What if Casey Thompson never hurt his thumb

[akhookem]

I’ve been itching so bad for football that I’ve began rewatching 2021 games before the season fell apart because that’s far enough back for me to not remember every sequence of the game lol. Casey Thompson against Texas Tech, TCU, and OU was a gamer. Say whatever about the competition or defenses he was doing it against but there are plenty of impressive plays and throws he made. I mean he made throws that Quinn, as much as I love him, missed repeatedly deep. Deep posts, the corner fade to Joshua Moore against OU. Strangely enough that offense with him seemed to have more consistent accuracy on the deep ball than we’ve seen since. I just think Casey was better than we give him credit for because he was on a bad team and got hurt and finished the year poorly. Hearing people talk about KJ Lacey and his “chain moving” style of play and gamer-ism he has I’m excited to see KJ in 2028 if he wins the job.

[LonghornFan4Ever]

Texas wins 7 or 8 regular season games and plays in a bowl for sure imo.  I also wonder how the Arkansas game goes if Thompson had been named the starting QB from game 1.  Honestly, the offense Texas had in those three games in the 2021 season is the offense I think Texas will have over the course of this season.

The OL was not good back then either, and they still had that level of output offensively.  They should be able to replicate that production in 2026.  Hopefully Coleman can provide similar or superior production to a true freshman Worthy and Wingo is superior to any #2 WR Texas had in 2021.  While there aren’t any RBs as good as Robinson and Johnson, I do think the running game will have a strong output with Brown, Smothers, and Cooper.  Plus this team has better TEs.

[akhookem]

1 minute ago, LonghornFan4Ever said:

Texas wins 7 or 8 regular season games and plays in a bowl for sure imo.  I also wonder how the Arkansas game goes if Thompson had been named the starting QB from game 1.  Honestly, the offense Texas had in those three games in the 2021 season is the offense I think Texas will have over the course of this season.

The OL was not good back then either, and they still had that level of output offensively.  They should be able to replicate that production in 2026.  Hopefully Coleman can provide similar or superior production to a true freshman Worthy and Wingo is superior to any #2 WR Texas had in 2021.  While there aren’t any RBs as good as Robinson and Johnson, I do think the running game will have a strong output with Brown, Smothers, and Cooper.  Plus this team has better TEs.

Yep I agree, I just remember watching Casey in that stretch I had a lot of confidence in him executing and moving the ball. He just took what was there and really didn’t miss or shank throws. Really hope the offense can get back to that level of explosiveness but also balance it had in that stretch. Sark is dangerous when he is in his flow and things are working like he is designing

[MBHORNSFAN]

It would have been easier for him to clean his locker out both times. 

[Bobby Burton]

5 hours ago, MBHORNSFAN said:

It would have been easier for him to clean his locker out both times. 

You have a brutal sense of humor. 

[Bobby Burton]

I personally think the season doesn’t end much different. The Texas defense was extremely bad that year and could not stop the run to save its life. 

[PortALonghorn]

Casey was a creep. 

[akhookem]

1 hour ago, Bobby Burton said:

I personally think the season doesn’t end much different. The Texas defense was extremely bad that year and could not stop the run to save its life. 

No doubt about that, I just think Casey got a bad wrap due to being on a bad team and having the injury, I loved the way he played when healthy. Just seemed like a gamer and made plays that were there. Oddly enough him and worthy had a better connection than worthy and Quinn, especially down the field.

[Assistant Regional Manager]

1 hour ago, akhookem said:

I just think Casey got a bad wrap due to being on a bad team and having the injury

He got a bad wrap because he wasn’t ever a good player. He ended his career as the third string QB at Oklahoma.

[BornOrange]

3 hours ago, PortALonghorn said:

Casey was a creep. 

 

2 hours ago, akhookem said:

No doubt about that, I just think Casey got a bad wrap 

 

9 minutes ago, Assistant Regional Manager said:

He got a bad wrap

He had a bad wrap?

Oh….. you mean he had a bad rap?

Gotcha

[Jeff Howe]

What happened in 2021 needed to happen. Texas had to hit rock bottom to begin the climb back up the mountain anew.

[akhookem]

7 minutes ago, Assistant Regional Manager said:

He got a bad wrap because he wasn’t ever a good player. He ended his career as the third string QB at Oklahoma.

If you watch him when he’s healthy vs Tech, TCU, and OU and call him a bad player idk what to tell you. And I’d like to hear what a good player is lol. I think he was absolutely capable but had a bad defense and oline.

[Red Five]

He was amazing in the second half of the Alamo Bowl after Ehlinger got hurt. 

Looked it up: 8-10 for 170 yards and four TDs. I remember thinking that Hudson Card must really be Aaron Rodgers to have beaten him out. Whoops.

[hookemrj13]

6 minutes ago, akhookem said:

If you watch him when he’s healthy vs Tech, TCU, and OU and call him a bad player idk what to tell you. And I’d like to hear what a good player is lol. I think he was absolutely capable but had a bad defense and oline.

For what its worth, I stand with you. Unsure of what happened outside the program, but for those few games he shined imo. Also does no one remember the photo of his palm with the thumb injury he played with? ON HIS THROWING HAND...it was wild. 

[Assistant Regional Manager]

4 minutes ago, akhookem said:

If you watch him when he’s healthy vs Tech, TCU, and OU and call him a bad player idk what to tell you. And I’d like to hear what a good player is lol. I think he was absolutely capable but had a bad defense and oline.

Players have hot stretches all the time.

The game will tell you know you are. Water finds its level. He transferred 3 times and went to a worse spot each time.

[akhookem]

4 minutes ago, hookemrj13 said:

For what its worth, I stand with you. Unsure of what happened outside the program, but for those few games he shined imo. Also does no one remember the photo of his palm with the thumb injury he played with? ON HIS THROWING HAND...it was wild. 

100%, I just don’t understand why a lot of Texas fans trash him, just seems unfair to me based on how he played when healthy, and had a horrible oline and defense, some people talk about him like he was worse than Swoopes and other guys lol. Baffles me

[hookemrj13]

33 minutes ago, akhookem said:

100%, I just don’t understand why a lot of Texas fans trash him, just seems unfair to me based on how he played when healthy, and had a horrible oline and defense, some people talk about him like he was worse than Swoopes and other guys lol. Baffles me

Now I mean committing to OU will do that; I lost favor with him for that just like Livingstone (which I am going on record here, Livingstone is going to be the leading WR in that game for both teams) 

[akhookem]

12 minutes ago, hookemrj13 said:

Now I mean committing to OU will do that; I lost favor with him for that just like Livingstone (which I am going on record here, Livingstone is going to be the leading WR in that game for both teams) 

I get the OU part but for me it’s different than Livingston due to 1. His dad played there and 2. At least it wasn’t right after leaving us😂 and he didn’t start lol

[Austalgia]

If Casey doesn’t get hurt, we have another national championship and he is starting for the Cleveland Browns, winner of Super Bowl LX. What could have been? 

Edited 11 minutes ago by Austalgia