Colin Kaepernick's college coach on his throwing technique: 'He let it go'
Colin Kaepernick's former coach at Nevada says his mechanics are causing his issues.
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Colin Kaepernick, the heavily scrutinized quarterback of the 49ers, hasn't progressed like many thought he would after the promising start to his career. Now, with the 49ers in complete disarray, there's the possibility that the team could be in a position to nab a quarterback in next year's draft, if they deem Kaepernick a lost cause.
Kaepernick's college coach, the only coach who offered Kaepernick a scholarship, recently weighed in on the quarterback's issues. Chris Ault, the former head coach at Nevada, said that Kaepernick's problems are all about his throwing mechanics.
"Nobody knows Kaep like I do, and really that started last year," Ault told Fox Sports. "For some reason last year his technique throwing the ball ... he let it go."
According to Ault, Kaepernick's unorthodox throwing motion prevents him from making touch passes.
"I saw a little of it in college," Ault said. "He was a pitcher, as everyone knows. He threw that thing 93 or 94 miles per hour. He has a low elbow at times. It's not a sidearm throw by any means, but his elbow and arm are at 90 degrees instead of having that thing extended all the way up. He does that because he's so doggone strong. He’s one of the few guys that can get away throwing that way, but when you have to make the touch pass, drop it over [coverage], or if you have to anticipate where a receiver is going, that type of release oftentimes makes you very inconsistent. That's what I'm seeing. I saw it when we were at Nevada a little bit."
So far this season, Kaepernick is completing nearly 63 percent of his passes for 989 yards, four touchdowns and five picks. The 49ers, after dealing with a mass coach and player exodus this offseason, are 1-4 and could compete with the winless Lions for the top pick in the draft.
Meanwhile, just across the Bay, Cal quarterback Jared Goff -- a lifelong 49ers fan -- could be heading to the NFL next year. And mechanics don't seem to be an issue for Goff.
