[2024] Transfer Talk: Ep. 2 - Meyers Ramirez

[dearden]

This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

Welcome back, football fans!  Before we dive into the program, let's recap the most-recent performance of our Episode 1 standout - Florida State's Kelly Jarwin: coming into the game in relief of Redshirt Freshman Colt McIntyre, Jarwin went 5 of 7 for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns and no interceptions with a stratospheric QBR of 345.71 before making way himself for third-string Quarterback Heath Callender in a 63-0 demolition of Clemson.  Kelly, way to keep it up brother - best of luck once again to you, Coach @Kirby, and the rest of Florida State Seminoles coming off their bye week.

A fourth-string Quarterback walks into a Nebraska Steakhouse.  What sounds like the start to a terrible joke is a perfect primer to our second installment of Transfer Talk - we're chatting to the man himself, Meyers Ramirez, Quarterback, Washington State University: Mr. Transfer Portal, as its first official declarant, out of Wazzu!  Just like our last time out, we'll be chatting with our high-profile transfer target about potential destinations; however, this time, we're expanding the scope.  That's right football fans, we're taking it up a notch - a notch we could only reach thanks to the hard work of an unpaid intern.  Since it's already common knowledge that Meyers is entering the transfer portal, we can skip the "will he/won't he" aspect of the show.  Instead, we're gonna take a look at every possible transfer fit for Meyers Ramirez and whittle that list down to a Top 5.  From there, we're gonna talk about each fit and hear from Mr. Transfer Portal himself on what he thinks of each.  Spoiler Alert: No Lincoln, Nebraska Steakhouses were harmed in preparation for this episode.

Let's start with statistics, everyone loves statistics.  Meyers has one statline, which we've included below, from a 2023 Spring Game where Washington State fell to West Virginia away in Morgantown, 19-17.

Completions	Attempts	Yards	Yards/Attempt	Touchdowns	Interceptions	QB Rating	Sacks
2	11	14	1.27	1	0	58.87	0

Attempts	Yards	Yards/Attempt	Touchdowns	Fumbles
9	45	5.0	0	0

Not much to go off of, I know.  If there are any takeaways, I'd say there are three.  First, dude's got legs.  In a Spring Game, his first and only time with his feet on the turf of a collegiate football field, Meyers went out and averaged 5 yards per carry.  Within the Washington State offense, which prides itself on versatile and explosive Quarterback play, going out there and averaging 5 yards per carry - and theoretically marching down the field without ever hitting 3rd Down - is all you could ask for and then some.  Second, he made the pass that mattered.  Okay, I'm not gonna mince words here - connecting on just 18% of your passes isn't great.  In the same way that averaging 5 yards a carry is impressive, averaging 1.27 yards per pass is the opposite.  That said, I've got no idea what the circumstances of those passes are - the only record of the game in question are the statistics.  I, for one, think that's the result of an Apple.tv conspiracy to hijack my show with a worse program with a far-less handsome host, but I digress.  What I see from Meyers' passing statistics is an incomplete (pun intended) picture; though, I would like to highlight the touchdown pass, meaning that despite the inconsistencies the young man can still set up a scoring drive.  Third, and most importantly, the culmination of my first two takeaways: in a system where he could thrive, Meyers Ramirez is a potential world-beater.  Let's flip the script, shall we?  What if, instead of 11 passing attempts, Meyers has 6.  Estimates will say that he'd be 1 of 6 passing with a handful of yards - pretty unremarkable.  However, less also say that Meyers got the nod to run the ball 5 more times instead.  That'd bring his rushing estimates up to 14 attempts for 70 yards, and possibly even a touchdown on the ground.  What I'm saying is this: Meyers Ramirez is a Scrambler, to maximize his potential for positive results for any team, he's gotta be in a system that recognizes and amplifies his strengths.

Speaking to this exact point, Meyers said:

Quote

"My problem with my former team was that I didn't have the best arm; but man once everyone saw me dashing downfield on a successful option it was like a fever dream. I love breaking down a play at the snap and making a decision on the option. Unfortunately dashing past everyone at practice isn't enough for playing on Saturday nights."

