Gotsis is 100% Confident in DL

[Techster]

Gotsis also has a full year and a half up on Kallon.

Lebron would do alright until he gets laid out trying to go across the middle of the field.

Lebron would have been one of the top HS recruits in the nation had he wanted to play football. He was an elite football prospect as well.

In my opinion, he would have been one of the top TE's or DE's in the country in college. He's just a freak. Dude probably runs a 4.5-4.6 forty and his vertical...well, pretty obvious on that one.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I agree with you for the most part, but rush defense was the bright spot of last year's D, imo, if that's what you meant. We went from #70 at 4.28 yards/carry allowed in 2012 to #18 at 3.57 ypc allowed (4.82 to 3.84 vs FBS). Hopefully, that continues.

That's true. I think our rush D was much better to the outside than inside due to our speed though. But concerning the DL stopping the rush, the emotional scars from the 2012 VT game have not healed and may never heal. Or the MTSU game. I'll stop there because of the pain.......

Last year the Os could throw on us better (we were 85 in passing D in 2013 compared to 58th in 2012). So they took the higher % way to try to get the first down. http://www.cfbstats.com/2012/leader/national/team/defense/split01/category02/sort01.html (please don't ***** about using cfb stats)

 

[zhavenor]

Lebron would have been one of the top HS recruits in the nation had he wanted to play football. He was an elite football prospect as well.

In my opinion, he would have been one of the top TE's or DE's in the country in college. He's just a freak. Dude probably runs a 4.5-4.6 forty and his vertical...well, pretty obvious on that one.

Snicker if you will but he was an all state TE in Ohio and I think he would have had a full scholarship to play TE at OSU had he not decided to go to the NBA.

 

[Techster]

Snicker if you will but he was an all state TE in Ohio and I think he would have had a full scholarship to play TE at OSU had he not decided to go to the NBA.

Yup. I forget who, maybe Tom Lemming, said he probably would have been one of the top 10 best football recruits in the nation had he chose to play football his senior year.

 

[ilovetheoption]

Somewhat random, but might Gotsis be the most valuable player on the team?

That is, is the the guy that were he to get injured and miss the year would have the biggest overall impact on the season?

 

[takethepoints]

Getting back on topic …

I think we are ok as long as we don't get two DLs injured for any length of time. My guess is that we'll run a 6 man rotation with Gamble first off the bench at both tackle and end; he can play both positions. Most nobody plays more then 6 - 7 DLs in a rotation anyhow; others will get playing time if the score warrants it.

As I keep saying, the key here is Green. If he stays healthy, then we are on good shape. Gotsis is right about him. If he gets hurt again, we'll have problems at DT until the backup (Gamble, probably) gets acclimated. Let's hope Green finally gets to show what he can do. He murdered the center of the USC line two years ago and he can do it to anybody when he's well.

 

[Ibeeballin]

Getting back on topic …

I think we are ok as long as we don't get two DLs injured for any length of time. My guess is that we'll run a 6 man rotation with Gamble first off the bench at both tackle and end; he can play both positions. Most nobody plays more then 6 - 7 DLs in a rotation anyhow; others will get playing time if the score warrants it.

As I keep saying, the key here is Green. If he stays healthy, then we are on good shape. Gotsis is right about him. If he gets hurt again, we'll have problems at DT until the backup (Gamble, probably) gets acclimated. Let's hope Green finally gets to show what he can do. He murdered the center of the USC line two years ago and he can do it to anybody when he's well.

But the USC center didn't want to be at the game.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

But the USC center didn't want to be at the game.

I can't just hit the like button. This is a great comment and cracked me up!

The minimizing of that great win by some fans was really perplexing to me and you have sarcastically nailed their logic right here.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

But the USC center didn't want to be at the game.

And after the game he wanted to be there even less.

Maybe some people who have played DL and OL can confirm this, but I think linemen take their individual battles very personally since every play is a win or a loss or tie for them. I played OL and DL in HS and I took it real personal. If I beat my opponent, that is what I focused on. I could only control my space.

 

[Sean311]

Lebron was actually a 4 star wide out coming out of high school. he's also an absolute freak athlete and using him as a comparison for the norm makes you seem like a loon

Ya Kallon was a 4 star too..but I guess he's incomparable.

 

[ATL1]

Man Lebron would be an effin BEAST on the football field hands down the best athlete on the field.

