Freshmen on the OL

[soflagator]

2011 Tinerc is the most direct comparison. Mostly freshmen and even a walk on starting by the end of the year.

I'm with you and the others on keeping tempered expectations for this season. But I think 2011 ut is a bad example. Much of that group, like James and several other big names, came in as EE's in 2010. And 4 years later, the OL was still terrible. I think a lot of that had to do with coaching. I can remember our fans, and even some uga fans, talking about how that OL was going to take their lumps but would eventually be beastly. It just never happened, and that's actually pretty rare.

I do think Ivey can be a player this year. Most of the others were thought to somewhat projects, I believe. They will likely rotate in, but I actually think we'll be ok.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

I think it's safer to just keep expectations lower for this coming season and then do exactly what you said; recruit, recruit, recruit.

Pretty much.

 

[Swampy]

I’ve been thinking about this for a month or so and wondering if I should post it considering our current depth situation on the offensive line. At the risk of sounding like a “Sunshine Pumper”, here it is.

From Gatorzone.com (no info on who was a redshirt) our offensive line roster for a particularly unusual season:

Cheston Blackshear, OG, 6’3”, 272 lbs, FR
Pat Browning. OG, 6’4”, 294 lbs, FR
Scott Bryan, OT, 6’4”, 273 lbs, FR
Cooper Carlisle, OT, 6’5”, 285 lbs, FR
Mo Collins, OT, 6’5”, 312 lbs, SO
Todd Holland, OT, 6’6”, 274 lbs, JR transfer
Ryan Kalich, OG, 6’3”, 282 lbs, FR
Jeff Mitchell, C, 6’5”, 291 lbs, SR
Zach Piller, OT, 6’5”, 306 lbs, SO
Deac Story, OG, 6’4”, 281 lbs. SO
Corey Yarbrough, C, 6’2”, 285 lbs, FR
Donnie Young, OG, 6’4”, 315 lbs, SR
Zac Zedalis, OG, 6’3”, 279 lbs, FR

7 true or redshirt freshmen
3 sophomores
1 junior transfer
2 seniors

Notice the dearth of experienced upper classmen.

Anyone care to guess what season this was from? That’s right, 52 to 20 in the Sugar Bowl. Injuries and necessity inserted several of the freshmen into starting roles through the year including that National Championship game. Mitchell was injured at some point late in the year and never played another down for the Gators. Not sure who played center in the NC game, but I think it was Zedalis.

Anything is possible this year guys. We have 6 freshman OLs coming in the Fall, including the consensus top rated OT in the 2015 class who absolutely everyone has raved about and considered ready to play.
…
As Ox would say: Discuss

Don't know how Wiley Ritch was left off of this list. He replaced Jeff Mitchell at Center after he broke his leg against Georgia. Wiley started the remainder of that season including the SEC and NC games and started the entire 97 season.

 

[GatorJ]

In '96, our offense was unstoppable until Mitchell went down.

The starters were:

Zack Piller at LT (a transfer from GaTech, he was 20 years old in 1996 and good enough to play in the NFL for almost a decade),
Ryan Kalich at LG (a redshirt freshman)
Jeff Mitchell at C (a redshirt senior stud who also went on to have a solid NFL career)
Donnie Young at RG (another redshirt senior stud and a mauler with a legit mean streak)
Mo Collins at RT (redshirted in '94 and started in '95 and '96, uber talented, bit of a head case, maybe even nastier than Donnie Young, 6 year NFL career)

No true freshmen starters. These guys all had a ton of experience playing and playing with each other.

Trust me when I say that OL doesn't look ANYTHING like what we're going to be starting with this season--and we won't have the luxury of the best QB and the best WRs and the best offensive system in the country to make up for any potential OL shortfalls.

In the heart of the season, they demolished good opponents (including the number 2, 12, and 16 ranked teams) thusly :

	at #2 Tennessee				W 35–29
	Kentucky				W 65–0
	at Arkansas				W 42–7
	#12 Louisiana State				W 56–13
	#16 Auburn				W 51–10
	vs. Georgia				W 47–7

And don't be fooled by the score in the Tennessee game, it was over at halftime (score was 35-6).