Alrighty bud, that's where we here at Transfer Talk come in.  When speaking to Meyers further, an inevitable question came up: where would you like to play football?  It's a tale as old as time, a football player who wants to play football but only wants to do so if a laundry list of criteria is met first: NIL worth more than a Coach's salary; a Black 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS; back-row seats and a personal tutor for Swahili classes; you name it, a player sometimes wants it.  Not Meyers Ramirez.  Discussing potential destinations, Meyers reflected:

Quote

"As of right now any team is on the table. I want an opportunity to start and contribute somewhere. I was sold initially on what Coach @TuscanSota was doing at Wazzu; but unfortunately during my time on the team the quarterback room has only grown. So, I guess if there's any program that's not on the table... it's [Washington State]."

That's the mentality we at Transfer Talk love to hear.

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Alright, let's break it down.  According to the D.D.D. ("Dev Diary Dictionary"), there are three offensive schemes that're "fits" for a Scrambler like Meyers Ramirez.  These are: the I Option, which "[...] offers up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but still is mainly balanced in run vs. pass;" the Spread Option, which "[...]offers up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but focuses on pass plays still;" and the Flexbone, which "[...]offers up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but is almost entirely run-focused."  Of the 263 NCAA FBS and FCS programs, 52 currently run either the I Option, the Spread Option, or the Flexbone as their offensive scheme.  The 52 programs are:

Quote

Flexbone (4+2)
Air Force
Colorado State
Illinois Fighting Illini
UMass
--
Harvard
Samford

I Option (5)
Akron
Clemson
Maryland
Rutgers
Washington State

Spread Option (23+18)
Arkansas State
Baylor
Boise State
Central Michigan
Cincinnati
Eastern Michigan
Hawaii
Iowa State
Kennesaw State
Kansas
Kansas State
Kentucky
Liberty
Louisiana
Miami (OH)
Missouri
NC State
Northwestern
Sam Houston State
TCU
Texas A&M
Utah
Vanderbilt
--
Bethune-Cookman
Bucknell
Colgate
Cornell
Florida A&M
Furman
Georgetown
Illinois State
Lehigh
Missouri State
Montana
North Dakota
Portland State
Prairie View A&M
Southern
Texas Southern
UC Davis
Western Illinois

As much as you and I love football, dear reader, I'm not going to subject you to the abject agony that would be my analysis of 52 programs for the sake of Meyers Ramirez's career.  Instead, I've made some careful edits to the list - removing teams who already have an established returning Quarterback, removing teams who have an incoming blue chip Quarterback, removing teams who will not be scheme-fits entering next season, adding teams which will be scheme-fits next season, and removing them from consideration if I feel like it, because I make the rules here.  Moreover, despite Meyers being open to any program, I'm a bit more selective - so we're gonna narrow it down even further to FBS teams with notable coaches (i.e. player-coaches).  That bring us down to 5 programs that're good "fits" for Meyers, so lets talk about each of them in order of ascending fit.

5. Colorado State

There's a whole lotta good going on in Fort Collins right now.  Under Coach @Bellwood, the Rams currently sit in second-place in the Mountain West behind a dominant UNLV.  With a record of 4-4 Overall, 3-0 in Conference play, they find themselves challenging for the Conference Championship - having already beaten then #15 New Mexico (currently 4th in the Mountain West), Utah State (currently 7th in the Mountain West), and Fresno State (currently 11th in the Mountain West).  Colorado State's offense is spearheaded by Quarterback Andrew Michael, a Redshirt Senior currently out for week with a strained shoulder.  Michael, a 6'1" 224 lb. Scrambler from Georgia, has put up the below passing and rushing statistics thus far in the campaign:

Passing Yards	Completions	Attempts	Percentage	Passing Average	Passing Touchdowns	Interceptions	Sacks	QB Rating	Longest Pass
755	97	171	56.73%	107.86	4	3	5	98.02	58

Rushing Yards	Rush Attempts	Rushing Average	Rushing Touchdowns	Fumbles	Longest Rush
807	96	8.41	9	0	66

