Looking Ahead - Linebackers

[Jerry the Jacket]

That's encouraging to hear about Beau. I think maybe his issue is maturity. We have several guys with that problem.

Go Jackets!

 

[Boomergump]

Haven't people said that he won't be ready for the season because of his injury? And if he took the job from JHD, you could argue that he's our best guy. I'm just curious as to where all of the optimism with this group is coming from. I really like Davis but Hunt-days hasn't been spectacular. Nealy is solid but not a star. Who else can we depend at LB? I just hope someone emerges and Harrell is healthy. It's not gloom and doom by any means and I think we have some talent there but I'm not convinced were gonna be better next year.

Well, just remember that JHD and QN both started for us this year. They are not replacing anybody. They should be better. Hopefully JHD very much so. Whether you are optimistic about our prospects or not really boiles down to replacing BW. I think we can get equal production out of the host of guys mentioned.

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

We forgot about Marcus Allen who was moved to linebacker. There is a reason we forgot about him. He has not sniffed the field yet. He was recruited as a B Back but apparently did not make an impression there. He was moved to linebacker but I think at 210 lbs. he will have a hard time seeing the field. Hopefully the coaches can experiment with him some this off season and find him a spot somewhere.

Go Jackets!

 

[PowderSpringsJacket88]

We forgot about Marcus Allen who was moved to linebacker. There is a reason we forgot about him. He has not sniffed the field yet. He was recruited as a B Back but apparently did not make an impression there. He was moved to linebacker but I think at 210 lbs. he will have a hard time seeing the field. Hopefully the coaches can experiment with him some this off season and find him a spot somewhere.

Go Jackets!

He is an athlete...not a complete football player right now. Miami had this problem for awhile. They recruited a ton of Athletes but none of them had a "Home" position which led to them being kinda lost on the field. You can be an amazing athlete but it still doesn't always translate on the field.

 

[Rodney Kent]

I would certainly recruit a great athlete if I saw potential for him at a position or several positions. However, my first question to him would be, "With which position do you feel the most comfortable", and then I would try him out at various positions. It would have to be a position where he felt comfortable, and I also felt he would excel at that position. It is not good for any player to be switched around constantly from one position to another unless that player shows a remarkable adaptation for that style of play. I have seen some athletes that could play any position. You cannot place a square peg in a round hole.

 

[Eric]

I still would like to see Allen at B back

 

[CornerBlitz]

seriously, what happened to Beau Hankins? i read that he was killing it during practices and scrimmages, then when the season i never heard or read his name again

I wonder this as well. Charles Kelly was very high on Hankins before he left. Regardless, we need JHD to turn into a beast and find a DT opposite of Gostis to keep the OL honest. We haven't had 2 quality tackles since Walker and Richard left.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Wasn't Hankins scout team player of the year?

Well now I feel like a moron, I saw Eric's post on the previous play, nothing like being redundant now it there?

 

[CornerBlitz]

Wasn't Hankins scout team player of the year?

Well now I feel like a moron, I saw Eric's post on the previous play, nothing like being redundant now it there?

No worries OJF. I missed it as well. Still trying to get the hang of this.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Great analysis. Hate to see Watts and Drummond go but their absence will force some of the other guys to step up and I've got a good feeling about their meeting the challenge. Different chemistry but it might even be better overall.

Time flies, doesn't it? It seems like only yesterday that Jaybo and Drummond were prized recruits that would kick down the door and march to victory after victory at North and Techwood. And now their run is done.

 

[DvilleJacket]

I always want to see the guys that are signing day decisions or flips do good. I was really excited about Hankins size. Harrell is another we got from wake when they flipped one of ours last minute. Hope he can see the field sooner than expected.

 

[Madison Grant]

One thing to consider about the LBs- if the talent at DT is going to improve like people are saying with Commissiong and Akins and maybe the light going on for Kallon, it will go a long ways toward making our LBs look like a better unit.

 

[swampsting]

PJ has said some complimentary things about Cheeks, and I'm surprised he hasn't played. If Cheeks does leave, his best bet for playing time this late in his career would be FCS.

 

[MWBATL]

I thought Harrell's play just before he got injured was rather special. While I agree that JHD was not performing at a consistently high level, I thought Harrell went in and took that job away for himself with his aggressiveness, hitting, and attitude. I loved watching him fly around in the game (or was it two) that he started and thought his loss hurt our D. I would feel ALOT better if he were back healthy.

Until then, I think we are OK at this position. I think our senior DT's were terrible in getting QB pressure but were pretty decent in clogging up the middle and helping our run D and letting our LB's run free to the tackle. I think even if we slightly improve on the LB Corps that our run D will decline a bit because we lose that on the D line.

To me the one thing we really were poor at defensively was pass pressure, and when we blitzed it did not seem to help much. Not sure if that is a weakness amongst the LB's, or a scheme issue, but I think we will still not be elite defensively until we can solve this, and I don't see ANYONE on the D line who can generate pressure all by themselves. Gotsis will be double teamed routinely not that Jerry is gone, and will not be able to put pressure on while facing double teams, and DT's and other DE's are all new and inexperienced and none have shown breakthrough abilities.

All my own humble opinions, of course.

 

[BigDaddyBuzz]

Harrell will be starting if 100% healthy. He is the type of backer that Roof loves. I really like our depth and talent at LB. As Eric mentioned watch out for Marcordes starting in place of Watts. Davis plays strong side so he still backs up Nealy.

 

[alaguy]

I still would like to see Allen at B back

Eric.
my impression of him when I saw his tape was as a "long-strider" and would have a problem at Bback where the first short burst is paramount.I think he played RB in hi school because he was a big athlete and they didn't have better.

 

[alaguy]

I thought Harrell's play just before he got injured was rather special. While I agree that JHD was not performing at a consistently high level, I thought Harrell went in and took that job away for himself with his aggressiveness, hitting, and attitude. I loved watching him fly around in the game (or was it two) that he started and thought his loss hurt our D. I would feel ALOT better if he were back healthy.

Until then, I think we are OK at this position. I think our senior DT's were terrible in getting QB pressure but were pretty decent in clogging up the middle and helping our run D and letting our LB's run free to the tackle. I think even if we slightly improve on the LB Corps that our run D will decline a bit because we lose that on the D line.

To me the one thing we really were poor at defensively was pass pressure, and when we blitzed it did not seem to help much. Not sure if that is a weakness amongst the LB's, or a scheme issue, but I think we will still not be elite defensively until we can solve this, and I don't see ANYONE on the D line who can generate pressure all by themselves. Gotsis will be double teamed routinely not that Jerry is gone, and will not be able to put pressure on while facing double teams, and DT's and other DE's are all new and inexperienced and none have shown breakthrough abilities.

All my own humble opinions, of course.

EXACTLY,well said.

 

[Ben Jones]

PJ has said some complimentary things about Cheeks, and I'm surprised he hasn't played. If Cheeks does leave, his best bet for playing time this late in his career would be FCS.

Cheeks and Menocal (not mentioned) are not BCS caliber, they are cut out to play somewhere like Furman according to some inside the AA.