Spring Game O-line Grades

[maheo30]

It took me some time to go back over the spring game, paying specific attention to the o-line. Here is what I saw. I'll be harder on vets than on the young guys.

1st team:

David Sharpe - He had a good night. He was solid in pass protection and in run blocking. Sharpe needs to step up his game though. He should be dominating with his physical ability. (Grade: B-)

Antonio Riles - He rarely got any push. Luke Ancrum is 50 pounds lighter and often manhandled him. He even got beat twice against walk-on linebacker R.J. Raymond giving up sacks to him in back to back plays. He doesn't hold his blocks very long and his hand technique is awful. Now in his 4th year, he is what he is. Bad. (Grade: F)

Cam Dillard - Solid night. I didn't see him making any mistakes. He moved Clark and Bryan a few times in the run game. (Grade: C)

Tyler Jordan - Easily the best lineman on the team right now. Moved his man on a consistent basis. Often helped Johnson saving his butt. Plays with quickness and power. Good use of his hands. (Grade: A)

Fred Johnson - The most improved on the team. He is a completely different guy from last year. His feet are quicker. He plays stronger. He needs to be more physical in the run game. (Grade: B+)

2nd team:

Harkless and Andrew Mike - They don't need to be on the field. Harkless is a train wreck. Mike is actually physical, but is so heavy footed if he has to move much he really struggles.

Nick Buchanan - Had a brutal game. The 2nd team o-line had communication issues all night. Not knowing the line calls, I don't know who f'ed up. At times he looked really slow. Is that because he is heavy footed or due to inexperience? It looked like he wasn't sure who to block on some plays. When he did get his hands on someone (Ivie), they stayed blocked. (Grade: C-)

TJ. McCoy - Hard to say due to communication issues. There were a lot of plays he didn't block anyone. Far too many. Why? He isn't overly strong. He is more of a technician kind of center. He's quick. Gets good leverage. Already shows more promise than Dillard. (Grade: C)

Richard Desir-Jones - Powerful lineman. Moved well. He was strong at the point of attack. Covered up for Mike on a few occasions. He more than held his own against Brantley and Cece. (Grade: A)

Conclusion: We are in trouble if Riles has to play at all. However, Buchanan isn't ready. If Desir-Jones can play LG, then he should back up that position. Riles is in that spot right now because he knows who to block and makes the fewest mental errors.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I didn't see Dillard being solid at any point, but I only watched the first half again on DVR. I also think you are being a little hard on Buchanan. The one big play I say him blow, it looks like the problem was Mike was getting bullrushed into the gap Buchanan was trying to pull into.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

I think having Jordan and Ivey on the line at the same time will make this line workable in the fall. Good to hear the word physical being used to describe the young linemen. It looked to me that guys in the middle were getting a decent push on inside running plays. I think the additional size and numbers are gonna start paying off come fall camp. I know it considered proper to have the offensive linemen train at different positions on the line but I wonder if some of the younger guys might not do better working at only one spot or one side of the line at most since we have decent numbers...

 

[BMF]

It seems like the staff likes Riles, for whatever reason. I hope he's not a starter, but I also think he'll improve over last season. So if he does play, hopefully it's better than the spring game and significantly better than last year.

 

[maheo30]

I didn't see Dillard being solid at any point, but I only watched the first half again on DVR. I also think you are being a little hard on Buchanan. The one big play I say him blow, it looks like the problem was Mike was getting bullrushed into the gap Buchanan was trying to pull into.

I'm not saying Dillard is good. I'm just saying he didn't make any mistakes. He did his job. The truth is, he is average. Buchanan got beat by Ivie a number of times. Like I said, he looked confused. His heavy footedness is probably because he is unsure out there. When he knew what he was doing, he was good. Playing next to Harkless doesn't help.

 

[t-gator]

I actually feel bad for harkless. A pad on a sled is harder to get around. The biggest thing is we finally have our numbers up. We'll have our best lineman back in the fall. We're probably in the best shape at the position than we've been in a very long time .Atleast from a depth standpoint.

 

[cover2]

It took me some time to go back over the spring game, paying specific attention to the o-line. Here is what I saw. I'll be harder on vets than on the young guys.