Then Jeff Mitchell went down in that game against the Dawgs. Wyley Ritch (bless his heart) took his place. Dunno why Wyley doesn't show up on your list. He was a junior that year. Our next game was against lowly Vanderbilt. They blitzed right up the middle and harassed Danny all day. We eked out a 28-21 victory. Ouch.

Next game was against FSU on the road. If I recall correctly, Mo Collins was out for that game too. An ankle I think. Well, FSU watched the tape of what Vandy did and licked their chops. They were going after Danny. I love Spurrier, but this is a game where his stubbornness and arrogance got him beat. FSU beat up Danny and beat us 21-24. Bastards.

Then we met Bama in the SEC Championship game. Bama did the same things FSU did, sending a rusher right into the A gap between the Center and the Guard and sacking Danny. Spurrier started to adapt and we won 45-30 setting up the re-match.

We got big Mo Collins back for the Sugar Bowl. I distinctly remember him writing "We're Back" on the tape on his hands for that game (and dishing out plenty of punishment to those FSU DEs that kept hitting Danny late in Tallahassee). Spurrier made big changes; he changed his blocking schemes and went heavy with the shotgun. It made all the difference.

If you want a better comparison, look at the 1992 season. Spurrier had to replace 4 out of 5 starters on his OL. He brought in two of the best recruits in the nation that year, Reggie Green (who was 6'7", 300+, and number one on everybody's list) and Jason Odom. Reggie started at LT from game one as a true freshman, after a couple of losses, Odom took over the starting RT spot and we finished the season with two true freshmen Tackles starting.

BUT--that offensive team also had redshirt senior All-SEC QB Shane Matthews and redshirt senior All-SEC RB Errict Rhett and All-SEC WRs like Jack Jackson, Harrison Houston, and Willie Jackson AND they had Spurrier in his prime running a system they all knew that was light years ahead of everybody else.

Despite being highly ranked in the pre-season, '92 turned out to be one of Spurrier's worst seasons. We lost early and badly to Tennessee and Mississippi State. Spurrier righted the ship and worked his magic to manufacture a nice win streak, then we lost at FSU and again in the inaugural SEC Championship game to eventual MNC Alabama.

So, the take home message here? When faced with the kind of OL problems we are going to have this year, Spurrier in his prime with every other imaginable advantage on offense, lost 4 games.

Alex.

That's a great comparison

 

[GatorBart]

That's a great comparison

The best.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Mo Collins, OT, 6’5”, 312 lbs, SO
Jeff Mitchell, C, 6’5”, 291 lbs, SR
Zach Piller, OT, 6’5”, 306 lbs, SO
Deac Story, OG, 6’4”, 281 lbs. SO
Donnie Young, OG, 6’4”, 315 lbs, SR

I edited to show you the starting line, though it may have been Zedalis instead of Mo that year. I'm sure it was "Dammit Mo" by the bowl game.

That line looks nothing like what we will put on the field.

 

[t-gator]

I edited to show you the starting line, though it may have been Zedalis instead of Mo that year. I'm sure it was "Dammit Mo" by the bowl game.

That line looks nothing like what we will put on the field.

You're right, the linemen we put outthere will weigh more

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Who cares what they weigh when they get embarrassed by 240 lb walkons?

As; impossible as it seems given how negative I was about line going into Spring Practice, they were even worse that I could have imagined.

 

[deuce]

Generally speaking it's easier to run block than pass block. If we pound the ball, the Freshman may do alright..

 

[LagoonGator68]

Who cares what they weigh when they get embarrassed by 240 lb walkons?

As; impossible as it seems given how negative I was about line going into Spring Practice, they were even worse that I could have imagined.

I hear Clarabell has the left side covered.

 

[CaribGator]

That's a great comparison

It is a nice comparison, I think the major difference is SOS was(is) an offensive genius who was way ahead of defenses back then, but now, the defenses are way better across the board and even with a veteran offensive line it can be tough sledding against better defenses. So let's say we are able to get the maximum from this young group. there will plenty of plays where they are beat by being out muscled, a better technique or a scheme they haven't seen being inexperienced.

I still think with an average offense, that we can take the East. health and great game planning will decide it.

