Reports: JUCO Prospect Vic Viramontes Joins the Gophers

Is there a new hope at quarterback in Minnesota?

After former quarterback Demry Croft announced his decision transferred last week, the Minnesota Golden Gophers were forced to make a move.

Vic Viramontes and Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck announced the signing via Twitter, the country’s premier dual-threat quarterback out of community college. Varmints posted impressive numbers at Riverside City Community College, tossing for 1,868 yards and 22 touchdowns, adding another 1,346 on the ground with 21 touchdowns.

So what are the Gophers getting in the JUCO prospect?

Still, Minnesota will have real problems on offense, regardless of the signal-caller. Receiver Rashad Stills also transferred out, while the rest of the receiver corps showed too many flashes of inconsistency. The young offensive line, along with some changes at running back, will make this a tough job for any quarterback.

No matter what happens, this will be a process. But can Viramontes be a factor to help grow, rather than just another reason this team struggles?

Running

The problem with a lot of JUCO players on offense – particularly at running back and quarterback – is the poor tackling they generally face. After churning through the game film of Viramontes, the problem remains: Plenty of the first tacklers he faced constantly threw weak arm tackles his way.

But when he does get out in space, he is fast and moves like a running back. He is a tough runner who does not shy away from contact and can kill a defense in space. While he ran plenty of designed runs, he also was able to understand when to abandon a pass and grab yards with his legs.

He will need to do some running in the Big Ten, but will be faced with much stiffer defense and truly elite tacklers. However, his speed will help him get out of trouble, and he will be paired with an offensive scheme designed to find the quarterback space.

Passing

The man is a gunslinger, plain and simple. He is looking to throw the deep ball and is very comfortable with the risk of the 50/50 ball. He will pair well with Tyler Johnson in that aspect because he likes to get his big receivers the ball. However, he can trust the deep ball to a fault. Against the Fullerton Hornets in the SCFA Championship game, he had corners waiting on the deep routes and playing seven to 10 yards off the line.

Some of this is playcalling and having a coach that likes to push the ball downfield. Another part of it is that ‘Brett Favre mentality’ that certain quarterbacks have; that need to go for the throat with the demoralizing big play while being at ease with the gamble.

Either way, it is important to remember that he can drop the ball in a bucket but also threw 12 interceptions last season, which means that he will definitely toss some interceptions given the chance in Big Ten play. With that said, he does “throw a sexy deep ball” to steal a line from Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.

The other part of his game that looks promising is his play in the red zone. He does a great job of placing the ball high and away, really playing his best football putting the ball up when he is down in the end zone.

He tends to choose the over-throw as opposed to taking a risk down in the end zone. While he may be a gambler getting to the red zone, Viramontes tightens up when he’s on the paydirt, and takes fewer risks. This is by far his best upside.

The biggest thing to remember is that he is still fairly raw. He has a great arm and is a tough runner, but needs to work really putting tougher the 10-play 80-yard drive, instead of the 4-play 70-yard blur.

He also still needs to work on running, offense and doing basic things, like taking a snap under center.

That said, he should be a really exciting piece and has immense upside under Fleck.


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