2018 Starting lineup?

MtownJacket

MtownJacket

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No bowl to get excited about, time to start stupid way too early offseason posts.

Offense
QB- T Marshall:Sr/L Johnson:RSo
AB- Q Searcy:RSr
AB- C Lynch:RSr
BB- K Benson:RJr
WR- B Stewart:Sr
WR- J Camp:Jr
C- K Cooper:Jr
G- P Braun:Jr
G- W Bryan:Sr
T- J Lee:Jr
T- J Stickler:RSr

Defense
DE- D Branch:RSr
DE- A Saint-Amour:Sr
DT- B Glanton:RJr
DT- K Cerge-Henderson:Sr/B Adams:Jr
ILB- B Mitchell:Sr/B Jordan-Swilling:So
OLB- V Alexander:Sr
OLB- TD Toof:So/J Henderson:So
CB- L Simmons:RSr
CB- A Kerr:RSo
S- AJ Gray:Sr
S- J Johnson:RSr

If the 2018 offense isn't excellent then there is no excuse. Full of experience. Lost some veterans like Devine, Green, and Jeune, but their replacements may be just as good or better. The OL is stacked with veterans, if their experience doesn't translate into good blocking during games then things may come crashing down.

Lots more was lost on defense. The secondary was supposed to be a strength in 2017 with seniors like the Austins, Durham, and Griffin. In reality the 2017 secondary was just okay. Two senior defensive ends have also departed from a mediocre line. I think Simmons will be a serious loss. Freeman underperformed his entire career. Maybe would have been better at LB. Its hard to tell how good the 2017 secondary actually was when there was hardly any pass rush. For that reason I think that rebuilding the 2018 secondary is the least of our defensive worries. 2018 defensive performance will revolve around the defensive line, and its not looking good. Maybe Branch was playing out of position and will shine at DE, but would his DT replacement be serviceable? I think our best hope is for Branch to move to DE and get 10 sacks while a more mature Adams slides into DT and holds his own. Is that likely? No. Possible? Maybe.

In any case, 2018 will be pivotal for the Johnson/Roof regime.
 
Jordan-Swilling needs to start over Alexander and Roof needs to be the other OLB.

We’ll probably see some true freshmen get in at one or more of the DL positions.

Would actually like to see us rotate QB’s on offense.
 
We'll have a new freshman QB who might see some playing time. I think his name is Tom Justin.

mo0xH3x.jpg
 
TM was fun to watch at times but I hope we have a better QB on the roster. LJ has just about every tool over TM. Size, speed is just as good. Better arm. Maybe not as elusive. Let’s see if he buys into the offense and can make the reads.

You’re 100% right about the defense. It all hinges on the DL it won’t matter much who is behind them if the DL still sucks. Hopefully Henderson/Glanton/Adams will improve and provide a real push. Remember the days when Joe Anoai, Adamm Oliver and Vance Walker would just spend the entire afternoon in our opponents backfields? I miss those days. I don’t see Simmons being that big of a loss. He underperformed after coming in with a million sacks in high school. But we STILL don’t have a real edge rusher and haven’t had one since Attaochu.

Alexander has been disappointing to me. I thought he was gonna be a better PJ Davis and he hasn’t been that good. I hope BJS is good enough to start over him.

Any news on guys like Gentry Bonds or Kaleb Oliver? Oliver is listed as an ATH on the team site so does anyone know if he’s gonna be a DB or play on offense?
 
MtownJacket said:
Freeman underperformed his entire career. Maybe would have been better at LB.
Click to expand...

What a strange career. Had a great freshman season and got statistically worse every year. Certainly didn't improve. Lots of external factors go into that, obviously, like number of games played and more attention from the opposing offense, but still disturbing.
From freshman year to senior year :
Sacks: 4.5, 3.0, 0.5, 0
Tfl: 9.5, 4.0, 4.0, 3.0
Tackles: 37, 23, 26, 12

Some of that has got to do with coaching..
 
Our base defense has been a nickel for the past 2 years. We have not played 3 LBs very often, even when teams were pounding us on the run we would move a safety into the box and stay with our base from what I could tell.

If I was Ted, then I would be figuring out how to get Jordan-Swilling on the field. I agree about Branch at DE. He played well for us, but we need interior DLs that actually fit the mold of interior DLs...that is not the spot where you want someone playing out of position.

Honestly, we need a front 7 worth a öööö. We have not been stout up front defensively since CPJ's first year in 2008. We have struggled to find a pass rush most seasons since then too.

