I'm not sure many of us actually thought Gabbert would end up signing - I'm sure Carnes' recruitment wasn't "because" Gabbert fell through...that had to have been in the works for a while. The coaches weren't sitting back watching the helicopter saga and everything else unfold before them without some action.
Actually, it was definitely because Gabbert fell through.
Gabbert was our #1 and only at QB, and we were left in a real bad jam and scrambling to try to get another guy at the end because he bailed. On top of that, Carnes almost didn't happen. Gabbert was our 1 QB for that class all the way. We were only taking one QB. I suppose you can make the argument that once we started being unsure if Gabbert was still committed, we explored options like Carnes more seriously, and that we kept the channels open the whole time - but if Gabbert had stayed, Carnes would not be here.
T-Mart was recruited as a QB. Bo always told him he'd get the chance to prove himself as a QB first...Mart just made it known that he was willing to switch if it didn't work out. He really only had the 1 year as a HS quarterback, give him time and I think he'll surprise people. He won the LA Times Player of the Year award - I think that's the same award Matt Lienert (sp?) won.
I think you can go back through Taylor's recruitment thread and see that he was not a QB. And if we had more depth at that position, he wouldn't be now (wasn't he working at WR during bowl workouts?) In other words, he got a 'shot' just like Travis Lewis got a 'shot' at OU to be RB, or like Prince got a 'shot' at RB here. Our QB situation being what it is, he will have a longer look. I still think he'd be best as an all purpose guy, a wideout who stretches the field and runs the wildcat for us. If you're going by media attention, Leinart was also a Parade All-American and a 5-star QB recruit.
As for Lee, I don't think he'll be playing this year because he fits the offensive identity we have mapped out - he'll be playing because he's the best QB on the very young roster. In an ideal scenario the guy under center would be someone different, though he proved he can be mobile in that Arizona game.
What's someone different? Someone that's less good at throwing but better at running? I think our offensive identity is really flexible about how good a QB is at running - but not about how good he is at throwing. He's got to be able to pass. If he runs like Crouch, outstanding. If he runs like Zac Taylor, well, that's OK too. As long as he puts up aerial production like Taylor and Ganz. I don't see how it makes the slightest sense for it to be the other way around.
Out of the guys you named - Spano is a 'dual threat' in the same way Zac Lee is a dual threat. Zac is probably plenty faster and more athletic too, even before the two ACL injuries. Carnes, while being athletic, is also a quarterback and not a project. Our passing QBs are Lee and then Spano/Carnes, with Green coming along after that. Green too, as we've seen, is no Tommie Frazier or Terrelle Pryor. He's being brought along as a passer and a field general, not as the next Vince Young, which he isn't. That leaves Turner, who is legit freak athlete at QB who COULD be a true dual-threat beast like Vick but is a project, and Marsh (a grayshirt DB) and Taylor (DB/WR recruit). Leaving out young Gabbert, who is athletic like his older brother but whose talent lies in his arm.
If you want to put stock in our recent recruiting, then you need to look at all the guys who were recruited and how they were recruited, not just the guys we ended up signing. In that case, you would see that we've gone after guys who are throwers and guys who are projects, making no 'transition to QBs who can't pass' as a future offensive identity.
If that doesn't provide a pretty good projection of where we are heading then I have no idea what will. I'm sure Suntrup is a spectacular player, but it might be better for all involved if this didn't pan out. We've got dozens of other recruits that have signed on with certain expectations to how the offense will evolve. To go back to the drop-back, pure west-coast offense because we have to develop an offense around someone that has no run-threat isn't fair to the rest of the team...just like signing a highly regarded wide receiver with the intention of giving him 100 catches a year, only to pass the ball 15 times a game.
I might add that our dozens of other recruits, including the linemen, receivers, etc, are not signing up for an old school Power I or wishbone or triple option or whatever scheme. We're not going back to the Osborne days and we don't have the pieces in place to run that kind of O. To go back to the option-left, option-right offense because we have to build an offense around someone who can't throw isn't fair to all of our talented receivers and pro-style OL. Not that it isn't fair, really, it just won't work. Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz were made by the same system.