09-11-2018, 01:38 PM
I think it's totally appropriate to consider all of 2015 and be skeptical of Helton for that exact reason. While there's time to turn it around, 7-7 is a full season and change by this point. It's kind of weird *not* to have an opinion, though I think it shouldn't be firmly set yet.
But one reason I think your opinion should be getting pretty solid: it's not just that Helton has only been successful with Darnold, it's that he's failed with a pretty reasonable crew otherwise. It'd be one thing if Helton had one great quarterback and then (for whatever reason) had to work with a bunch of walk-ons and two-stars. Helton's QBs when not playing with Darnold have been: Cody Kessler, a four-star and third-round NFL draft pick; Max Browne, a former top-ranked (literally #1) QB recruit; and JT Daniel, another #1 QB recruit. While the book's still unwritten and songs are yet to be sung on Daniels, the frequent ineptitude displayed by the Trojans despite running out a very accomplished crew of quarterbacks shouldn't be reassuring.
But one reason I think your opinion should be getting pretty solid: it's not just that Helton has only been successful with Darnold, it's that he's failed with a pretty reasonable crew otherwise. It'd be one thing if Helton had one great quarterback and then (for whatever reason) had to work with a bunch of walk-ons and two-stars. Helton's QBs when not playing with Darnold have been: Cody Kessler, a four-star and third-round NFL draft pick; Max Browne, a former top-ranked (literally #1) QB recruit; and JT Daniel, another #1 QB recruit. While the book's still unwritten and songs are yet to be sung on Daniels, the frequent ineptitude displayed by the Trojans despite running out a very accomplished crew of quarterbacks shouldn't be reassuring.