Just How Good Will Garrett Gilbert Be in 2010?

Longhorn fans got to catch a glimpse of their future quarterback in the National Title game last season when quarterback Garrett Gilbert was forced into action after starter Colt McCoy went out early with an injury. 

Granted, Gilbert didn’t lead Texas to victory, but he played much better than a lot of people felt he would, and he’s poised to have a great start to his starting career at Texas.

The Longhorns have a tradition of winning, and now they have to defend against some up-and-coming teams within the Big 12. We all hope that Gilbert is up and ready for the challenge. 

Let’s take a look and see if Gilbert has the tools necessary to get Texas back into the National Championship game by the end of next season and where he might lead the Longhorns.

One thing that everyone should have noticed about Gilbert when he played in the National Title game was that he had a lot of poise in the pocket and didn’t appear to be too nervous despite being thrown into what may end up being the biggest game of his life with no notice.  He looked a little nervous at first, but he settled down and actually played well, just not well enough to win the game.

That experience alone may be enough to help keep Gilbert confident this season.  He has some limited game experience and appears to learn quickly which will help him out as he enters this season.

While Gilbert was terribly inaccurate in that game (he threw four interceptions) he did manage to throw two touchdowns—good for a first time start in a game of that caliber. 

Gilbert showed a lot of leadership on the field as well, and reports say that he has great leadership ability that will help him out a lot on the field.

Some scouts have stated that Gilbert’s arm strength isn’t the best and that he has problems throwing long passes.  While this remains to be seen, he’s sure to develop himself more as he continues his career with the Longhorns.  He has some good accuracy and touch on his passes, and this will improve as he gains experience.

Texas shouldn’t worry about its quarterback situation heading into the 2010 season.  Looking at their schedule, there is no reason to think that the Longhorns can’t win each and every game next season.  If they do stumble twice they could still be in contention for the Big 12 title or even the National Championship.

My prediction for Gilbert in 2010 is that he will have a great season and show himself to be one of the better quarterbacks in Texas history when it’s all said and done. 

He shouldn’t make fans long for the days of Colt McCoy or Vince Young.