 

[LagoonGator68]

It is a nice comparison, I think the major difference is SOS was(is) an offensive genius who was way ahead of defenses back then, but now, the defenses are way better across the board and even with a veteran offensive line it can be tough sledding against better defenses. So let's say we are able to get the maximum from this young group. there will plenty of plays where they are beat by being out muscled, a better technique or a scheme they haven't seen being inexperienced.

I still think with an average offense, that we can take the East. health and great game planning will decide it.

I suspect, in the history of mankind, there has never been a college football team that has entered a season with only 6 scholarship O lineman, other than incoming high-schoolers, only one of which has played a few snaps previously.
I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I agree. I know of no one else, not even in 1AA. Probably not even in Div 2 and they don't have many schollies.

 

[CaribGator]

I suspect, in the history of mankind, there has never been a college football team that has entered a season with only 6 scholarship O lineman, other than incoming high-schoolers, only one of which has played a few snaps previously.
I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

So all this nice analysis of some of our earlier teams is a waste of time because there can be no comparison to our situation

 

[Swamp Donkey]

No, returning four starters and 13 linemen is in no way comparable to returning 6. When we are getting skullfvkked by Eastern Carolina and Kintucky, remember you heard it here first.

 

[GatorBart]

No, returning four starters and 13 linemen is in no way comparable to returning 6. When we are getting skullfvkked by Eastern Carolina and Kintucky, remember you heard it here first.

 

[Marianna-FL_Gator]

I suspect, in the history of mankind, there has never been a college football team that has entered a season with only 6 scholarship O lineman, other than incoming high-schoolers, only one of which has played a few snaps previously.
I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

South Carolina only had 5 scholarship linemen this spring. The rest we're walk-on Olinemen. I heard the broadcast team talking about it during their spring game.

 

[CaribGator]

South Carolina only had 5 scholarship linemen this spring. The rest we're walk-on Olinemen. I heard the broadcast team talking about it during their spring game.

Why bless you, see everybody, we aren't the team with in the worse situation, one of our divisional rivals is worse,

Wait, SOS only has 5 scholly offensive linemen this spring? He's slipping, we should beat them this year.

 

[Marianna-FL_Gator]

Why bless you, see everybody, we aren't team with in the worse situation, one of our divisional rivals is worse,

Wait, SOS only has 5 scholly offensive linemen this spring? He's slipping, we should beat them this year.

The 5 they had we're a hell of a lot better than our 5 though. To be honest I don't believe one guy we have on the Oline (besides Sharpe) would be on the 2 Deep at most programs. But hey, Chump was a great recruiter! Smfh

 

[LagoonGator68]

South Carolina only had 5 scholarship linemen this spring. The rest we're walk-on Olinemen. I heard the broadcast team talking about it during their spring game.

LT	Mason Zandi	6'9	301	SO-1L	Irmo, S.C.
	Paris Palmer	6'8	305	JR-JC	Plymouth, N.C.
LG	Brock Stadnik	6'5	287	SO-2L	Greensboro, N.C.
	Donell Stanley	6'4	346	FR-RS	Floydale, S.C.
C	Cody Waldrop	6'2	309	JR-2L	Seffner, Fla.
OR	Clayton Stadnik	6'3	273	JR-2L	Greensboro, N.C.
	Alan Knott	6'4	280	SO-1L	Tyrone, Ga.
RG	Mike Matulis	6'5	307	SR-2L	Boynton Beach, Fla.
	Will Sport	6'5	291	JR-2L	Milton, Fla.
	D.J. Park	6'4	328	SO-1L	Dillon, S.C.
RT	Na'Ty Rodgers	6'5	280	SO-1L	Waldor, Md.

In the past few years, South Carolina has recruited well on the interior of the offensive line but the cupboard is approaching bare at the tackle position. I couldn't even find a fourth tackle to put on the two-deep. This projection assumes that Brandon Shell will forego his final year of eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL Draft. If he comes back for his senior year, the Gamecocks should be just fine. If not, well ...
Getting a commitment from four-star junior college tackle Paris Palmer was a massive win for offensive line coach Shawn Elliott. Whether Shell stays or goes, Palmer will be called upon to step in and contribute immediately. If he can't, it won't be for a lack of size.