PFF Season Grades to date

Heisman's Ghost

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My guess is that Snoddy's overall body of work stands out in the statistical areas important to PFF's grading system. If you look at his numbers here: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/broderick-snoddy-1.html, which does not include the blocking metric that PFF also uses, they are fairly impressive. The fact that his carries were split a lot with others in the A-back role makes it seem like he wasn't an impact player.
Ave yards/carry: 7.8
Ave yards/reception: 25.2
KR ave: 22.4

Different system, but those stats arent too shabby.
You are correct he was a good player but not number one on that team. It seems he was a good blocker and for sure was a burner but he seldom got the ball in space. He had problems with fumbles on pitches but that was not always his fault.
 

4shotB

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Retired Staff
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Interesting question but I doubt they pay any attention to it. I am sure they have their own grading system but you don't have to be an expert to see we still do not have a good line on either side of the ball.
While I agree, this data gives you a sense of scale or relativity if you will. When scoring is normalized AND done by an outside, independent party it also takes out potential biases that might arise from self grading. A coach might love the kid he recruited for instance and grade differently than he might for another player. Biases are real and mostly undetectable. Also, it allows you to set targets and measure improvements. For example, if School A is determined to be the benchmark, now you have a goal that you can set and measure improvements against. As they say, if you can't measure it you can't manage it. I don't know where or how I acquired this mindset?! ;)
 

roadkill

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You are correct he was a good player but not number one on that team. It seems he was a good blocker and for sure was a burner but he seldom got the ball in space. He had problems with fumbles on pitches but that was not always his fault.
Agree in general although I don't remember his fumbling (maybe mentally blocking those out?). It's more of a comment on how PFF can be a useful tool, but the grades can also be taken with a grain of salt due to the stats they use for grading. I mean, JT doesn't even make the top list yet he was an outstanding QB for CPJ's system in 2014.
 

Gtbowhunter90

In Black Bear Country
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Just being curious here.....I wonder what our coaches plus coaches elsewhere think of this data? More specifically, do they use it to inform their decisions on playing time, position changes, coaching methods and techniques. It looks like it is powerful data but I wonder how many coaches at the college and pro level feel likewise?
I think they rely more on catapult data and practice film. Stats are nice, but there's always outliers that affect them.
 

GaTech4ever

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1,526
Snoddy graded #1? That makes me suspicious right there. Shaq is number one and number two due to the fact that he usually took out two players on every play. Smelter, Hill, and Waller? Yep. I believe it. Hill in particular was an underappreciated player in his time. Need a block on the perimeter, he would gladly do it. Need a couple of yards on a pitch from "Smoove"? Hill was your man. Need a clutch catch for a first down against UGA? Yep. he delivered. Did not carry the mail enough for fancy stats or records but he got the job done. One of those guys that coaches wished they had ten of them.
I think Snoddy grading out at #1 makes sense for two reasons:

1.) The absolute tear he was on running the ball in the games prior to his devastating injury.

2.) The limited sample size (i.e. Snoddy’s snaps compared to other key offensive players). Snoddy played 132 snaps in 9 games; for context, Charles Perkins played 436 snaps in 14 games, Deon Hill played 441 snaps in 14 games, Tony Zenon played 419 snaps in 13 games.
 

UgaBlows

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6,831
Both Tariq and Juanyeh's numbers tell me they would play a LOT better closer to the LOS...like at LB.

Juanyeh's numbers aren't as bad as I originally thought...but man both are struggling in pass coverage. Juanyeh was actually close to very good to elite in coverage early in his career.

We've had problems with LB play for a few years...I keep saying it, but our answer has been at safety. Someone is going to sign Tariq at the next level and develop him into a good LB...much like they did with Thomas Davis from UGA.
There’s no way in hell that either of these guys could play safety in the nfl with their speed and coverage abilities, i just don’t understand the thinking there, from the players or the coaches why they weren’t moved to LB
 

presjacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
678
I’ll post some grades that pop out to me. These rankings do require a minimum number of snaps to qualify (only FBS players are graded during the season).

Jordan Yates ranks 20/164 of all QBs in his passing grade.

Charlie Thomas currently ranks as the 6th best linebacker in the country (out of 461). Ayinde Eley is 399th.

Jordan Dominick currently ranks as the 12th best edge defender in the country (out of 461).

Devin Cochran is the #2 graded pass blocking tackle in the nation, out of 399 (yet only grades out at #110 overall).

Nick Pendley grades out as the #339 tackle out of 399. Jordan Williams is #255.

Ryan Johnson grades as the #310 guard, out of 410.