Within the Flexbone system, which ultimate emphasizes the run, a Scrambler like Andrew Michael has led the Colorado State offense to Conference perfection thus far - I have no doubts that Meyers Ramirez, should he find himself at Colorado State next year, could pick up where his predecessor left off.  What's the catch?  There's no guarantee that Colorado State will continue running the Flexbone next season.  With Skyler Simmons, a Redshirt Junior in the Field General Quarterback mold, currently backing-up Andrew Michael and all recruiting trends pointing more towards a shift in Fort Collins towards the passing game, there's doubt that the "fit" will remain at Colorado State for Meyers Ramirez come the offseason.  Nevertheless, Meyers was cautiously optimistic, saying of the prospect of playing at Colorado State:

Quote

"If they stick to a scrambling guy then I'd say why not? I'd love to play on a team that Wazzu will have to play [next] year anyways."

4. Rutgers

Unlike with Colorado State, there is no doubt in my mind that the Scarlet Knights under Coach @TyroleanRaider are looking going retain their I Option offensive scheme heading into next season.  Currently led by Senior Quarterback Robert Frederick, Rutgers currently have a staggering six Quarterbacks currently rostered, five of whom are considered "Scramblers."  Both Frederick and fellow-Senior Giovanny Franklin-Meyers are set to graduate; however, the Scarlet Knights will be added Rashmi Ho, a 4* Scrambler from Holliston, Massachusetts to their Quarterback room next year.  Therefore, with the addition of Meyers Ramirez, it would be a five-horse race for the starting job in Piscataway.  That said, I believe it's a race that Meyers could win.

Player

Year

Height

Weight

Overall

Agility

Speed

Carrying

Strength

Throw Power

Throw Accuracy

Shotgun Rating

Football IQ

Stamina

Injury

Potential

Meyers Ramirez

(So)

6'0"

224lbs

C+

B

B

B

B-

D-

C-

Balanced

C-

A

D+

A-

Ramon Lundblade

Jr

6'0"

212lbs

C+

B

B

B

B

D

D-

Shotgun

C-

C

C

C

Anthony Valdez

Jr

6'2"

225lbs

C

C+

B

B

C

F

F

Under Center

C-

D+

A-

C

Philip Steele

Fr

6'0"

206lbs

C

C

B

C

D

F

F

Shotgun

F

F

F

B-

While it's yet to be seen what the incoming Rashmi Ho's measurables are, Meyers Ramirez equals or beats out all other rostered Rutgers Quarterbacks in 8/11 categories - all while having an extra year of eligibility over his two-closest contemporaries.  It's plain to see that either Philip Steele or Rashmi Ho are the future at Rutgers; however, both young men require time to develop, probably about two years or so.  In those intermediary two years - coincidentally or not, the exact amount of time that Meyers Ramirez could continue playing college football - a Quarterback with both "right now" skills and a high-ceiling are required to remain competitive in an increasingly-open Big Ten.  Speaking to the prospect of acting as the bridge Quarterback for Rutgers, Meyers Ramirez agreed:

Quote

"Playing for the Scarlet Knights in one of the biggest conferences would be a pipedream for me. Anyone in that conference can go big; and I know that if I get the start, I can lead them there."

3. Cincinnati

Take the situation at Rutgers and make it even more favorable for our boy Meyers Ramirez, that's what we've got with Coach @Rome's Cincy.  Just like the Scarlet Knights, the Bearcats are led by a Senior - Quarterback Jeremy West.  Graduating alongside West at the conclusion of the academic year is backup Quarterback Josh Gervacio.  Unlike in Piscataway, Cincinnati does not expect any incoming Quarterbacks, having recruited two offensive linemen (both of whom are skilled at protecting the run) and a defensive lineman.  That leaves four Quarterbacks, and crucially, one Scrambler on the Bearcat roster to compete for the starting job next season.  With Meyers Ramirez on the squad, that rounds to the following five quarterbacks: Terence Burbridge, Scrambler, Jr (C+/B-); Paul Martinez, Balanced, So (C/B); Andrew Madrid, Field General, Fr (C/B-); Scott Kirkland, Pocket, Fr (C/C+); and our man, Meyers Ramirez.  In direct shoot-out against his two most-likely competitors for the starting job, here's how Meyers shakes out:

