Strength and Conditioning (Savage)

[Marine1]

Serious question. We talk a lot about how small/light our linemen and linebackers are.

I thought our strength coach is suppose to be a beast and really builds up his guys. What’s going on? Does he need more time? Is he overrated? Our players not putting in the time and effort?

I do know we are playing guys out of position so that’s obviously part of the problem. Is there more to this?

 

[Loogis]

I thought about that yesterday with the lack of toughness of our defense. A lot of guys standing around the pile. Doesn’t seem to have the killer instinct that I thought Savage was instilling. I don’t know what the solution is, but there is a deficiency of the killer attitude.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

Not sure it's a S&C issue as opposed to a recruiting issue

 

[Marine1]

Not sure it's a S&C issue as opposed to a recruiting issue

I wondered about that as well. Certainly a contributing a factor.

 

[Marine1]

I thought about that yesterday with the lack of toughness of our defense. A lot of guys standing around the pile. Doesn’t seem to have the killer instinct that I thought Savage was instilling. I don’t know what the solution is, but there is a deficiency of the killer attitude.

Agree. But I’m interested in why we aren’t building size on these guys.

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

We have definitely been winning the 4th quarter the last few years and that's big.
But we do seem to have trouble gaining weight along the dline and linebackers. I'm not sure that's on Savage or not.

 

[deuce]

From the day he was hired, he was praised by most everyone, I've always wondered, why?

Maybe the guy he replaced was so bad that anyone would look like a world beater!

 

[jdh5484]

I think all the Covid crap threw a wrench in the S&C program. We were lighter than most teams so it's affected us more.

Having a real Spring/Summer for S&C would have helped... incrementally.

I think we've done a lousy job at recruiting at every position on the D for 3+ years. I think the scheme sucks too.

 

[gatorfan81]

Covid put a damper on s&c guys were not allowed to work out except on their own accord.

 

[G8trwood]

We have cardio but skipped leg day...lol.

 

[SGG]

You can’t polish a turd.

Dwag Choker and Mullen are recruiting square pegs for a round hole scheme. A lot of these guys don’t have the frame to play on the defensive line, but we keep trying to force it anyway.

 

[CGgater]

I see some players getting thicker, while others (mainly DEs and LBs) failing to do so. I seriously wonder if tg is telling Savage that he wants a lighting fast defense and doesn't want them slowed down by gaining too much weight.

Or maybe we're not recruiting the right players on D.

Or maybe Savage isn't getting it done.

 

[BMF]

From the day he was hired, he was praised by most everyone, I've always wondered, why?

Maybe the guy he replaced was so bad that anyone would look like a world beater!

This. The last guy was so bad everyone thought Savage was a savior. He does a fine job, but so do dozens of other S&C coaches across the country. If you read other message boards Gator fans were acting like Savage invented S&C - "Give Savage a raise!!" "Savage needs a long term contract", etc. It's comical. Like most fans, they only pay attention to UF sports and don't realize the other 120+ D1 schools and all the 1AA schools lift weights in the off season too.

I think signing undersized kids isn't helping. Summerall was 6'6 and barely 200lbs when he arrived. Diabate weighed 208lbs in January at the HS all-star game he played in (the year he arrived at UF) - and he was recruited as a WDE. Hopper was barely 200. Reese Jr was 190-something. Chatfield was 220.

Obviously, the China virus hurt this past off season, but it hurt every program. The fat boys seemed to have all lost a little weight (White, Slaton, Dunlap, and a few others showed up lighter) but many of the light weights are still lightweights.

 

[maheo30]

I don't think Savage is the problem. How much weight can a 190-200 pound linebacker actually gain? Hopper was in the 195-205 area. He is around 225 now. Diabate has added about 20-25 pounds. Bogle has added a bunch of weight. Dante Lang has added 60-70 pounds. Tarquin has added 30-35 pounds. Zach Carter has added 30-40 pounds. Kingsley Eguakun has added 30-40 pounds. I think the issue is the recruiting. Notice the defensive ends we are recruiting are no longer 200 pounders. Even Jeremiah Williams is already 225-230. Sapp and Boone are already 250-260. Last season, Powell was in the 240s by the time he got on campus. Princely was in the 250ish area. The issue is recruiting.

 

[NVGator]

Basically what I was going to say. Yes, we are recruiting guys that are under weight. S&C is just that, strength and conditioning. Muscles and stamina. I think we have a problem with our nutritional staff, if we even have one. I'm sure Bama has a staff of 15 nutritionists.

 

[maheo30]

Cope's issue is stone hands. I posted his drop percentage last week. It is very high. I'm stunned Trask continues to even give him a look.

I fully admit to knowing nothing about S&C. Some players don't want to put in the work. That is probably Summerall. I assumed Diabate was under 200 last season he looked so light. The services listed him 215ish. If so, he has hardly gained any weight at all. 5 pounds? I just think there is a reason we are now recruiting bigger DEs. We need to do the same when it comes to LBs. No more safety size linebackers. Jesiah Pierre has added 20ish pounds and looks every bit 240. We need more of those guys.

I'd also ask, would the lightweights like Hopper still be fast and twitchy at 240 if they could add the weight?

 

[BMF]

Cope's issue is stone hands. I posted his drop percentage last week. It is very high. I'm stunned Trask continues to even give him a look.

I fully admit to knowing nothing about S&C. Some players don't want to put in the work. That is probably Summerall. I assumed Diabate was under 200 last season he looked so light. The services listed him 215ish. If so, he has hardly gained any weight at all. 5 pounds? I just think there is a reason we are now recruiting bigger DEs. We need to do the same when it comes to LBs. No more safety size linebackers. Jesiah Pierre has added 20ish pounds and looks every bit 240. We need more of those guys.

I'd also ask, would the lightweights like Hopper still be fast and twitchy at 240 if they could add the weight?

They list Hopper at 225 (which is total bullsh*t). If he's 225 now he needs to get to 250 to be an SEC LB (just kidding, he's NOT 225!). If Hopper actually gets to 225, that's plenty big enough but it would be nice to see him over 230. I want to see more of Pierre. Bogle, Hopper, Summerall, and Diabate are the one's who've had a problem gaining weight (along w/ Moon). We do have a nutrition staff, and I'm sure it's a good one. They need to stick an 800 calorie smoothie in these guys hands every time they see them!

 

[AlexDaGator]

It’s better than the Butters regime where we focused on Pilates and yoga and our players had to pay for a membership at Gainesville Health and Fitness to lift weights on their own time.


Alex.