Ja’Quon Griffin is the #40 graded interior defender out of 534 (his 43 snaps do qualify him for the minimum threshold, but only 4 players ranked ahead of him have played fewer snaps).

Kyric McGowan grades out as the #44 WR out of 555.

Juanyeh Thomas’ pass coverage grade is #458 out of 471 safeties.

Wesley Walker’s run defense grade is 5th in the nation out of 471 safeties.
How are OL grading out so low? I mean I know how because I watch the games, but you know what I mean? How?
 

GT33

Helluva Engineer
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2,182
The data looks pretty consistent with what we've seen from the play on the field. I'm really not surprised by our MD LB, he lost his starting job there and I was hoping it was an injury that set him back up there. I hope he proves me wrong now, it's 2 games in a new defensive system. Charlie Thomas and Jordan Domineck are looking fantastic as expected & they're clearly elite defenders. Yes, elite. Walker has played well. He's got good upside. There's many posters on this board that were very enamored by our OL, particularly the transfers. On paper they should have dominated the first 2 games & this game coming up should have been the real test, but as a group they've not done well at all against competition that doesn't measure up to the rest of our schedule. They miss assignments, get pushed back by you'd think physically weaker defenders (they're certainly smaller), etc. They've opened few holes in 2 games. I bought into the SEC hype, but honestly it looks like all we got was the hype. These 2 games were supposed to be 2 games, 2 quarters each of learning to gel, not learning not to sink. McGowan has been a nice addition, Yates has 1.5 nice games under his belt again against lower competition. Ouch, Juanyeah Thomas' pass D. That's brutal.
 

roadkill

Helluva Engineer
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1,827
The data looks pretty consistent with what we've seen from the play on the field. I'm really not surprised by our MD LB, he lost his starting job there and I was hoping it was an injury that set him back up there. I hope he proves me wrong now, it's 2 games in a new defensive system. Charlie Thomas and Jordan Domineck are looking fantastic as expected & they're clearly elite defenders. Yes, elite. Walker has played well. He's got good upside. There's many posters on this board that were very enamored by our OL, particularly the transfers. On paper they should have dominated the first 2 games & this game coming up should have been the real test, but as a group they've not done well at all against competition that doesn't measure up to the rest of our schedule. They miss assignments, get pushed back by you'd think physically weaker defenders (they're certainly smaller), etc. They've opened few holes in 2 games. I bought into the SEC hype, but honestly it looks like all we got was the hype. These 2 games were supposed to be 2 games, 2 quarters each of learning to gel, not learning not to sink. McGowan has been a nice addition, Yates has 1.5 nice games under his belt again against lower competition. Ouch, Juanyeah Thomas' pass D. That's brutal.
Really hope Juanyeh can step up his game. Someone mentioned injury, so I wonder if he's still playing hurt. I pointed out in another thread that his tackling often seems lacking, almost like he's not trying to get his opponent to the ground. When he first started playing for us, he seemed like a genuine stud (remember his kickoff returns?).
 

Techster

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18,237
The data looks pretty consistent with what we've seen from the play on the field. I'm really not surprised by our MD LB, he lost his starting job there and I was hoping it was an injury that set him back up there. I hope he proves me wrong now, it's 2 games in a new defensive system. Charlie Thomas and Jordan Domineck are looking fantastic as expected & they're clearly elite defenders. Yes, elite. Walker has played well. He's got good upside. There's many posters on this board that were very enamored by our OL, particularly the transfers. On paper they should have dominated the first 2 games & this game coming up should have been the real test, but as a group they've not done well at all against competition that doesn't measure up to the rest of our schedule. They miss assignments, get pushed back by you'd think physically weaker defenders (they're certainly smaller), etc. They've opened few holes in 2 games. I bought into the SEC hype, but honestly it looks like all we got was the hype. These 2 games were supposed to be 2 games, 2 quarters each of learning to gel, not learning not to sink. McGowan has been a nice addition, Yates has 1.5 nice games under his belt again against lower competition. Ouch, Juanyeah Thomas' pass D. That's brutal.

Cochrane has graded out as an elite pass blocker...#2 in the nation so far. He had that high level pass blocking history at Vandy. He needs to work on his run blocking...but right now he's probably our best overall OL. Kirby needs more snaps. He's on NFL radars...so it makes me wonder if Key is deferring to experience in his system versus pure talent right now. I'd like to see Kirby at OG and line him up next to Cochrane.