Player

Year

Height

Weight

Overall

Agility

Speed

Carrying

Strength

Throw Power

Throw Accuracy

Shotgun Rating

Football IQ

Stamina

Injury

Potential

Meyers Ramirez

(So)

6'0"

224lbs

C+

B

B

B

B-

D-

C-

Balanced

C-

A

D-

A-

Terence Burbridge

Jr

6'0"

210lbs

C+

C

B+

B-

C+

D-

F

Shotgun

D+

C-

C+

B-

Paul Martinez

So

6'1"

191lbs

C

D

D

D

D

D

D

Balanced

D

F

B

B

With Cincinnati running the Spread Option, which "[...]offers up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but focuses on pass plays still," Meyers Ramirez and his ability to both rush and pass better than his two most-likely competitors are a near-perfect fit.  As with the situation at Rutgers, Meyers Ramirez would slot into the Cincinnati lineup as the perfect bridge Quarterback - allowing for Coach @Rome to harness his strengths for offensive and program gains now while also allowing for a decent amount of time to search for and develop his eventual replacement.  Regarding the prospect of playing for Cincinnati, Meyers was complementary:

Quote

"The Big XII, while not the biggest conference, is the one I think is the most competitive. An absolute gauntlet. Wazzu wouldn't survive this conference, and I think this is the one I can best learn from. The Bear[c]ats have something good going for them; and I reckon if they stick to a run-based offense, they can count on me for that."

2. NC State

Run the formula back for a third time in a row: the Coach @Dean's Wolfpack have seven rostered Quarterbacks, with current starter Isaiah Pedroia and fellow-Senior Andrew Awuzie departing via matriculation.  That leaves five quarterbacks, plus the incoming 4* Pocket Quarterback David Andrews from Spring, Texas.  Coach @dearden that's six Quarterbacks, how on earth could this be the second-best situation for our man Meyers?  Because, just like before, I reckon Mr. Transfer Portal could beat out his six other competitors for the starting job.  Why?  Excluding the incoming David Andrews, meet the contestants: current backup Fritz Sellers, Scrambler, So (C/C+); Reginald Benson, Balanced, Fr (C/C+); current third-string Rogelio Elias, Scrambler, Fr (C/B+); Dwayne Vander Laan, Scrambler, Jr (C-/B); and Chi Chi Loyd, Pocket, Jr (D+/C+).  Straight away, I'm going to remove Vander Laan and Loyd, despite their fantastic names, from the comparison here.  Why?  You know why.  That leaves us with Sellers, Benson, Elias, and Meyers Ramirez himself, let's take a look:

Player

Year

Height

Weight

Overall

Agility

Speed

Carrying

Strength

Throw Power

Throw Accuracy

Shotgun Rating

Football IQ

Stamina

Injury

Potential

Meyers Ramirez

(So)

6'0"

224lbs

C+

B

B

B

B-

D-

C-

Balanced

C-

A

D-

A

Fritz Sellers

So

6'1"

221lbs

C

C

C

B

C

D

D

Balanced

D

B

F

C+

Reginald Benson

Fr

6'1"

220lbs

C

D

D

D

D

D

D

Under Center

D

F

D

C+

Rogelio Elias

Fr

6'1"

227lbs

C

C

C

B

C

F

F

Balanced

D

D

C

B-

Similar to the Cincinnati Bearcats offense, NC State funs the Spread Option, which gives the Quarterback a number of option opportunities (which, the astute will recall that Meyers really enjoys) but also focuses on some pass plays.  Just like with Cincinnati, Meyers rises above his potential competition, in both the run and the pass.  My only reason for considering NC State a more-favorable fit for Meyers is that the he's even further ahead of his competition over in Raleigh.  When asked about NC State as a potential destination, Meyers excitedly stated:

Quote

"I like what NC State has going for them - I think the path is certainly easier in the ACC to [succeed]."

