Washington State Football: Connor Halliday Ranked a C- by Bleacher Report

Nov 17, 2012; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Halliday Connor (12) prepares for the snap during the second quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

A couple days ago the Bleacher Report came out with an article ranking every power conference team’s likely starting quarterback for the upcoming 2013 season. The report estimates that red-shirt junior Connor Halliday will be the Cougars starting quarterback once the season begins in late August.

This will be Halliday’s second season under Mike Leach and he will have a better grasp of the Air-Raid offense which gives will give him the advantage of Apodaca according to the report. This article also writes that Halliday will improve in 2013 but won’t be an all-conference type performer. The scouting report on Halliday is that he has a decent arm and can make most of the throws needed, but it’s his lack of accuracy and ball security that hurt him the most. Overall the grade for Halliday is a C- according to the Bleacher Report.

While this article does touch on some good points about Halliday’s performance as a quarterback, I disagree with the grade that was given to him. I’m not giving Halliday the throne and naming him to the 1st or 2nd All-Pac 12 team but the grade I would give Halliday is a B. We’ve seen Halliday have success before and know he has the potential to be a top quarterback. It’s all about a rhythm and Halliday never got that opportunity in 2012.

Mike Leach kept flip-flopping quarterbacks throughout the entire 2012 season, and Halliday never had the chance to continue to grow with the offense. Even though he had his struggles and earned his way to the bench, Leach still should have made up his mind. Now that Halliday has a year under his belt, and is developing into a leader now, I believe big things will happen in 2013.

Now with no distractions, Halliday can focus on getting better as a quarterback. He’s got the arm, and the IQ to succeed in the Pac-12. He’s learned from his mistakes and can fix his ability to throw accurately and secure the ball over the summer. Halliday has the potential to lead the Cougars to a bowl game this year. With his experience and physical abilities earns him the grade of a B.

Here’s a video of the potential Connor Halliday has as a quarterback:

–Evan Baron (Follow Me On Twitter: @BaselineBaron09)