Anyway I expect a lot of 3 man fronts with Freeman being rush end/outside linebacker type..
I wouldn't mind seeing Gotsis as a DE.

 

[Squints]

Agree and last time I checked freshmen have won the Heisman 2 years in a row now .

Well they were actually redshirt freshman, but even ignoring that this is a horrendous comparison. You've got two positions on the field that are completely opposite ends of the physical spectrum. They've both played football their entire lives. Kallon played one year before he got here. ONE YEAR. It's not comparable. Not too mention the two you mention are considered generational talents by many.

The last two heisman winners are completely irrelevant when it comes to the Kallon conversation.

 

[JazzyD95]

Ya Kallon was a 4 star too..but I guess he's incomparable.

You can't compare one of the best athletes of all time to every 4* recruit. You shouldn't even be comparing him to anyone because he he's a once in a generation talent. Also, this should go to show you that stars mean NOTHING.

 

[InsideLB]

It ain't Kallon who is running out of time. It's GT who is running out of DL players! And that means GT needs the light to come on for Kallon ASAP.

Is it fair? Not really. Dude's from England and only ever played one season of football. So he's a MAJOR project.

Consider this: A guy on my college team (Division III) who was an all-american rush end spent a semester abroad in England. He joined an english semi-pro team (highest level they had) and played tailback, returned kick offs, and generally crushed everyone. He said it was easy because the English had absolutely no idea what they were doing. In the huddle it was like sandlot....you do this, i'll do that, etc. The english have NO IDEA about football.

So not only has Kallon only had 1 year playing but he didn't grow up in America where people watch football fanatically and understand strategy and technique like it's second nature--even if they've never played a down. Seriously. You can take a rugby player with mediocre athletic ability but who grew up in the game and plug them into an american club team and they are instantly and by far the best player on the team. Many US club teams PAY their foreign players because they make that much of difference.

So it's not just lack of experience playing. It is also CULTURE of not growing up in a country with football.

It might not be fair to ask a RS-soph under such conditions to play a major role but GT has no choice. On the bright side with FK knowing he's going to play ready or not he's got to be incredibly focused and working hard. Understanding playing with leverage, using his hands violently, pursuing square to the line, taking on blockers are all completely new to him. There is no blocking in rugby. And in rugby you seldom want to tackle to the ground, you always go for the strip so tackling technique is completely different.

Kallon can be a great football player. IMO it's a really monumental task though. However given his size and athleticism it's worth developing him even if you only get a year or two out of him. Just my $.02.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

ILB +1. The culture thing is so important. Why have small countries kick our butt in futbol? Culture / understanding of the nuances and constant practice as play.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Wow. Gotsis joins our team with basically no experience and now he sounds like a coach.

Sounds like Kallon might not be quite ready for the spotlight just yet. Time's almost up.

Holy Guacamole! If the staff knew how to recruit and build depth and develop players we wouldn't be pinning all our hopes and dreams on underclassmen. And there would be no reason to slam the kids for not being All-World after a couple of years on campus. If my calcs are right, Kallon gets to play a little this year, and then excel as a junior and then be a first round early exit pick after next year. Cut him some slack.

 

[kg01]

ILB +1. The culture thing is so important. Why have small countries kick our butt in futbol? Culture / understanding of the nuances and constant practice as play.

That's actually an interesting analogy and you and @InsideLB make great points. I wonder though, how has Gotsis seemingly progressed relatively faster despite missing out on the indoctrination?

 

[00Burdell]

It ain't Kallon who is running out of time. It's GT who is running out of DL players! And that means GT needs the light to come on for Kallon ASAP.

Agreed. When I said "Time's almost up", I wasn't referring to Kallon - I was pointing out that we have three weeks to put a DL together.

 

[AE 87]

I don't understand suggestions that our coaches don't know how to build and develop depth. All of our upperclassmen DL were recruited for Groh's 3-4.

If our starting 3-4 was Green, Gotsis and Kitchen backed by Kallon, Gamble and Aikins, I think we would be talking about DL as a strength. Losing Kitchen and Aikins is hardly a failure in development imo.

As it is, we still have 3 guys that have played a lot with Green, Gotsis and Stargel. It's a question mark, but it's too soon to say DL is a failure, imo.

 

[Blumpkin Souffle]

That's actually an interesting analogy and you and @InsideLB make great points. I wonder though, how has Gotsis seemingly progressed relatively faster despite missing out on the indoctrination?

He played Australian football for several years.