Spring game talk

[InsideLB]

If I had to pick one thing that jumped out at me from the spring game it's this: The skill positions look LOADED.

At QB Taquon and JJ are both capable of creating on their own when the play breaks down. Lucas Johnson has less wiggle but is hardly a slouch either, and I like how the ball comes out of his hand. All look capable of running the base offense. That doesn't even include MJ who if healthy IMO would easily start.

At BB I thought Quaide looked really quick in traffic and he looks ready to me. Kirvonte is fast and physical for his size and also looks ready. Mills looks like a man among boys. After watching the spring game I'd feel comfortable with any of them in a game.

At AB Gantt and Omari Jarrett looked very, very, very quick. Gantt looked terrific to me as a receiver. Very natural. Jarrett had a run on the perimeter when he should have been dead to rights, but juked his way to a five yard gain. It reminded me of a run Lynch had in a spring game before he emerged. Not a big gainer but it put me on notice that this guy presents problems in space for a defense. Of course, Lynch, Searcy, and Green are all good to go, and Cottrel is finally healthy.

At WR we know what we have in Jeune and Stewart, and Camp is starting to emerge. We've heard Messick has done some good things. Would be nice to see Jair and Dolphus get into the mix.

That's about as deep at the skills as I've seen, and the most talented since Dwyer-Nesbitt-Bebe.

 

[GTech63]

Am I the lone ranger in liking LJ as having more potential than Marshall or Jones? I am no expert and as has been said the Spring game is only one data point while coaches have many more data points. LJ has an arm with touch, accuracy, and I didn't see anyone gaining on him on the 70 Yard TD.

We may lead in rushing but the key to a NC is a 12 of 18 150+ yards passing. The other key is 5 to 8 + turnover margin on D.

We seem to be moving in the right direction in building depth and skills. On D we have an experienced secondary. Need to see what the D line and LBs look like but is promising. If we can stay healthy, get a break or two, this year could be special.

It time to beat the dawgs at Bobby Dodd! THWG

 

[SidewalkJacket]

Am I the lone ranger in liking LJ as having more potential than Marshall or Jones? I am no expert and as has been said the Spring game is only one data point while coaches have many more data points. LJ has an arm with touch, accuracy, and I didn't see anyone gaining on him on the 70 Yard TD.

I haven't watched the whole game, just highlights. LJ did look fast on his long TD. Most of his total rushing yards came on that one play, however. Others can speak to how he looked operating the offensive otherwise.

JJ highlights that I saw do give that Lamar Jackson comparison some weight. He looks so explosive.

I have heard so little specifically about TM's play, but CPJ has praised him consistently.

I have already stated my ideal scenario, but it is based on my desire to keep every QB and maximize their abilities wherever they can get on the field. One thing is clear, though: if two of the four of these cats has ball security and a good handle on his reads... LOOK OUT ACC.

 

[AE 87]

Am I the lone ranger in liking LJ as having more potential than Marshall or Jones? I am no expert and as has been said the Spring game is only one data point while coaches have many more data points. LJ has an arm with touch, accuracy, and I didn't see anyone gaining on him on the 70 Yard TD.

We may lead in rushing but the key to a NC is a 12 of 18 150+ yards passing. The other key is 5 to 8 + turnover margin on D.

We seem to be moving in the right direction in building depth and skills. On D we have an experienced secondary. Need to see what the D line and LBs look like but is promising. If we can stay healthy, get a break or two, this year could be special.

It time to beat the dawgs at Bobby Dodd! THWG

I agree with you on LJ.

Still, this early with limited data, it's probably confirmation bias whoever one likes.

I like the idea of a QB who can see more because of height.

 

[GT Tennessee]

Sorry for asking guys, but haven't seen the game yet. Waiting on GT Bob to put it up. Does Jay Jones have a legit chance to start. I understand MJ injury is a little more serious.

 

[InsideLB]

IMO, for this team there is a LOT that is there for the taking.

It depends how hard the guys are willing to work. If they can approach this season with the same edge, drive, work ethic, and commitment to each other and the program as they did last offseason, I believe the talent and depth exists right here right now to have a terrific football team--and the fates willing (stay healthy, not too many bad calls, some good bounces, etc)--we could have a special season.

IMO Biggest needs:
--The offensive line needs to continue to play as it did last year (effective run game & pass pro)
--Consistent play makers need to develop on the DL (win 1-on-1 battles as a group more frequently, particularly in applying a pass rush)
--The LB corps needs to develop (Micthell and Lewis take the next step) and are effectively buttressed by new blood (a healthy Cooksey, ?Swilling, David Curry, Jacob Brashear, an emergent Alexander, etc.).
--Kicking and Punting specialists emerge.
--Lots of grinding, commitment to improvement, belief in self, love for teammates, etc. I like the character of our guys and don't see them being complacent, but one never knows after a successful season. We seem to have some grinders though...I believe in them.

 

[InsideLB]

Sorry for asking guys, but haven't seen the game yet. Waiting on GT Bob to put it up. Does Jay Jones have a legit chance to start. I understand MJ injury is a little more serious.

