is not great. Like Brasch before him, the speed of the Pac12 defenders will close passing windows that were previously open to him at the high school level. He will struggle to complete anything until he gets stronger. Second, Higley’s quick-release long-ball game means that Millner needs more experience going through progressions rather than locking in on his first look. Lastly – this may signal that elite prospect of Miller Moss coming to Cal just dimmed.
But the talent is absolutely there. The Coaching is there. He’s a smart kid. If he picks up Davis Webb’s work ethic, I will be all too happy to see all those long touchdowns that will happen in the near future. Have a fantastic senior season Kai (hopefully it gets played). You’re in for a special time at Cal.
I will say his touch passes looked pretty great in his highlights, of course they are just that...his best passes. I would be very happy if he has Webb like work ethic (but not mobility), that'd signal he'll see playing time at some point. If he had 20lbs more muscle Im sure he'd be a 4* easily, Im sure he can put some muscle on easier than Goff - who did gain weight every year even if it looked like he never changed lol. Ill also add I dont know why people think one 3* committing means one of the most highly saught QBs in the nation, Miller Moss, would be less likely to come. Look at the other schools that have offered him, the one with the worst QB lineup is UCLA (outside of CAL) ....you think he's scared to compete with a 3* when hes seriously looking at USC, Bama, Lsu....etc ? hah
The afraid-to-compete angle is yours, not mine.
Are U saying Moss dimmed because Cal offered Milner thinking they won’t get Moss, or because Moss is less likely to come if Milner is there? I’m guessing that’s what Effini was implying, but not sure. If I’m Moss I don’t care what 3* are at the school I want to attend.
SG youre more than welcome to say why we are less likely to get Moss now, than a month ago, or 3? Why would Milner change anything? We offered him back in Jan, you think the staff has been sleeping on one of the top QB prospects in the nation since January despite him been very interested in CAL just because we got Milner now? Or had offered him?
Again, Ill say Milner commiting wont have any impact on Moss's decision making OR the staff doing their damn best to bring a TOP QB prospect in.
https://www.si.com/college/recruiting/football/miller-moss-clausen-alabama-lsu-usc-ucla
In this article, Miller mentions the schools that he talked to this past week. Alabama, LSU, USC, UCLA but no Cal. It looks like Cal may have made their choice at QB and be done with the position.
Millner* sorry buddy, I was going off Btowns spelling! Blame him! Lol
I blame autocorrect..... not because it’s true, but when I was typing I was THINKING “Millner”! Wait!!!! It WAS autocorrect! It just tried again! So NOW I blame my laziness for not reading my post first! Where’d that damn “preview” function go.....dang it.....
Where do those graphics come from on the “committed” tweets? Appears to be in the style of LDS promotional videos.
The culture of fan edits for graphics for players in various uniforms is very deep. Twitter and Instagram you can find all of your favorite players wearing uniforms of teams they do not play on. Rest assured that Millner, had he gone to any other school already had photoshopped versions of himself into any school he considered.
Each university, including Cal, has dedicated graphic artists who put these out. That's why the branding is so consistent. I'm not sure which school started it, but the recruits really reacted to the "love" of getting the graphics, the bags of swag, and birthday wishes. So it became an arms race and now each major athletic department have staff who do this.
Great.
Arizona is Ragle country!
The biggest thing for me is that he was prioritized by Musgrave, the only guy he offered, and they brought him in. So now, if they get Moss then great. If not, it's not the end of the world because Musgrave got HIS guy.
Thank you for the fun news!!! Looks like a great get, and I'm sure we have Charlie Rangle to thank, along with Coach Musgrave! I SO need this sort of hopeful post at times like this......
He throws a pretty ball, AND is mobile both in extending plays and gaining yards. Not "duel threat" as far as I saw on Hudl, but mobile like Chase, and maybe a bit more.....
I think of Chase as a duel threat. I just don't want him running too often because he's too darn valuable. So, for 2020, is the backup QB competition mainly between Brasch and Modster and Rowell? Or am I forgetting someone? Congrats Kai Millner!
I think of Chase more as an "if things break down he's mobile enough to make good things happen (yeah Big Game!)", but not dual threat like K. Tate, or a slew of sorta recent Oregon QBs. Defenses need to plan for him, but not necessarily dedicate a body to just him. Agreed on not running too often; we saw what the downfall of THAT is.......
I hope, for our sake, that Chase stays away from any duels. If he dies, he won’t pose a single threat as a quarterback, never mind dual.
AARON BURR
LOL
DOH!!!!
Autocorrect????? : )