At the start of week eight, coach Frank Wilson finally decided to pull the plug on Cordale Grundy. As a result, Wilson handed the keys to the team to the true freshman Jordan Weeks. Grundy was struggling to make the right plays, so this decision was long anticipated. Yes, Grundy led the team to three straight wins before last week’s loss. However, his performance last week could not be overlooked. Jordan Weeks was given the nod to prove his abilities. The decision to start Weeks over Grundy is indicative that this will be Wilson’s new number one for weeks to come.
What UTSA Saw from Jordan Weeks
The decision to start a true freshman in the place of a junior in Grundy or a senior in D.J. Gillins took a lot of nerve. Weeks who has never started in a collegiate game, played his first few snaps last week and was used sparingly. However, his appearance made Roadrunner faithful’s excited as it hinted to his first potential start. This will look into who Jordan Weeks is, his performance, and what to expect in the future from the promising young quarterback.
Who is Jordan Weeks
In his final two seasons at Wimberley HS, Weeks passed for a total of 6,492 yards and 64 touchdowns. However, his senior year was when he proved to be a lethal weapon in the passing game. He completed 253 of 404 passes for 62.6 percent for the year. To go along with this, Weeks threw for about 4,400 and 52 touchdowns. However, the most staggering statistic is that among all these passes, Weeks only threw four interceptions in his senior year.
He led his team to the state semifinals of the Class 4A Division II playoffs in 2017 where unfortunately they came up short. By the conclusion of his senior year, Weeks racked up many accolades which made him a desirable player to have on your team. He was an honorable mention for All-Class 4A in both his junior and senior year of high school. He was also first-team all-district in his junior. This made him a top target. His proficiency and ability to be patient and smart with the ball made it a no-brainer for the Roadrunners to recruit him.
First Start
Jordan Weeks was not overly impressive in his first college start. The Roadrunners took on Southern Mississippi this past week. This was a perfect match-up for Weeks to come into to get his feet wet because the Golden Eagles were coming off two straight losses. Weeks completed 12 of his 27 passes (44%) for 117 yards and one touchdown. These numbers are not stellar, however, for a young freshman quarterback, this is a solid start. The fact that Weeks committed no turnovers in his first start is very promising and indicative of his play. He was very thorough with his check downs to receivers and did not have any risky throws downfield. He did his job: he moved the ball down the field and did not give opposing teams the chance for extra possessions.
Weeks’ QBR for the game was a mere 6.4, however, one cannot judge his performance off of the statistics themselves. He rushed for -33 yards. Weeks was sacked six times and constantly faced pressure. He was frequently flushed from the pocket and threw with a hand in his face on the majority of his throws. With improved play from the offensive line, you can expect to see his efficiency and completion percentage to climb. The sky is the limit for the young quarterback.
The Future
Weeks appears to be the new starter for the remainder of the season. Frank Wilson decided to put Grundy on the bench because he believed that Weeks gave them the best chance to win. The Roadrunners are currently 3-5 and it is Weeks job to get the team back to .500 and to help push them towards a bowl game. If Weeks is not the player we think he should be, then the next two options are either D.J. Gillins or Bryce Rivers. However, based on his play in his first start, Weeks has a solid chance to solidify himself as the new number one option for weeks to come.
The Roadrunners are currently sitting at fifth in the Conference USA West standings. The team’s bye week is next week and gives them some time to rest up and get ready for their next challenge. The team will have to regroup and further integrate Weeks into the offense. They must utilize their time off to iron out any issues on the offensive side of the ball and perfect their play calling for the new quarterback. The Roadrunners next game is on November 3rd against Alabama Birmingham. They currently sit at number one in the C-USA West standings with a 6-1 overall record. This will be the ultimate test for Jordan Weeks as he looks to prove himself as the real deal.
