Adding graduate transfer linebacker Anthony Harrell of Georgia Tech NOW

[Concrete Helmet]

Does anyone know if this guy can actually play.....sorry I'm too busy to look up any stats.

 

[LongTooth]

Does anyone know if this guy can actually play.....sorry I'm too busy to look up any stats.

the G-ville Sun reports he recorded 54 tackles over three years as a backup/special teams player. he's a security measure in case of injuries to others, not someone who will scare off potential recruits with only one year of eligibility left. but, he's a gator legacy and i'm glad to see mac add the depth.

a qb, two OLs, and a an LB after some folks said the grad transfer window was nailed shut. good job mac and co.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Does anyone know if this guy can actually play.....sorry I'm too busy to look up any stats.

He has more proven playing ability than our guy who have been hurt their entire careers.

Usually All Americans don't transfer. We got lucky with the OT, very lucky.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

the G-ville Sun reports he recorded 54 tackles over three years as a backup/special teams player. he's a security measure in case of injuries to others, not someone who will scare off potential recruits with only one year of eligibility left. but, he's a gator legacy and i'm glad to see mac add the depth.

a qb, two OLs, and a an LB after some folks said the grad transfer window was nailed shut. good job mac and co.

Thanks and good post. If nothing else at least we know Mac's not oblivious to potential problem areas unlike his predecessor.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

a qb, two OLs, and a an LB after some folks said the grad transfer window was nailed shut. good job mac and co.

Who said that? All I remember being said was that some were declaring that we'd just go get jucos, which was silly because all the jucos were signed in January.

I don't remember us getting two OLs. The one unsigned juco (Mettermeier, playing this fall) signed with Oklahoma, not us. Who are you thinking about? The juco kid from Kansas Brandon Autry maybe?He is still playing juco this fall and won't be on campus until next year. A few more OL would have been helpful but those dudes don't grow on trees.

Yes, he's done a great job.

 

[Gator Fever]

Does anyone know if this guy can actually play.....sorry I'm too busy to look up any stats.

Not great stats but contributed. It appeared he got about 3.5 tackles a game or something like that. He probably didn't play in some situations.

 

[LongTooth]

Who said that? All I remember being said was that some were declaring that we'd just go get jucos, which was silly because all the jucos were signed in January.

I don't remember us getting two OLs. The one unsigned juco (Mettermeier, playing this fall) signed with Oklahoma, not us. Who are you thinking about? The juco kid from Kansas Brandon Autry maybe?He is still playing juco this fall and won't be on campus until next year. A few more OL would have been helpful but those dudes don't grow on trees.

Yes, he's done a great job.

there were some doom and gloom posts here and on other boards in the spring which doubted we would get anything from grads after the juco opportunities went by the boards. i can understand the negativity given the way the last four years played out, but after the nightmare we've all been through with coaching i would rather take the wait and see tact this year and so far i'm enjoying what i'm seeing form mac. you're right, finding these guys is rare and maybe people were right to doubt we would turn up anyone. but it's obvious we're not dealing with the ineptitude of the previous regime.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

There is still great pain to come. We have only Riles, Sharpe, Dillard, and the grad transfer on the OL. All the rest are freshmen (mostly true freshmen). Add Thurman perhaps if his shoulder is good enough and he's managed to lift at all. Given that he's missed 3 of the last 4 years, I'm still not optimistic. Frankly, Riles looked like crap in the O&B game versus walkons. I expect him to lose his job to a freshman. Dorsey and Harkless looked terrible too.

Freshmen OL in the SEC get owned on a weekly basis. It's going to be ugly. However, at least we aren't looking at playing 250 lb walkons and tuba players. Its a step in the right direction. Next year's fate was sealed years ago when we kept Chimp but the outlook is certainly brighter at least on offense.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Does anyone know if this guy can actually play.....sorry I'm too busy to look up any stats.

here is a link to ramblinwreck.com that actually has his bio and game by game stats for his entire career at GT. As already noted, not the best stars but he returns kicks on special teams and he provides added depth. It also notes that he was considered one of the hardest hitters on the team.

http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/anthony_harrell_756477.html

 

[LongTooth]

There is still great pain to come. We have only Riles, Sharpe, Dillard, and the grad transfer on the OL. All the rest are freshmen (mostly true freshmen). Add Thurman perhaps if his shoulder is good enough and he's managed to lift at all. Given that he's missed 3 of the last 4 years, I'm still not optimistic. Frankly, Riles looked like crap in the O&B game versus walkons. I expect him to lose his job to a freshman.

