linemen
- Thread starter extremeVillefan
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1.) Offer INSTANT PLAYING TIME.
2.) Have better bag-men than we do now (lol). Oh wait, that's the sec.
It is still had for us. the "big" boys know to focus on o linemen. We have to convert D linemen and slow tight ends.
This will not be a popular post. I have been waiting for awhile before posting this but it has given me a lot of thought. Just a little background, I am not a Card homer, I love my Cards but I don't like excuses. If you have a military background, there are no excuses. I also don't like pretending that everything is going to be great next year or the year after. I live for the now. I am also optimistic too. I see great promise in our receiving corps. I guess what I don't see and maybe why Bobby is so frustrated is who is going to be our QB? Is it Jackson or now is it Pass next year?
I want to discuss what everyone says is our main problem, the OLine. If I am to believe the ESPN announcers, they said that Clemson had zero returning starters on their offensive line. In fact, I think they had less than 5 returners on offense counting the QB. There were breakdowns with their OL, especially when one of the backups got hurt, but their running back still managed 180 yards plus. So here is my question or questions?
Is there more truth that there is a bigger difference than what some posters believe in 3 star and 4 star recruits?
Is their oline coach better than Coach Klenaris at coaching how to block?
Is Radcliff not the running back we believe he is and we need to see what Jeremy Wright can do even with his miscues? I am of the opinion now that the early fumble was more on Bonnafon than Wright. Wright seems to be able to get the tough 2-3 yards where it takes Radcliff a bit to get going?
I suspect it is all three, but the biggest question is how to rectify the problems?
I want to discuss what everyone says is our main problem, the OLine. If I am to believe the ESPN announcers, they said that Clemson had zero returning starters on their offensive line. In fact, I think they had less than 5 returners on offense counting the QB. There were breakdowns with their OL, especially when one of the backups got hurt, but their running back still managed 180 yards plus. So here is my question or questions?
Is there more truth that there is a bigger difference than what some posters believe in 3 star and 4 star recruits?
Is their oline coach better than Coach Klenaris at coaching how to block?
Is Radcliff not the running back we believe he is and we need to see what Jeremy Wright can do even with his miscues? I am of the opinion now that the early fumble was more on Bonnafon than Wright. Wright seems to be able to get the tough 2-3 yards where it takes Radcliff a bit to get going?
I suspect it is all three, but the biggest question is how to rectify the problems?
Clemson has been running the same offensive scheme for several years plus they recruit at a higher level than Louisville.
Louisville was very experienced last year but they were all learning a new scheme. They have 3 new guys and the other two don't have a ton of experience. One is a walk on, another was recruited as a Dline, Epps was a tight end so only two of the starters were recruited to play on the OLine. Year two has traditionally been much better but in this case it is like they are starting all over not just on the line but at receiver and tight end.
This is going to be a tough year. Every team left on the schedule has been playing good defense outside of Kentucky. The good news is most of them aren't great on offense. There will many tight games of the remaining 9.
Louisville was very experienced last year but they were all learning a new scheme. They have 3 new guys and the other two don't have a ton of experience. One is a walk on, another was recruited as a Dline, Epps was a tight end so only two of the starters were recruited to play on the OLine. Year two has traditionally been much better but in this case it is like they are starting all over not just on the line but at receiver and tight end.
This is going to be a tough year. Every team left on the schedule has been playing good defense outside of Kentucky. The good news is most of them aren't great on offense. There will many tight games of the remaining 9.
Jeremy Wright hasn't been on the team for two seasons brother. Also, it's Clemsons defensive front not their OL that had zero starters returning.
Where does it say that I said Jeremy Wright played 2 years?
BTW - here was Clemson's starting OL
Gore - 3 starts in 2014
Crowder - 1 start in 2014
Hyatt - Freshman
McClain - 1 start in 2014
Guillermo - 1 start in 2014 (starting center was hurt and did not play against us)
I may have misheard the ESPN's announcers but as you can see, not a lot of experience by their OL.
BTW - here was Clemson's starting OL
Gore - 3 starts in 2014
Crowder - 1 start in 2014
Hyatt - Freshman
McClain - 1 start in 2014
Guillermo - 1 start in 2014 (starting center was hurt and did not play against us)
I may have misheard the ESPN's announcers but as you can see, not a lot of experience by their OL.
We could live with inexperience. What we have is lack of talent. Experience can be gained. Talent cannot. One of the big keys for an offensive lineman is footwork. One of the plays etched in my mind was a defensive end running right around Epps. What Epps needed to do on the play was ride the guy deep into the backfield which would have allowed Bolin to step up into the pocket to avoid the rush. But Epps slow footwork did not allow that to happen. Clemson defenders beat us to the spot all night.