Also need a WR worth a öööö. Juene was tolerable, but we have been severely lacking in this area since Smelter left. No one behind Juene showed us anything this season.
 
SGA_Jacket said:
TM was fun to watch at times but I hope we have a better QB on the roster. LJ has just about every tool over TM. Size, speed is just as good. Better arm. Maybe not as elusive. Let’s see if he buys into the offense and can make the reads.

You’re 100% right about the defense. It all hinges on the DL it won’t matter much who is behind them if the DL still sucks. Hopefully Henderson/Glanton/Adams will improve and provide a real push. Remember the days when Joe Anoai, Adamm Oliver and Vance Walker would just spend the entire afternoon in our opponents backfields? I miss those days. I don’t see Simmons being that big of a loss. He underperformed after coming in with a million sacks in high school. But we STILL don’t have a real edge rusher and haven’t had one since Attaochu.

Alexander has been disappointing to me. I thought he was gonna be a better PJ Davis and he hasn’t been that good. I hope BJS is good enough to start over him.

Any news on guys like Gentry Bonds or Kaleb Oliver? Oliver is listed as an ATH on the team site so does anyone know if he’s gonna be a DB or play on offense?
Click to expand...
I think Oliver is going to play defense. 6'4" safety? Yes please. Also, Vic had some big plays this year but was inconsistent. I think he'll be really good in 2018. Also think that BJS should start over Brant.
 
Dark_Samri said:
What a strange career. Had a great freshman season and got statistically worse every year. Certainly didn't improve. Lots of external factors go into that, obviously, like number of games played and more attention from the opposing offense, but still disturbing.
From freshman year to senior year :
Sacks: 4.5, 3.0, 0.5, 0
Tfl: 9.5, 4.0, 4.0, 3.0
Tackles: 37, 23, 26, 12

Some of that has got to do with coaching..
Click to expand...

1 tackle per game from one of your starting (senior) DE is insane.
 
Brant Mitchell has to start. One of our best players on defense for cryin out loud
 
Those numbers on Freeman are awful. A very good freshman, decent sophomore, mediocre junior, and poor senior. That should not happen.
 
I doubt that. I would like for us to move to more of a time share like we did with Laskey and Days. I thought Howard looked great every time he played at BB (bad on ST), but PJ limited his snaps all season for some unknown reason.
 
Not sure if I buy the Offense being excellent. We should have a new QB and new WR crew. 2 big ?s there. Gotta think LJ would be a huge upgrade to the passing game though.
 
RamblinWreck92 said:
Not sure if I buy the Offense being excellent. We should have a new QB and new WR crew. 2 big ?s there. Gotta think LJ would be a huge upgrade to the passing game though.
Click to expand...
Agree with this. I'd add that the potential is there to be excellent, but the QB position is still a massive question mark. I think our WR's and especially A-backs are competent enough to get open and catch it, but we have to be able to get them the ball.
 
Dark_Samri said:
From freshman year to senior year :
Sacks: 4.5, 3.0, 0.5, 0
Tfl: 9.5, 4.0, 4.0, 3.0
Tackles: 37, 23, 26, 12
Click to expand...

I found myself, a few times during the season, checking to make sure #42 was on the field. His stats are about as peculiar as you'll see -especially considering how he started out in 2014.
 
JoeCakeEater said:
I doubt that. I would like for us to move to more of a time share like we did with Laskey and Days. I thought Howard looked great every time he played at BB (bad on ST), but PJ limited his snaps all season for some unknown reason.
Click to expand...
Fumbles
 
GoldZ said:
Fumbles
Click to expand...
I think he had only one and lost the ball in the sun against the Dwags on KO return. PJ buried him in the dog house after his fumble but did not handle Benson fumbling the same way. I guess because he was a freshman and needed to be taught a lesson. smh
 
stingmeyall said:
I think he had only one and lost the ball in the sun against the Dwags on KO return. PJ buried him in the dog house after his fumble but did not handle Benson fumbling the same way. I guess because he was a freshman and needed to be taught a lesson. smh
Click to expand...
Howard also fumbled against UNC, IIRC.
 
stingmeyall said:
I think he had only one and lost the ball in the sun against the Dwags on KO return. PJ buried him in the dog house after his fumble but did not handle Benson fumbling the same way. I guess because he was a freshman and needed to be taught a lesson. smh
Click to expand...
I'm sure it's more about what the coaches saw in practice than in games.
 
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