Returning Players

[Theologator]

Between all the angst and buzz about transfers and recruits, the returning players are overlooked. For example, who is replacing Pearsall? Will it be a portal guy or Williams? Jean? Mizell?

We played a lot of young guys this year. Who do you hope/expect to take a big step forward?

I’ll start with Collins, Harris, Dijon & the 2 safeties.

Who ya got?

 

[Homer J]

Our entire defense returns. I know that doesn’t mean much but having our 2 LBs and safeties a year wiser helps. I hope we can get at least 1 CB to team with Moore or have Jackson step up. We can’t go another year with Kimber and Marshall.

 

[G8trwood]

Hopefully out S/C program is worth a fork. The LB and safeties could use a bit of mass to go with that new found experience.

 

[deuce]

Our entire defense returns. I know that doesn’t mean much but having our 2 LBs and safeties a year wiser helps. I hope we can get at least 1 CB to team with Moore or have Jackson step up. We can’t go another year with Kimber and Marshall.

Not really.....

 

[Spurdog98]

Our entire defense returns. I know that doesn’t mean much but having our 2 LBs and safeties a year wiser helps. I hope we can get at least 1 CB to team with Moore or have Jackson step up. We can’t go another year with Kimber and Marshall.

 

[TN G8tr]

Couple of guys not to get lost in the mix that got injured earlier in the year.

Justus Boone EDGE R-SO
Cam Carroll RB R-SR

Not sure of their impacts going forward but highly thought of pre-season.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Not really.....

Losing Princely is addition by subtraction.

Give me more Searcy and Collins, and Ive forgotten Cox Part 2 already.

 

[soflagator]

Between all the angst and buzz about transfers and recruits, the returning players are overlooked. For example, who is replacing Pearsall? Will it be a portal guy or Williams? Jean? Mizell?

We played a lot of young guys this year. Who do you hope/expect to take a big step forward?

I’ll start with Collins, Harris, Dijon & the 2 safeties.

Who ya got?

I agree on Collins and Castell. But at corner, I’d say Jakeem Jackson is most likely to break out. He had moments this year and was our highest rated overall recruit of last year’s class. Also, assuming we keep Jean, he should be great.

 

[jdh5484]

Hopefully out S/C program is worth a fork. The LB and safeties could use a bit of mass to go with that new found experience.

Add both lines to that list too.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Couple of guys not to get lost in the mix that got injured earlier in the year.

Justus Boone EDGE R-SO
Cam Carroll RB R-SR

Not sure of their impacts going forward but highly thought of pre-season.

Justus Boone looked like our next great pass rusher. I was hoping for big things from him bookending with Princely and the two of them bringing heat from both sides without having to blitz. That is, until Boone's ACL injury.

Princely is gone but we got Joey Slackman in the portal. I don't know how Ivy League is going to translate to SEC, but it looks like he can generate pressure from the DT position. We're still going to need somebody who can rush the passer from the other edge to step up (Kelby Collins or T.J. Searcy) but if that happens, we might finally be able to put "third and Grantham" behind us.

Hopefully.


Alex.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Our entire defense returns. I know that doesn’t mean much but having our 2 LBs and safeties a year wiser helps. I hope we can get at least 1 CB to team with Moore or have Jackson step up. We can’t go another year with Kimber and Marshall.

Marshall seemed to regress over the last two seasons. Can't help but wonder how much of that was coaching. I think we'll know by the end of spring.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Justus Boone looked like our next great pass rusher. I was hoping for big things from him bookending with Princely

You cant play two tiny ends at the same time our your run defense is schiff. Princely was the feaux "strong end" (when he wasnt occasionally playing DT) under Grantham. Boone took Cox's Rush/Jack position (and was slightly better holding the edge) but Princely slimmed down and moved to the Rush/Edge last year. Being too light is why teams run for 400 yards on us. You really can't play two lightweight DEs except on third and long.

 

[GatorJ]

I think receiver needs to come from the portal. There are some good receivers out there. We have until the end of spring to bring one in. No need to have one here during spring practice. Just get a talented receiver.

There are a couple pass rushing beasts in the portal. But we do have some talent on this team already.

As for linebacker all of the talent outside of Shemar James is in last year’s and this year’s class.

I think by middle of the year the 3 linebackers will be Shemar, Myles Graham, and Chiles. —- but don’t forget about Jaden Robinson. Kid reminds me of our LBs in the 90s. Could be special.