Freshmen OL in the SEC get owned on a weekly basis. It's going to be ugly. However, at least we aren't looking at playing 250 lb walkons and tuba players. Its a step in the right direction.

Thurman has been lifting since May. And here's hoping Ivey demonstrates a very steep learning curve. Some early struggles could give way to solid play later in the season if this line stays healthy the rest of the way and the staff pulls them together. If we can get to 7 or 8 wins while knocking off 1 or 2 big rivals along the way, that'll be a pretty good start for mac and give him great momentum heading into the following season.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

If we can get to 7 or 8 wins while knocking off 1 or 2 big rivals along the way, that'll be a pretty good start for mac and give him great momentum heading into the following season.

I would consider 7 or 8 wins a great season given what was left.

I expect MacTatersalad to eventually establish a nice offense, even if it's next year. The defense? Not so sure.

 

[Gator Fever]

Thurman is probably the key to the O line surviving early as I think the transfer will end up starting right off the bat. Hard to say with Ivey because he says he is up to around 295 but says he will probably drop back to 285 once practice starts and he is doing all that stuff. The few true freshman O linemen to play pretty good in the SEC recently were ones coming out of high school near 300 I think.

 

[skyflake]

Why anyone is clamoring for Trip Thurman to return is beyond belief. He's an awful player, or have any of you hoping for his return actually watched him play? UF would be much better off playing a more talented player with zero experience, so that he can gain experience for the future, than a guy who's been a bad player his entire career at UF. As for being impressed with McElwain's ability to get players, again you must be on drugs. It''s an FCS second team All-American from might Fordham, not a real All-American. He's also 6'8" and weighs 300 ibs. Do you know any linemen that tall on the offensive line that weigh so little? Inn Recruiting for 2016, UF was beaten out by South Florida for Christion Gainer. That's South Florida, guys. Muschamp on his worst day wasn't as bad as McElwain at attracting recruits. Paker boudreaux may pick someone else. That leaves Marcus Tatum and Brett Heggie. Is McElwain going to poach players from Florida Atlantic like he did last year? We'll have to wait until we see the product on the field to make any kind of lasting judgement, but, based on what McElwain has done so far, UF may be in the same place, or worse, four or five years from now when they again try to hire a decent coach.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

That's cute. Skyflake is back.

 

[aka]

The staff is painfully aware of the shortage of bodies. That's good because it creates the urgency needed to try every avenue to do something about it. We can't just write this year off. Perception is reality and we need to be able to, at least, compete in the games we are almost surely to lose. Recruits will be watching and bloggers will be blogging and tweeters will be tweeting. It's endless.

 

[CaribGator]

The staff is painfully aware of the shortage of bodies. That's good because it creates the urgency needed to try every avenue to do something about it. We can't just write this year off. Perception is reality and we need to be able to, at least, compete in the games we are almost surely to lose. Recruits will be watching and bloggers will be blogging and tweeters will be tweeting. It's endless.

Excellent post.

We have the talent on D to be in every game. If Mac can get some cohesion and production out of the O-line, be more exciting on offense,, win the games we should, pull off an upset or two, then we'll have the recruits, bloggers and tweeters giving us positive exposure which hopefully makes the rebuilding process quicker.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Guys, we hired a DC who has averaged the 102nd or 103rd ranked defense. The belief that we are going to rely on the D "to be in every game" is sadly quite unrealistic.

 

[GatorInKnox]

Guys, we hired a DC who has averaged the 102nd or 103rd ranked defense. The belief that we are going to rely on the D "to be in every game" is sadly quite unrealistic.

I'm still a bit puzzled by the hire. I don't think anyone would have asked any questions if it just would have been Randy Shannon.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Thank you for that. Just tell me it's really Randy Shannon and the other guy is just here because he knows "Saban Way". Of course, Shannon wasn't great either, but he had some ok defenses.

 

[aka]

I'm thinking, as has been said, that it must have been because of the continuity in style and terminology. With wholesale change on the O, gotta be that. Said, "Listen, we're bringing you here and you better not fv(k it up, so rent for now and don't buy. And, btw, we just hired Randy Shannon. Just in case."