1st team:

David Sharpe - He had a good night. He was solid in pass protection and in run blocking. Sharpe needs to step up his game though. He should be dominating with his physical ability. (Grade: B-)

Antonio Riles - He rarely got any push. Luke Ancrum is 50 pounds lighter and often manhandled him. He even got beat twice against walk-on linebacker R.J. Raymond giving up sacks to him in back to back plays. He doesn't hold his blocks very long and his hand technique is awful. Now in his 4th year, he is what he is. Bad. (Grade: F)

Cam Dillard - Solid night. I didn't see him making any mistakes. He moved Clark and Bryan a few times in the run game. (Grade: C)

Tyler Jordan - Easily the best lineman on the team right now. Moved his man on a consistent basis. Often helped Johnson saving his butt. Plays with quickness and power. Good use of his hands. (Grade: A)

Fred Johnson - The most improved on the team. He is a completely different guy from last year. His feet are quicker. He plays stronger. He needs to be more physical in the run game. (Grade: B+)

2nd team:

Harkless and Andrew Mike - They don't need to be on the field. Harkless is a train wreck. Mike is actually physical, but is so heavy footed if he has to move much he really struggles.

Nick Buchanan - Had a brutal game. The 2nd team o-line had communication issues all night. Not knowing the line calls, I don't know who f'ed up. At times he looked really slow. Is that because he is heavy footed or due to inexperience? It looked like he wasn't sure who to block on some plays. When he did get his hands on someone (Ivie), they stayed blocked. (Grade: C-)

TJ. McCoy - Hard to say due to communication issues. There were a lot of plays he didn't block anyone. Far too many. Why? He isn't overly strong. He is more of a technician kind of center. He's quick. Gets good leverage. Already shows more promise than Dillard. (Grade: C)

Richard Desir-Jones - Powerful lineman. Moved well. He was strong at the point of attack. Covered up for Mike on a few occasions. He more than held his own against Brantley and Cece. (Grade: A)

Conclusion: We are in trouble if Riles has to play at all. However, Buchanan isn't ready. If Desir-Jones can play LG, then he should back up that position. Riles is in that spot right now because he knows who to block and makes the fewest mental errors.

Sounds pretty much like a previously weak and inconsistent OL (which we were) that has a few youngsters with an upside thrown in with a few "veteran" guys who might never see the field. As many have postulated, Martez Ivey will be a key piece along with a couple of the youngsters who must step up. To overstate the obvious, the key things this group must do are 1) stay healthy; 2) develop cohesion along with an attitude; 3) get as close to a reliable two-deep as possible.

Most on here seem to understand the difficulties that collegiate lineman face compared to many of the other positions. Most except those few kids who are advanced (Jason Odom and Reggie Green from the past come to mind) will take two years to become serviceable. When you factor in the poor attention and low numbers the group has endured from a recruiting standpoint the past several years, it is imperative that this year's group maybe exceed expectations and then us have greater numbers and quality with the following signing classes if we are to become reestablished. Obviously we aren't there yet, but I think we at least have the ship turned if not moving out of the marina.

 

[Delg8tor]

Sounds pretty much like a previously weak and inconsistent OL (which we were) that has a few youngsters with an upside thrown in with a few "veteran" guys who might never see the field. As many have postulated, Martez Ivey will be a key piece along with a couple of the youngsters who must step up. To overstate the obvious, the key things this group must do are 1) stay healthy; 2) develop cohesion along with an attitude; 3) get as close to a reliable two-deep as possible.

Most on here seem to understand the difficulties that collegiate lineman face compared to many of the other positions. Most except those few kids who are advanced (Jason Odom and Reggie Green from the past come to mind) will take two years to become serviceable. When you factor in the poor attention and low numbers the group has endured from a recruiting standpoint the past several years, it is imperative that this year's group maybe exceed expectations and then us have greater numbers and quality with the following signing classes if we are to become reestablished. Obviously we aren't there yet, but I think we at least have the ship turned if not moving out of the marina.

Insightful as always

 

[maheo30]

I also wanted to add. Unless there is massive improvement, it seems the tight ends will be a huge liability in the run game again. These guys simply can't block. I mean, Lewis' best block of the night was because he tripped and fell down in front of the DE.

 

[GatorBart]

It took me some time to go back over the spring game, paying specific attention to the o-line. Here is what I saw. I'll be harder on vets than on the young guys.