Espn3 replay is free.

Click replays and select football for the sport. GT spring game should be right there for you.

 

[TampaGT]

Am I the lone ranger in liking LJ as having more potential than Marshall or Jones? I am no expert and as has been said the Spring game is only one data point while coaches have many more data points. LJ has an arm with touch, accuracy, and I didn't see anyone gaining on him on the 70

It time to beat the dawgs at Bobby Dodd! THWG

No, I'm with you on LJ. I think he could the one to take the position to the next level. I think if he can add a little weight he can be the physical runner to run mid line, the speed to be a threat on the edge to take it to the house, and burn the secondary when they start to cheat. One of the things I was looking for in the SG was if he would look for contact when running the option. Although it was limited to a few plays I did see him lower the shoulder on a run. He seems to have a nice touch and a nice deep ball. He MIGHT BE the QB that can run the entire playbook (Midline, TO, physical runner with speed, short passing game and deep ball). We have seen with JT how the passing game can really help and LJ has the height to do it from the pocket. If he has a good fall they may move the others to different positions.

 

[GTJoeBrew]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet but Quaide surprised me with his athleticism. I keep looking for longestdays to post his hurdle.

 

[stech81]

Am I the lone ranger in liking LJ as having more potential than Marshall or Jones? I am no expert and as has been said the Spring game is only one data point while coaches have many more data points. LJ has an arm with touch, accuracy, and I didn't see anyone gaining on him on the 70 Yard TD.

We may lead in rushing but the key to a NC is a 12 of 18 150+ yards passing. The other key is 5 to 8 + turnover margin on D.

We seem to be moving in the right direction in building depth and skills. On D we have an experienced secondary. Need to see what the D line and LBs look like but is promising. If we can stay healthy, get a break or two, this year could be special.

It time to beat the dawgs at Bobby Dodd! THWG

First it was only a Spring game 1's vs 1's and 2's vs 2's. So I'll start by saying I want to see MJ start vs Tenn. But who ever CPJ picks I will back them. Without see any practice I have no idea why CPJ picked who would go with the 1's and who would go with the 2's so I don't know if it means anything. I think all of them could be good working with the starters. I'll take the guy ( MJ ) with the most game experience .
What has me a little worried is MJ will be out 3-4 months which will mean he won't be able to work with the other starters on timing over the summer. So IMO maybe if MJ is ready in the fall we could see CPJ play 2 QB's.

 

[tech_wreck47]

Am I the lone ranger in liking LJ as having more potential than Marshall or Jones? I am no expert and as has been said the Spring game is only one data point while coaches have many more data points. LJ has an arm with touch, accuracy, and I didn't see anyone gaining on him on the 70 Yard TD.

We may lead in rushing but the key to a NC is a 12 of 18 150+ yards passing. The other key is 5 to 8 + turnover margin on D.

We seem to be moving in the right direction in building depth and skills. On D we have an experienced secondary. Need to see what the D line and LBs look like but is promising. If we can stay healthy, get a break or two, this year could be special.

It time to beat the dawgs at Bobby Dodd! THWG

I see what you are saying with LJ, but imo, like you said it the spring game, so it's not a good indicator to see who is the best out of the QB group. Imo JJ is the best passer, but LJ probably not far off. I personally like JJ because I think hes the most atheletic from a QB stand point, and has very good balance and explosion. Main thing will be who is reading the best imo, whoever that is will be the starter I think.

 

[alentrekin]

First it was only a Spring game 1's vs 1's and 2's vs 2's. So I'll start by saying I want to see MJ start vs Tenn. But who ever CPJ picks I will back them. Without see any practice I have no idea why CPJ picked who would go with the 1's and who would go with the 2's so I don't know if it means anything. I think all of them could be good working with the starters. I'll take the guy ( MJ ) with the most game experience .
What has me a little worried is MJ will be out 3-4 months which will mean he won't be able to work with the other starters on timing over the summer. So IMO maybe if MJ is ready in the fall we could see CPJ play 2 QB's.

IIRC, it was to balance the reps.

JJ was a game time decision. If he hadn't played, CPJ wouldn't want Chase getting all the 2's reps at the expense of LJ/Taquon. This way, it's balanced. And between Taquon and LJ, Taquon is the upperclassman so, all things equal, he runs 1s / gets more potential reps.

 

[GTMom]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet but Quaide surprised me with his athleticism. I keep looking for longestdays to post his hurdle.

Yes! He did quite well. Looks like he will be an asset this season. Love seeing that kind of effort.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Am I the lone ranger in liking LJ as having more potential than Marshall or Jones? I am no expert and as has been said the Spring game is only one data point while coaches have many more data points. LJ has an arm with touch, accuracy, and I didn't see anyone gaining on him on the 70 Yard TD.

We may lead in rushing but the key to a NC is a 12 of 18 150+ yards passing. The other key is 5 to 8 + turnover margin on D.

We seem to be moving in the right direction in building depth and skills. On D we have an experienced secondary. Need to see what the D line and LBs look like but is promising. If we can stay healthy, get a break or two, this year could be special.

