“First Eight”, “or” positions, and “and” positions.

Sheboygan

Sheboygan

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IMO, because of continual issues with two vital parts of our team (OL and DL) underperforming significantly- for varying, but never ending reasons-
ALL other parts of our team have not been able to display exceptional impact on games. Additionally ,one year recently we even had issues blocking for FGs.
Football is , and will always be, a team game, with all individual's performance reliant to some degree on the competency level of their teammates.
 
iceeater1969

iceeater1969

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TromboneJacket said:
I suppose it depends on what the threshold is for those “Top 8” players. And what it means for the opposing coach to have to plan around them. I’ll put Sims on the list (even though the opposing DC will always be scheming around the QB no matter how good or bad he is) because of his athleticism and arm strength. One of our issues has been that we have a number of guys who, on paper, look like they could be those dominant players, but we haven’t had guys producing like that for the most part.

In no particular order, let me see if I can come up with 8 guys:

1. Jeff Sims QB
2. Dontae Smith RB (I think he’s earned the attention of our opponents)
3. Jordan Domineck EDGE (he plays great when he’s asked to play his natural position)
4. Jared Ivey DE
5. Charlie Thomas LB
And this is where it starts getting iffy.
6. Ace Eley LB (he’s played well, but I don’t know whether we can say he needs to be schemed around. It’s tricky judging LBs who aren’t All-Conference or obvious early draft picks)
7. Leo Blackburn WR (Going entirely off potential with this one, which is part of the problem I mentioned)
8. Zeek Biggers DT (Another based on potential)

On another note, is it just me or have we been snakebit with WRs? Brown looked pretty dominant in 2019 and then basically disappeared the following year before transferring. Bryce Gowdy looked really promising and was highly rated, and then his tragedy happened before he got to campus. Then Leo Blackburn looked promising and apparently was really balling out in practices, and then he gets a season-ending injury right before the season starts. Any one of them or even all of them could have been these types of dominant players, and if things had shaken out differently we could have had all three on the field last year balling out and excited to get even better this year, but instead we got none of them on the field last year, and only one of them is currently on campus.
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This is logical about our breakout threats.
I agree Ivey looks like a possible game changer.
In this dl area - our best out potential is the ""dl coaches are unleashed"" to do way more stunts so the de can get to qb.


The above post gets to a real important point about WR. We have missed a big impact recruit at wr in last 2 classes.
We really need a QB - big threat WR combination to look at all like the good passing teams we have recently faced. When a qb and a good wr work as one, the defense ends up on their heels.
I am going with the 2 B and B freshmen wide receivers come out like gang busters. Why should this happen? Because its time for gt to have good things.

As Southern said Spring training and tune up before season are going to be very interesting
 

yellajacket20

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It's really hard to go find 8 that have shown that they can be difference makers, but I'll go with:

1. Dontae - most obvious of everyone, I think
2. Sims - especially if they give him some designed runs and he gets rid of the ball quickly
3. Blackburn - like others have said, having a huge matchup problem on the outside would be great
4. Kelani Norris - he looked nice in a few instances last year
5. Ivey - he was dominant at times. I think he'll be able to put it together and be seen as future NFL lineman
6. Charlie Thomas - he had some monster games. They need to let him attack
7. Keion White - he was seen as a stud pass rusher before transferring. We need him to get back to that
8. Kenyatta Watson II - the Texas fans thought he should have seen the field while there. Hopefully he can be a shutdown corner for us
 
gtchem05

gtchem05

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yellajacket20 said:
It's really hard to go find 8 that have shown that they can be difference makers, but I'll go with:

1. Dontae - most obvious of everyone, I think
2. Sims - especially if they give him some designed runs and he gets rid of the ball quickly
3. Blackburn - like others have said, having a huge matchup problem on the outside would be great
4. Kelani Norris - he looked nice in a few instances last year
5. Ivey - he was dominant at times. I think he'll be able to put it together and be seen as future NFL lineman
6. Charlie Thomas - he had some monster games. They need to let him attack
7. Keion White - he was seen as a stud pass rusher before transferring. We need him to get back to that
8. Kenyatta Watson II - the Texas fans thought he should have seen the field while there. Hopefully he can be a shutdown corner for us
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I’ll play too and I like this list pretty well. Here’s my version:

1) Jeff Sims
2) Luke Benson
3) Trenilyas Tatum
4) Leo Blackburn
5) Keion White
6) Dontae Smith
7) Zeek Biggers
8) Miles Brooks
Bonus 9) I realize it’s a long-shot, and as far as I know there’s no public indication this will happen, but if Mike Daniels’ stepson, Paris Johnson, transfers here after graduating this spring from Ohio State in order to play his natural position of tackle (which he has not yet been playing at OSU), this would be huge, literally.

Honorable mentions (i.e. potential game-changers; can’t and won’t be all of them but 1 or 2 could emerge):
Minihan, Ivey, C Thomas, K Edwards, K Watson, Gee, K Harris, Birr, Quick, Tchio, Efford, KJ Miles, A Harvey, Griffin
 
slugboy

slugboy

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I looked at a couple of other places.

Coaches give the single digits for players as an award, so it's one place to look:
  • Ryan Lantz (ATH)
  • Dontae Smith (RB)
  • T K Chimedza (DL)
  • Kalani Norris (WR)
  • Jamious Griffin (RB)
  • Keion White (DE)
  • Zamari Walton (CB)
  • Malachi Carter (WR)
  • Nate McCollum (WR)
  • Avery Boyd (WR)
Jeff Sims and Eley share #10. That's one list to pick from.

I'd put the following on my watch list (not in "priority" order)
  1. Dontae Smith
  2. Keion White
  3. Malachi Carter
  4. T K Chimedza
  5. Jeff Sims
That's 5 of the 8. Maybe you take one or two off of that list. You have freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and transfers at WR that could emerge. Griffin is a possibility.

Hassan Hall is a possibility.

OL Candidates:

6. Mickey Minihan (assuming he's here next season, he's an upperclassman)
7. Jordan Williams

Other candidates:
8. Charlie Thomas (LB)
9. Jordan Domineck (DE)
10. Miles Sims (DB)

That doesn't include Khari Gee or any transfers or a lot of young players that could emerge. Hopefully, I haven't messed up with a player who is graduating/has graduated and moved on.

At WR, Blackstrain or Blackburn could both emerge.

If we were in really good shape, the "first 8" would either be no-brainers, or I'd have a list of 14 players who were at least honorable mention for all-ACC. However, there's a good list we can build around.

I was looking at the 2022 roster, so if Ramblinreck is behind, then I could have made a mistake or had a brain cramp.
 
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