1st team:

David Sharpe - He had a good night. He was solid in pass protection and in run blocking. Sharpe needs to step up his game though. He should be dominating with his physical ability. (Grade: B-)

Antonio Riles - He rarely got any push. Luke Ancrum is 50 pounds lighter and often manhandled him. He even got beat twice against walk-on linebacker R.J. Raymond giving up sacks to him in back to back plays. He doesn't hold his blocks very long and his hand technique is awful. Now in his 4th year, he is what he is. Bad. (Grade: F)

Cam Dillard - Solid night. I didn't see him making any mistakes. He moved Clark and Bryan a few times in the run game. (Grade: C)

Tyler Jordan - Easily the best lineman on the team right now. Moved his man on a consistent basis. Often helped Johnson saving his butt. Plays with quickness and power. Good use of his hands. (Grade: A)

Fred Johnson - The most improved on the team. He is a completely different guy from last year. His feet are quicker. He plays stronger. He needs to be more physical in the run game. (Grade: B+)

2nd team:

Harkless and Andrew Mike - They don't need to be on the field. Harkless is a train wreck. Mike is actually physical, but is so heavy footed if he has to move much he really struggles.

Nick Buchanan - Had a brutal game. The 2nd team o-line had communication issues all night. Not knowing the line calls, I don't know who f'ed up. At times he looked really slow. Is that because he is heavy footed or due to inexperience? It looked like he wasn't sure who to block on some plays. When he did get his hands on someone (Ivie), they stayed blocked. (Grade: C-)

TJ. McCoy - Hard to say due to communication issues. There were a lot of plays he didn't block anyone. Far too many. Why? He isn't overly strong. He is more of a technician kind of center. He's quick. Gets good leverage. Already shows more promise than Dillard. (Grade: C)

Richard Desir-Jones - Powerful lineman. Moved well. He was strong at the point of attack. Covered up for Mike on a few occasions. He more than held his own against Brantley and Cece. (Grade: A)

Conclusion: We are in trouble if Riles has to play at all. However, Buchanan isn't ready. If Desir-Jones can play LG, then he should back up that position. Riles is in that spot right now because he knows who to block and makes the fewest mental errors.

Thanks for posting!
Good to hear Jordan, Johnson and Desir-Jones are looking good. They're young, but it bodes well for the future of the O-Line.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

What are we expecting for a starting lineup if everyone's healthy? Green, Ivy, Dillard, Jordan, Johnson. & Lewis?

 

[gatormandan]

I see improvement. I am hoping by fall they will have progressed even more and then playing the first couple of games will put them ahead even more. They need the summer to jell and earn each others trust. Having Ivey will help too. It looks like Del Rio can do his reads effectively and get the ball out quickly. We are not there yet but we appear to be in better shape this year.

 

[GatorJB]

What are we expecting for a starting lineup if everyone's healthy? Green, Ivy, Dillard, Jordan, Johnson. & Lewis?

Who's Green? I expect the starters to be Sharpe, Ivey, Dillard, Jordan, and Johnson. If another guard steps up then Jordan could move over to center and that guard can slide in on that right side. I'm thinking Desir-Jones or possibly Sandifer could be that person. That or Riles miraculously plays better. Fortunately these guys have all summer to continue to develop and improve.

 

[maheo30]

I expect the starters to be Sharpe, Ivey, Dillard, Jordan, and Johnson. If another guard steps up then Jordan could move over to center and that guard can slide in on that right side. I'm thinking Desir-Jones or possibly Sandifer could be that person.

I agree. I think Sharpe, Ivey, Jordan, Desir-Jones, and Johnson will be the starting group at some point during the year. Maybe game 1. Possibly Sandifer could challenge, but he needs to be on the field. He is the guy I wanted to see most. Coaches have said he is making mental errors. The question is Sandifer like Desir-Jones or Buchanan when it comes to errors.

 

[GatorBart]

Who's Green?

It's Ancient, he meant Sharpe. I don't even bother trying to correct him anymore - it gets tiresome.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Who's Green?

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out if I completely forgot about somebody on the line.....

 

[TheDouglas78]

The most important aspect from last year to this years Spring game is we are able to field two lines. There needs to be improvement, but we have come along way just in a year.

 

[GatorJ]

I agree. I think Sharpe, Ivey, Jordan, Desir-Jones, and Johnson will be the starting group at some point during the year. Maybe game 1. Possibly Sandifer could challenge, but he needs to be on the field. He is the guy I wanted to see most. Coaches have said he is making mental errors. The question is Sandifer like Desir-Jones or Buchanan when it comes to errors.

I think it's gonna be the starting five that you said. I don't think Dillard starts.

 

[TLB]

Who's Green?

I think he was still hung up on C2's post:

Most except those few kids who are advanced (Jason Odom and Reggie Green from the past come to mind) will take two years to become serviceable.

 

[GatorJB]

I think he was still hung up on C2's post:

Good catch.