I think the difference between a three star and a four star is how soon they are projected to contribute. Sometimes guys are talented, but are late bloomers and havent grown into their bodies by the time they are starting their senior years. Sometimes they are playing out of position in high school, or sometimes they are victims of a poor scheme or bad coaching. We have good recruits coming and some good young players in house, but the difference in physicality from high school to D I is enormous, and while sometimes skill position players can step right in and contribute, it's tougher for linemen to do so. We have no alternative to patience.
There's a local KY guy named Nathan Murray with the 4 star build 6'5" 315 we need to recruit those builds not 6'6" 265
The reason you go with a guy that might be 265 is you can always add weight, the right way if he has the right frame. Just because he weighs 315 as a 17 year old kid might just mean he's fat. Not saying this is the case here.
I have waited a while to post on this as well. I have noticed that many times schematically the linemen are not in position. It is a function of the defensive formations and having a QB with experience to either check out of a run or pass play with regularity and success. We just are not reading the defenses very well right now. I really don't see bad talent on the O line, it seems to me that the kids are basically standing up blocking air because the rush has passed them or the defense has twisted or stunted away from the scheme. We have seen some pretty good pass rushes with the speed and size to shed blocks and break the edge. Linemen take time to recognize specific blitz packages. The run blocking is always a function of strength and ability, especially on early downs. There is really a lot of issues right now for Louisville in ALL phases of offense, including play calling and alignments. We have to keep the play calling vanilla to execute, and this plays right into the hands of the defenses. It isn't all talent.
I think (most of) the line of the future is already here.
Christian is already starting at LT. Kenny Thomas is pushing Skylar Lacy at RG. Lukayus McNeil is already splitting time with Pedro Sibiea at LG. Chandler Jones is not currently on the depth chart anywhere, but he will figure prominently in the battle for the LT spot next spring. And JC transfer Kevin Austin will be battling with Tobijah Hughley for the center spot.
Christian is already starting at LT. Kenny Thomas is pushing Skylar Lacy at RG. Lukayus McNeil is already splitting time with Pedro Sibiea at LG. Chandler Jones is not currently on the depth chart anywhere, but he will figure prominently in the battle for the LT spot next spring. And JC transfer Kevin Austin will be battling with Tobijah Hughley for the center spot.
Clemson starting lineup
OT - TR FR - Mitch Hyatt - (Rivals 100 4 star) (6.0) (National 45)
OG - RS SR - Eric MacLain (Rivals 100 4 star) (5.9) (National 59)
OC - TR SR - Ryan Norton (Rivals 3 star) (5.6)
OG - RS SO - Tyrone Crowder (Rivals 4 star) (5.8) (National 184)
OT - RS SR - Joe Gore (Rivals 3 star) (5.7)
Louisville starting lineup
OT - RS SR - Aaron Epps - (Rivals 3 star) (5.5)
OG - RS JR - Pedro Sibiea - (Rivals 3 star) (5.5)
OC - RS JR - Tobijah Hugh (Rivals 0 star) (0.0) Walk ON
OG - RS SO - Skylar Lacy (Rivals 3 star) (5.6)
OT - TR FR - Geron Christian (Rivals 3 star) (5.6)
Which one would you rather have?
Oh and Florida St doesn't get any better.
Florida St starting lineup
OT - TR SO - Rodrick Johnson (Rivals 4 star) (5.8) (National 220)
OG - RS JR - Kareem Are (Rivals 3 star) (5.7)
OC - RS FR - Corey Martinez (Rivals 4 star) (5.8) (National 198)
OG - RS SO - Wilson Bell (Rivals 3 star) (5.6)
OT - RS FR - Brock Ruble (Rivals 3 star) (5.7)
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Eric Wood (5.1), Breno Giacomini (5.0), John Miller (5.6), Jamon Brown (5.6)
Four NFL starting offensive linemen, average stars 2.5. The rankings get it right quite often (see Leonard Fournette and Robert Nkemdiche). But they also miss, too. Just because Christian and the other players we have in our program are not rated 4 or 5 stars does not mean that they won't become Elite NFL prospects.
Four NFL starting offensive linemen, average stars 2.5. The rankings get it right quite often (see Leonard Fournette and Robert Nkemdiche). But they also miss, too. Just because Christian and the other players we have in our program are not rated 4 or 5 stars does not mean that they won't become Elite NFL prospects.
The evidence of this was in 2002 when our inexperienced O-line made a tackling dummy out of poor Dave Ragone. I'll never forget cussing John L for not going to a 2 TE max protect scheme at half in the opener against UK. I couldn't stand seeing the beating he was taking to the point where even against UK in a winnable game I didn't care.
I can only hope that our current youngsters can develop the way those guys did.
Based on what I am seeing is that you do have better opportunity if you already have the talent but you can also "coach up"? So my next question is Klenaris capable or are the blocking schemes too difficult?
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