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Post by mavsman53 on Feb 5, 2021 8:39:27 GMT -6
This is another position the staff is likely done recruiting for.
Jr Titre
Soph Morgan
RFr Thielen
Soph Dre Jones
Fr Lozano
Jr Schultz
Sr Mich. Gayden
True Fr Landon Eades
True Fr Isaiah Pedack
Fr Daniel Omayebu (walk-on)
The top 3 were pretty solid last year. Lozano showed some decent promise. I honestly expected more from Schultz, so I hope this year he gets going. The only player not returning appears to be Lakendrick Jones.
I voted that this unit will be slightly better than last year, due to so many returners. We have to be better at stopping the run, and that starts up front with these guys.
If you vote, I'd love to hear why you voted the way you did
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Post by jaminthebody on Feb 5, 2021 8:45:08 GMT -6
I think it will be slightly better. Titre looks like he will be a great player. I also think Gayden will be solid. I was really impressed with what Morgan and Thielen did at the end of the season last year. I also think the Freshmen could contribute and that all seem to fit the scheme.
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Post by bogeyman on Feb 5, 2021 8:47:59 GMT -6
We're just not very heavy in the middle. The young players need time to mature and gain strength. We have lots of average players but until they actually stop the run and enable us to get a pass rush I'll be very hesitant to say we're better.
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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Feb 5, 2021 8:58:08 GMT -6
We're just not very heavy in the middle. The young players need time to mature and gain strength. We have lots of average players but until they actually stop the run and enable us to get a pass rush I'll be very hesitant to say we're better. That’s my thought as well. |
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Post by acutrackfan on Feb 5, 2021 9:34:23 GMT -6
Mavsman, glad you started off with QB and DT -- both spots where we might well be better than last year. Makes me feel a tiny bit better about the team.
Bogey, I know exactly what you are saying about the smallish DT's. But, I also know that ACU NEVER updated weights on our players this past fall -- there wasn't the normal adjustment that is made when the players report in the fall. Use Jacob Thielen as an example -- he is listed at 250, his HS weight. Look at his pictures from HS and look at him now, the guy has to be in the 280-290 range -- he is certainly not 240 to 250 pound any longer. Another case where 'Cat fans are left to base our assessments on faulty info. As a decades-long fan, who continues to follow the program as closely as possible, I frankly am feeling slighted. And, there are probably only a few hundred hard-core, long-term fans -- no reason to ignore them completely.
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Post by mavsman53 on Feb 5, 2021 9:36:13 GMT -6
Great point Trackfan. Thielen is easily 280+ and he's not alone as guys that their info was not close to correct
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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Feb 5, 2021 9:43:12 GMT -6
I still have images of Army’s OL opening massive holes in our DL for their backs. I’m not sure I see an improved line for next year. I might look at our DL a little differently if I thought we were better at LB which works in tandem with the big guys up front but having lost arguably our best player from last year from the LB unit I’m not sure that’s the case either.
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Post by jaminthebody on Feb 5, 2021 9:57:57 GMT -6
I still have images of Army’s OL opening massive holes in our DL for their backs. I’m not sure I see an improved line for next year. I might look at our DL a little differently if I thought we were better at LB which works in tandem with the big guys up front but having lost arguably our best player from last year from the LB unit I’m not sure that’s the case either. It’s quite the comparison to judge the DL by their performance against the best rushing team and one of the best ball control offensive units in the country. |
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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Feb 5, 2021 9:59:59 GMT -6
I still have images of Army’s OL opening massive holes in our DL for their backs. I’m not sure I see an improved line for next year. I might look at our DL a little differently if I thought we were better at LB which works in tandem with the big guys up front but having lost arguably our best player from last year from the LB unit I’m not sure that’s the case either. It’s quite the comparison to judge the DL by their performance against the best rushing team and one of the best ball control offensive units in the country. Army played multiple FCS teams this year. Our DL didn’t hold up as well as others. I probably should have used Angelo State as my example but That game became so painful to watch that I turned it off so the images aren’t as sharp in my mind. |
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Post by Outsider on Feb 5, 2021 10:22:20 GMT -6
I voted for "About the same" as I think they should improve (they have the potential), but I need to see the improvement first. We are deeper, but not sure how much impact the new players will have.
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Post by bogeyman on Feb 5, 2021 10:34:08 GMT -6
Ok, so Army is not a good measuring stick. I still have visions of a mediocre D2 team running all over us for 414 yds. Is that a good measuring stick for where we are as a DL? And to trackfan's point. Why can't we get accurate infomation (weight seems to be so simple to update) for this team?
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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Feb 5, 2021 11:12:45 GMT -6
It’s quite the comparison to judge the DL by their performance against the best rushing team and one of the best ball control offensive units in the country. Army played multiple FCS teams this year. Our DL didn’t hold up as well as others. I probably should have used Angelo State as my example but That game became so painful to watch that I turned it off so the images aren’t as sharp in my mind. To underscore the point about comparing our performance against Army vs how other FCS teams fared, here are the comparative stats: Against ACU Army rushed for 441 yards. The following week vs an average FCS Citadel team they managed only 153 yards. And against the Mercer team that we beat Army rushed for 297. Our DL really needs to get better. And maybe we will. Maybe we are bigger and stronger. As others have noted we may not have this info available to us. And maybe we will coach them up but the jury is still out in our DL coach heading into his second year.. So for now I’m staying with about the same. |
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