LB depth

[dressedcheeseside]

Here's who's gone: (based on rr.com listed year in school):

Nealy
McNair
Travis

Assuming Jabari comes back on the DL, if at all,

Here's who we have coming back: (minus current recruits and walkons)

PJ Davis
Tre Jackson
Beau Hankins
Marcus Allen
Tyler Marcordes
Anthony Harrell

Here's my projected (guessed) 2-deep (assuming 4-2-5):
will: Davis, Marcordes
ILB: Hankins, Jackson


What say you?

 

[Eric]

Harrell will be a starter IMO.

 

[jchens_GT]

What Eric said. I would be willing to bet that Harrell will be hungry this spring.

 

[jason72]

Where does Lewis play I thought he was an outside linebacker. I remember everybody being pretty high on him last year.

 

[danny daniel]

Here's who's gone: (based on rr.com listed year in school):

Nealy
McNair
Travis

Assuming Jabari comes back on the DL, if at all,

Here's who we have coming back: (minus current recruits and walkons)

PJ Davis
Tre Jackson
Beau Hankins
Marcus Allen
Tyler Marcordes
Anthony Harrell

Here's my projected (guessed) 2-deep (assuming 4-2-5):
will: Davis, Marcordes
ILB: Hankins, Jackson


What say you?

My guess:
SLB: Davis Macordes Lewis
ILB: Harrell Hankins Jackson

 

[UgaBlows]

is Paul Davis not more of a natural inside lb?

 

[danny daniel]

is Paul Davis not more of a natural inside lb?

PJ was a HS safety. I suspect he could play very well at lots of positions on D, but if you look at our other LBs, most are best suited inside which leaves him at WLB where he normally lines up almost as inside as the MLB on most downs.

 

[danny daniel]

My guess:
SLB: Davis Macordes Lewis
ILB: Harrell Hankins Jackson

Mislabled SLB, should be WLB.

 

[takethepoints]

I think we will have starters and, given the roughly similar talents of the players, those might change throughout the year. I also think that starting won't matter that much since the players we have coming back simply cry out for frequent rotation and keeping a set of fresh players on the field. I think Davis starts over Mercordes and Harrell over Hankins, but the margin will be paper thin and everyone will, imho, play a lot.

I love that, btw. It's good for team morale and it is very, very bad news for our opponents.

 

[worthco jacket]

is Paul Davis not more of a natural inside lb?

Perhaps, to me he is more of a "hit man" along the lines of one of those torpedoes in "Good Fellas" or "The God Father"

 

[alaguy]

I would really like a young guy like Tre Jackson to step up so we had some strong continuity/depth in '16

 

[vamosjackets]

I'm gonna say Davis and Harrell as starters, though not sure which will be which. And, I would see Marcordes and Hankins backing them up with Tre Jackson closing in on Hankins in the battle for PT.

I also see Marcordes and Lewis getting a lot of PT as a third OLB when situations call for it (this may move Tre Jackson up the depth chart for PT inside if Marcordes is getting a lot of time outside).

 

[DaddyBill]

After wearing the redshirt, I can say for certain that one of those mentioned is going to work as hard as he can for some PT.

 

[danny daniel]

We are in good shape with our LBs and DBs for 2015. We lose 4 starting DBs in 2016 but have Griffin, Griffin, Austin, Austin, and Durham who have ability and experience along wit J.Johnson and Gray. The LBs in 2016 lose Harrell and Macordes but add Cooksie and Mitchell and return Hankins, Jackson, Lewis and PJ. Solid back seven the next 2 years but still need help on DL.

 

[Boomergump]

I think Harrell played really well with the time he got in 2014. So well, in fact, that he often appeared to be the best option out there. With that in mind, I would place him in the drivers seat to start. Obviously, these things are very fluid because kids are working and getting better at different rates during the off season.

 

[RamblinCharger]

I really hope Harrell starts. He looks so fast and athletic to me. Maybe the light will come on for him and he can shine with PJ out there.

 

[deeeznutz]

I'm a little surprised to see McNair listed as a senior without having much on-field impact. I really expected big things out of the NC trio we got that year (Vad, McNair, and Noble) but it looks like they just ran out of time and/or got passed up.

 

[96Jacket]

Was our base formation really a 4-2-5 this year as much as people think? It seemed to me I saw a lot of 3 LB sets throughout the year with Nealy, Davis, and Marcordes on the field at the same time.

For 2015, I'd prefer a 4-3, with Harrell, Davis, and Marcordes starting and Hankins, Jackson, and Lewis backing them up.

I'm a little surprised to see McNair listed as a senior without having much on-field impact. I really expected big things out of the NC trio we got that year (Vad, McNair, and Noble) but it looks like they just ran out of time and/or got passed up.

McNair had a few big moments down the stretch in 2014, especially in the UGa game. I think he helped force Mason's throw on the INT in overtime back in a little towards DJ.

 

[AE 87]

Was our base formation really a 4-2-5 this year as much as people think? It seemed to me I saw a lot of 3 LB sets throughout the year with Nealy, Davis, and Marcordes on the field at the same time.

For 2015, I'd prefer a 4-3, with Harrell, Davis, and Marcordes starting and Hankins, Jackson, and Lewis backing them up.


McNair had a few big moments down the stretch in 2014, especially in the UGa game. I think he helped force Mason's throw on the INT in overtime back in a little towards DJ.

I wonder whether some of the time we saw 3 LBs we also only had 3 down linemen. I actually think that a 3-3-5 would have been our best base to give us more flexibility on which LB came as the fourth in pass rush. It's not like 4 down linemen were getting it done so well that we couldn't chance the delay in rush.

I also think McNair had a greater impact / minutes played than some who played more. Oh well.

 

[forensicbuzz]

I agree. I liked seeing the 3-3-5. I think that gave us the best pressure on the passer, bringing a LB from the stand-up position, or 2 LB's from stand-up.