Why I'm Defending Skylar Thompson - And Why You Should, Too

Skylar Thompson has received quite a bit of criticism throughout the two-game losing streak, but is all of it fair?

I will be the first to admit when Skylar makes a mistake. I've called him out on Twitter a couple of times the last two weeks, where I thought he made a poor decision not throwing the ball away when a sack was inevitable, and he was outside the pocket. He has not been perfect during the 0-2 start to conference play. But to put him front and center in the offensive struggles is not fair. 

If you were to go through and grade each position group on offense through the season so far, what would you give Quarterbacks? More importantly, what position group would you rank higher than Quarterback? It's undoubtedly not Tight End, where the best receiving option is a former walk-on QB in Sammy Wheeler. Wide Receiver has been plagued by drops, inability to get open, and overall inconsistency. The OL has had its highs and lows, most notably giving up 15 TFL against Baylor. 

In my opinion, the only possible position group on offense that grades higher than Skylar and the QB position are the Running Backs, and even then, I think they've been more inconsistent than Skylar. Yet, I don't see anyone criticizing James Gilbert, Harry Trotter, and Jordon Brown. 

When you're the Quarterback, you'll certainly catch more attention, during both the highs and especially the lows. That's the way it is. But before you criticize Skylar at the water cooler, consider these three things: 

1. He's our only legitimate option. Holcombe is in the transfer portal. Ast is a former walk-on and isn't nearly as talented as a passer. Chris Herron is practicing with the wide receivers. 

2. He knows when he's made a mistake, and will work to correct it. Thompson is very hard on himself and is a very self-aware guy. The mental errors he has made, rest assured, he will work to correct them. 

3. Is he the reason we're 0-2 in Big 12 play? No. You could plug Jake Waters, Colin Klein, Easton Stick, or even Carson Wentz into this offense, and you're not going to have won either of these games. 

Skylar Thompson is not the problem on offense.