10:06am: Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval

Top 50 Big 12 players for 2017: Let the countdown begin

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —  Kenny Hill became a curious case study during his first season as TCU’s quarterback.

He threw more passes to the opposing team than any quarterback in the Big 12. He also had more passes dropped by his own guys than any quarterback in the FBS, which might be the mother of all extenuating circumstances.

“The Thrill” produced his share of namesake moments: Those 3,208 passing yards were the third-most in TCU history, and combined with 609 yards rushing, Hill ranked 18th nationally in total offense. But the stat that mattered — six wins and seven losses — revealed how much refinement is needed.

Not just in Hill’s mechanics, but also in the manner by which Gary Patterson manages and motivates him. It’s not often you hear a head coach with 16 years’ worth of success behind him question whether he was too tough on a quarterback, but that’s precisely what Patterson wondered aloud this spring.

Hill spent spring break working with quarterback instructor George Whitfield, who raves about the senior’s NFL skills even though his college resume this far has been one peaks and troughs.

“He can make any type of throw. He’s certainly not limited in any capacity. But can you do it on call?” Whitfield asked. “Can you do it when it’s a known passing situation on the road? Can you do it under siege?”

Today the Gold & Blue Lunch Report begins a 10-part countdown ranking the Top 50 Big 12 Players for next season. Hill appears early in our list because of inconsistency, though you don’t need a QB guru to sense he’s capable of rising fast.





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