The current 3 starters are Nunnery, Wingo, and Terjada Mitchell. None of those guys would have started on any of our prior teams. Nunnery should slide back to being a backup and a ST ace. Wingo should only be brought in special pass rushing packages. He’s very good at that. None of those guys will be starting by the middle of next year. Probably not even by the fall.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Marshall seemed to regress over the last two seasons. Can't help but wonder how much of that was coaching. I think we'll know by the end of spring.

It is a pattern at most positions. Kids flash as a freshman then regress. There is such thing as a soph slump (as teams get film and start doing the things you struggle with) but when it is so widespread as it is on our team, the core problem is coaching.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Wingo should only be brought in special pass rushing packages. He’s very good at that. None of those guys will be starting by the middle of next year. Probably not even by the fall.

Wingo was actually a rush specialist/ jack/ edge in HS. Honestly, it's probably where he should be even now.

 

[jdh5484]

You cant play two tiny ends at the same time our your run defense is schiff. Princely was the feaux "strong end" (when he wasnt occasionally playing DT) under Grantham. Boone took Cox's Rush/Jack position (and was slightly better holding the edge) but Princely slimmed down and moved to the Rush/Edge last year. Being too light is why teams run for 400 yards on us. You really can't play two lightweight DEs except on third and long.

What's the ideal size?

6'5-6'6 270-280? With quick first step?

 

[GatorJ]

As for safety, we had a couple freshmen that were really good this year. They could be solid starters next year. Castell and Thornton.

CB has no elite talent IMO. I think we need an elite kid from the portal.

If we can get a shutdown corner, replace the starting LB corp (who were terrible outside Shemar), and get some size at SDE and WDE, we will be significantly better on defense.

 

[GatorJ]

What's the ideal size?

6'5-6'6 270-280? With quick first step?

SDE? I would think 290-300

 

[Swamp Donkey]

What's the ideal size?

6'5-6'6 270-280? With quick first step?

Yeah, like they grow on trees.

Honestly, Dante Fowler is ideal. Im guessing 265. Moss and Cunningham worked but were lighter. Bullard (about 285-295) also ideal for the other end. Lawrence Marsh too. You'd REALLY like that DE to be able to control 2 gaps, and require a double team. This is huge for keeping the LB or strong safety (if we played one) clean on strongside runs. We just don't recruit like that anymore though and Grantham era was a damn disaster size wise. Gervon could have been that dude but we played him inside instead. He is outside in the pro's of course.

There are the occasional Will Anderson (245 lb) freaks who can defeat an SEC OT (340 pounds) but they are rare indeed. A total freak, once in a decade type.

Everyone follows Saban and he basically build a defense to counter Freeze and Malzahn's twitchy fast sideways stuff, but that just isn't the offense of most of the SEC. Most are still ground and pound except Tinerc and Ole Miss (although Kiffy has been running much more).

Meyer played slightly smaller but we played 3 real linebackers with a 250-260 ass kicking mike backer and a strong safety (sometimes Joiner at 215-220 or so) in the box too to offset. Honestly I'd like to see more of this from us but it isn't in Hammy's skill set.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Yeah, like they grow on trees.

Honestly, Dante Fowler is ideal. Im guessing 265. Moss and Cunningham worked but were lighter. Bullard (about 285-295) also ideal for the other end. Lawrence Marsh too. You'd REALLY like that DE to be able to control 2 gaps, and require a double team. This is huge for keeping the LB or strong safety (if we played one) clean on strongside runs. We just don't recruit like that anymore though and Grantham era was a damn disaster size wise. Gervon could have been that dude but we played him inside instead. He is outside in the pro's of course.

There are the occasional Will Anderson (245 lb) freaks who can defeat an SEC OT (340 pounds) but they are rare indeed. A total freak, once in a decade type.

Everyone follows Saban and he basically build a defense to counter Freeze and Malzahn's twitchy fast sideways stuff, but that just isn't the offense of most of the SEC. Most are still ground and pound except Tinerc and Ole Miss (although Kiffy has been running much more).

Meyer played slightly smaller but we played 3 real linebackers with a 250-260 ass kicking mike backer and a strong safety (sometimes Joiner at 215-220 or so) in the box too to offset. Honestly I'd like to see more of this from us but it isn't in Hammy's skill set.

You should always take published measurables with a grain of salt. That said, Justus Boone was billed at 6'4" 265. To me, he looks too lean to be 265 at 6'4" but by the time we kick it off against Miami next year, he might be a legit 265.



Alex.