It time to beat the dawgs at Bobby Dodd! THWG

LJ reminds me of Vad Lee w/o the "don't like the offense" baggage.

 

[MikeJackets]

LJ reminds me of Vad Lee w/o the "don't like the offense" baggage.

LJ has speed to burn

 

[Boomergump]

I finally got to watch the replay last night. Being out of town on Friday was less than desirable.

The skill positions do indeed look to be stocked. I know it is a real small sample size delivered in the context of a spring game, which can be very misleading. Having said that, I can't over-state how optimistic I am about JJ at QB. This is a running offense. While it may currently be true that LJ has more touch and a better feel for throwing than Jay, I just don't see how we are going to be able to keep JJ off the field long term. He is like a man among boys out there with the ball in his hands. I don't know how else to say it. Whatever voltage he operates on will drive a much more powerful device. Was he sloppy? Yes kind of. Was he accurate? Not really. I guess what surprised me the most, in addition to the speed and agility etc, was how he seemed to play like he was 30 pounds heavier than he is. If he gets the reads and finer points down in the run game, I think he will win the job. The question is when that will happen. IF MJ comes back strong, great. If not, and I had to decide today, I would go with JJ. Just my $.02. As always it will be fun to watch play out.

 

[UgaBlows]

If Jay Jones gets his reads & ball security down, look out! Speed, quickness, athleticism. On top of his unbelievable athleticism, he is tough to bring down! By looking at him, you wouldn't think that he could bring it to a linebacker, but my goodness the kid is tough. Vic Alexander tried to level him and had a clean shot on him, but Jones spun off the tackle and managed three or four more yards. Not discounting MJ, but I suspect we will see this kid

Vic should have wrapped up on that one

 

[danny daniel]

My impressions from being at the game and watching the tape:

It was really hard to evaluate the QBs. Their general play was exciting and promising, but sloppy. They often had very poor blocking and there were few TO pitch plays to evaluate. Passing looked really promising but the accuracy was erratic. Often the pitch relationship was off. (Martensen actually handled the TO the best). The other QBs played a lot of backyard style football, mostly running for their lives in all directions and I was disappointed to not see drives based on typical CPJ plays grinding forward, likely a result of CPJ limiting participation of AB playmakers and Mills..

The D brought a lot of pressure on pass plays. The OL was loaded with walk-ons (many really under-sized) and D2 players with little game experience and interior blocking was really poor at times. There were a few good edge blocks.

Several D players impressed me with good individual plays (Simmons, St Amour, Vernon, Branch, Mitchell, Cole, Cooksey, Lewis, Adams to name some). Simmons and Branch impressed with the pass rush and Mitchell, Cooksey, and Lewis made some blitz plays (but maybe they looked good against that aforementioned OL that really struggled in pass protection).

Overall there were lots of individual playmakers, even two deep at many positions, that provide hope for a great season. The game was played without Jordan, Jeune, Lynch, and limited action from Bryan and Stewart. I am encouraged about the D. Once CPJ picks a QB he can most likely build a team and game plays for that skill set and I believe the O will click...regardless which QBs are chosen to play. We are in for a special season if the OTs stay healthy and we get some OL and kicking frosh help in the Fall.

 

[SlawDog]

My impressions from being at the game and watching the tape:

It was really hard to evaluate the QBs. Their general play was exciting and promising, but sloppy. They often had very poor blocking and there were few TO pitch plays to evaluate. Passing looked really promising but the accuracy was erratic. Often the pitch relationship was off. (Martensen actually handled the TO the best). The other QBs played a lot of backyard style football, mostly running for their lives in all directions and I was disappointed to not see drives based on typical CPJ plays grinding forward, likely a result of CPJ limiting participation of AB playmakers and Mills..

The D brought a lot of pressure on pass plays. The OL was loaded with walk-ons (many really under-sized) and D2 players with little game experience and interior blocking was really poor at times. There were a few good edge blocks.

Several D players impressed me with good individual plays (Simmons, St Amour, Vernon, Branch, Mitchell, Cole, Cooksey, Lewis, Adams to name some). Simmons and Branch impressed with the pass rush and Mitchell, Cooksey, and Lewis made some blitz plays (but maybe they looked good against that aforementioned OL that really struggled in pass protection).

Overall there were lots of individual playmakers, even two deep at many positions, that provide hope for a great season. The game was played without Jordan, Jeune, Lynch, and limited action from Bryan and Stewart. I am encouraged about the D. Once CPJ picks a QB he can most likely build a team and game plays for that skill set and I believe the O will click...regardless which QBs are chosen to play. We are in for a special season if the OTs stay healthy and we get some OL and kicking frosh help in the Fall.

The best recap -bar none !

 

[ATL1]

I like LJ's size and length. He looks like a QB first and was allowed to play as one during the Spring game. What he may not be as an explosive or as an elusive runner as JJ, but as a passer he was clearly better. He looked plenty explosive as a straight line runner too.

So a shiftier more elusive runner with a cannon vs bigger, stronger, guy who has a strong arm, touch and accuracy.

Take your pick for me right now it's LJ.