1. Illinois

I know what you're thinking: a bunch of rostered Quarterbacks, Seniors leaving, underclassmen worse than Meyers Ramirez - ha, that's not what I was going to say.  In fact, Illinois under Coach @nemolee.exe is a curious one.  At the outset, the Fighting Illini run the Flexbone: "offer[ing] up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but is almost entirely run-focused" - perfect for our boy Meyers.  What's curious is their currently personnel they have executing that system.  Illinois' starting Quarterback, Senior Jalen Jenkins, is one of the Field General mold.  His backup, Redshirt Junior Miguel Dahl, has a notable sort of balance to his game.  What's curious about that?  Neither of them are Scrambler-type Quarterbacks, like our boy Meyers Ramirez, who thrive within the Flexbone offense.  That said, Jalen Jenkins has put up respectable passing and rushing statistics so far this campaign:

Passing Yards	Completions	Attempts	Percentage	Passing Average	Passing Touchdowns	Interceptions	Sacks	QB Rating	Longest Pass
683	56	98	57.14%	113.83	4	3	10	123.03	64

Rushing Yards	Rush Attempts	Rushing Average	Rushing Touchdowns	Fumbles	Longest Rush
345	78	4.42	2	0	16

You know the drill - when compared to the three Quarterbacks currently detailed on the Fighting Illini roster, here's how Meyers Ramirez stacks up:

Player

Year

Height

Weight

Overall

Agility

Speed

Carrying

Strength

Throw Power

Throw Accuracy

Shotgun Rating

Football IQ

Stamina

Injury

Potential

Meyers Ramirez

(So)

6'0"

224lbs

C+

B

B

B

B-

D-

C-

Balanced

C-

A

D-

A-

Jalen Jenkins

Sr

6'3"

219lbs

B+

C+

C-

C-

B-

C

B

Balanced

A+

B

F

C

Miguel Dahl

(Jr)

6'3"

209lbs

B-

C+

C-

D

C-

C

C+

Under Center

C

D+

D+

B

Hector Arroyo

(Fr)

6'0"

206lbs

C

D

D

D

D

D

C

Balanced

D

D

F

B+

Coach @nemolee.exe - here's my pitch for Meyers Ramirez.  Compared to your current starter, Jalen Jenkins, Meyers Ramirez is significantly better at rushing the ball.  What does that matter?  You've entrusted the keys to your offense to your Quarterback and he's doing a fine job, or else he'd be on the bench; now imagine what Meyers Ramirez, with an additional season learning in Pullman and an offseason to develop could do, especially alongside your stand-out Running Back Jonathan Watson (B+/A-) who will be returning for his final season.  I can see it now, those guys would tear it up.  With all due respect to your current backup, Miguel Dahl, Meyers Ramirez is better.  The Flexbone centers around the option and is run-focused, Meyers is streets-ahead of Dahl in every discernable rushing metric and he's not far behind on passing metrics either.  To top it all off, Meyers has an additional year of eligibility to develop and grow ahead of Dahl, who would merely act as a year-long stop-gap.  Instead, Meyers Ramirez could be a two-year bridge for the future of Illinois football.  Actually, who knows, with how open the Big Ten is, he could be a two-year starter who helps the Fighting Illini contend while folks like Hector Arroyo can develop their skills to eventually take up the mantle.  I'll let you hear it from the man himself, who is pumped to play in such a favorable scheme, declaring:

Quote

"They run the what? The flexbone? The offensive scheme that beat Wazzu last week? (Not like I'm keeping tabs or anything) Sign me up. I heard that Champaign is basically a bigger version of Pullman anyways."

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There you have it folks, Transfer Talk's Top 5 Destinations for Mr. Transfer Portal, Meyers Ramirez!  Meyers, brother, I'm looking forward to watching your career continue in the years to come, best of luck to you and thanks for sitting down to chat - next time you're grabbing a steak, let me know and we can catch up then!

Have any thoughts of your own?  Feel like Meyers would be a better fit at your program?  Think of any high-profile players we should chat with next?  Let us know!

Until next time, football fans! 

(Special thanks to @TuscanSota for lending his voice to Meyers Ramirez!)