Duggan a Hole -TCU QB Max Duggan

I make it a point to try not to read other’s material on players before I start my evaluations, and that’s how I approached TCU’s Max Duggan.

I want a clear mind with no other influences when I write.

Luckily, with this Horned Frogs’ quarterback (QB), not many were talking about him before this year for good reason.

Duggan, who recently declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, is not very good.

System QB?

Coming in at 6’2” and 210 pounds, Duggan looks like another average size quarterback in this average QB class.

It’s that time of year when the draft class really starts to take shape. I have only seen two, maybe three QBs that I think are capable of leading a franchise. They are not who you would think either. With so many QBs entering the transfer portal and deciding to return for another year of college, we are back to an average QB class.

Feel good stories are told to make people feel good, and there is a ton of them around.

Awhile back, I was asked to evaluate TCU star wide receiver Quentin Johnston. This was at a point in my new writing career that I realized just how much of a difference a coach can make in a player’s career.

That has always been a thing, but this is a whole other level.

The Cinderella season the Horned Frogs have put together is definitely a product of AP College Coach of the Year, Sonny Dykes.

The difference in TCU’s game film that I watched of Duggan and Johnston between 2021 and 2022 is staggering. Same players, half of the numbers. The system that Dykes installed made all of the difference in the world.

What does the game film say about Duggan?

It says he doesn’t even look like the same QB from last season.

He looks improved in terms of his quick release, accuracy and mobility, but outside of those characteristics, he doesn’t have much going for him.

You can see on game film that he put the work in, and that his mechanics are vastly improved.

The problem with Duggan he is still stiff as a board from head to toe, and his footwork is some of the worst footwork I have seen in this year’s field of QB prospects.

I mean, what kind of QB doesn’t throw a back shoulder pass?

In the game film that I studied of him, I didn’t witness him even attempt one.

Duggan consistently throws to the inside shoulders of his receivers, which does not give them a shot at catching the ball without fighting coverage.

The guy can nail a house fly at 20 yards, but his ball placement is absolutely terrible. I am actually shocked that he didn’t turned the ball over more.

Crystal ball

As much as I am not a huge fan of Johnston, I believe he, along with running back Kendre Miller covered up a ton of Duggan’s deficiencies.

In the long run, Duggan will not make a starting QB in the NFL.

I see him as backup who can come in and win some games in a pinch. He has the work ethic, and has some other tools, but he’s just not it.

My BIG three questions

1. Has he reached his potential with his mechanics, or will more work help him improve?

2. Can he correct his horrendous ball placement?

3. Will he regress in a new system, or how well can he adapt to new surroundings?

How Duggan stacks up and game film reviewed

Draft Projection: Fifth-Round

Pro comparison: Matt Barkley

Game film evaluated:

Oklahoma ’21

Texas ’22

Kansas State ’22

The author, William Yanish, has been a football fan since he was knee high to a grasshopper. He played football until his body wouldn’t let him any longer at the tender young age of 17. He is an aspiring sports writer and author, who covers the NFL Draft for firstroundmock.com. Yanish attended Colorado Mesa University on the western slope of Colorado.