Eley doesn't grade out well according to PFF, but he's a tackling machine. He's our leading tackler. He's a little better in coverage than Curry, but still needs work. Eley definitely covers more ground than Curry. Let's see how he plays against an ACC schedule. Remember, he's only been in our system for 2 games.

Domineck is continuing what he started last year. He's going to be playing on Sundays. Thomas has always shown flashes of elite play, but wasn't consistent. This year consistency is showing up. Now both need to keep it up heading into SEC play.
 

Vespid

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
318
My guess is that Snoddy's overall body of work stands out in the statistical areas important to PFF's grading system. If you look at his numbers here: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/broderick-snoddy-1.html, which does not include the blocking metric that PFF also uses, they are fairly impressive. The fact that his carries were split a lot with others in the A-back role makes it seem like he wasn't an impact player.
Ave yards/carry: 7.8
Ave yards/reception: 25.2
KR ave: 22.4

Different system, but those stats arent too shabby.
Can't rewrite history, and a tad off topic, but if Snoddy and Smelter were available in December of 2014, we'd have another ACC Championship trophy.
 

Northeast Stinger

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10,805
My guess is that Snoddy's overall body of work stands out in the statistical areas important to PFF's grading system. If you look at his numbers here: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/broderick-snoddy-1.html, which does not include the blocking metric that PFF also uses, they are fairly impressive. The fact that his carries were split a lot with others in the A-back role makes it seem like he wasn't an impact player.
Ave yards/carry: 7.8
Ave yards/reception: 25.2
KR ave: 22.4

Different system, but those stats arent too shabby.
I loved Snoddy when we recruited him and thought with his track star speed he had pro prospect written all over him. I cried for him with his career ending injury.
 

Northeast Stinger

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Can't rewrite history, and a tad off topic, but if Snoddy and Smelter were available in December of 2014, we'd have another ACC Championship trophy.
Agreed. We finished the season with fewer weapons than we started with. A testament to how strong and deep our talent was.
 

gtchem05

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
376
Cochrane has graded out as an elite pass blocker...#2 in the nation so far. He had that high level pass blocking history at Vandy. He needs to work on his run blocking...but right now he's probably our best overall OL. Kirby needs more snaps. He's on NFL radars...so it makes me wonder if Key is deferring to experience in his system versus pure talent right now. I'd like to see Kirby at OG and line him up next to Cochrane.

Eley doesn't grade out well according to PFF, but he's a tackling machine. He's our leading tackler. He's a little better in coverage than Curry, but still needs work. Eley definitely covers more ground than Curry. Let's see how he plays against an ACC schedule. Remember, he's only been in our system for 2 games.

Domineck is continuing what he started last year. He's going to be playing on Sundays. Thomas has always shown flashes of elite play, but wasn't consistent. This year consistency is showing up. Now both need to keep it up heading into SEC play.
Fortunately we still have another 9 warmup games before we dive into SEC play.

(Just picking on you, I know you meant ACC play) I totally agree with your post and thanks for the insight!
 

jojatk

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1,518
The data looks pretty consistent with what we've seen from the play on the field. I'm really not surprised by our MD LB, he lost his starting job there and I was hoping it was an injury that set him back up there. I hope he proves me wrong now, it's 2 games in a new defensive system. Charlie Thomas and Jordan Domineck are looking fantastic as expected & they're clearly elite defenders. Yes, elite. Walker has played well. He's got good upside. There's many posters on this board that were very enamored by our OL, particularly the transfers. On paper they should have dominated the first 2 games & this game coming up should have been the real test, but as a group they've not done well at all against competition that doesn't measure up to the rest of our schedule. They miss assignments, get pushed back by you'd think physically weaker defenders (they're certainly smaller), etc. They've opened few holes in 2 games. I bought into the SEC hype, but honestly it looks like all we got was the hype. These 2 games were supposed to be 2 games, 2 quarters each of learning to gel, not learning not to sink. McGowan has been a nice addition, Yates has 1.5 nice games under his belt again against lower competition. Ouch, Juanyeah Thomas' pass D. That's brutal.
The same Ace Eley who is tied for first in the ACC for total tackles 🤷‍♂️
Screen Shot 2021-09-16 at 10.18.20 AM.png
 

Jerry the Jacket

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Chapin, SC
Well, the data support the results we have seen playing out over the past few years. We just don't have the level of talent required to be a competitive program in Power 5, much less a dominant program. Guys can look the part but when the rubber meets the road, it comes down to being able to beat the man in front of you. Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go to get competitive. I hope we can muster enough effort and luck to have a break-even season but from where things stand right now, that does not look promising.

Go Jackets!
 
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