Tall OTs

[Oakland]

It seems very clear to me that Fran and company are intentionally recruiting much taller OTs (edit OLs, not just OTs) than common with SU and other teams. Would someone knowledgeable please discuss.

 

[OmahaCuse]

It seems very clear to me that Fran and company are intentional recruiting much taller OTs (edit OLs, not just OTs) than common with SU and other teams. Would someone knowledgeable please discuss.

Tall is better for wingspan, longer arms, legs, and probably other parts. Making it harder to get by the block and turn the edge. Similar to tall defense players in hockey

 

[Libero2]

Tall is better for wingspan, longer arms, legs, and probably other parts. Making it harder to get by the block and turn the edge. Similar to tall defense players in hockey

This is probably the reality. There is a reason wingspan and length is one of the most coveted thing in the trenches for NFL teams. Fran wants elite size and length on the line, which will help us out tremendously in the long run overall

 

[ImperialOrange]

Big guys beat up little guys.

6'4 vs 6'7 doesn't sound like that big a deal in football world but go look at that same size difference in a basketball game and you see it immediately. Think how 6'4 Justin Barron towers over most other DBs and WR on other teams who are 6'0-6'1 ish.

Coach Fran knows the Bible and the football rule book... Slingshots not allowed in games so we're rolling out a team of Goliath's. Will almost assuredly give a mental advantage to Cuse when opponents are looking up at all of our players all game ala little brothers vs big brothers.

 

[Phin#3]

Tall linemen have the added advantage of carrying good weight more easily... longer frame to carry muscle instead of fat... you can have extremely big fast linemen instead of having fat slower ones

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

Tall linemen have the added advantage of carrying good weight more easily... longer frame to carry muscle instead of fat... you can have extremely big fast linemen instead of having fat slower ones

I agree 100%. The kid who signed yesterday is 6’7 300 and he looks thin. He can easily 30-50 pounds and still be every agile.

 

[Ozone!]

IMO, height and long arms need to be paired with flexibility for OL members to be effective​

 

[RF2044]

Big, athletic players -- whether you are talking about OL or DL -- are at a premium in college football.

It's hard to land 6-6 300 pounders, because they're in such high demand, and bigger programs than us snap them up. So, we typically had to get 6-6 guys who were athletic, but only 250 and hope to "grow" them into 300 pounders. Or more commonly we had to bring in 6-4 type OL for the most part, because that's who we could land. There were also exceptions [Bergeron, who went under the radar, and who committed while camping at SU].

That doesn't mean that there aren't 6-3 or 6-4 OL out there who are better than bigger counterparts, or that there aren't 6-7 OL out there who are big but slow, and hence ineffectual. But big AND athletic? That's a winning combo, and what powerhouse programs have.

Glad to see we are approaching parity with other top teams in that regard.

 

[RandomGuy]

Early in Dino's tenure, everyone was commenting on us getting bigger OL. We were. Plenty of tall guys. We had terrible luck with them, though. Med DQ's, football IQ issues, body shaping issues. Guys that ate themselves out of playing time, and others that couldn't put on the necessary weight.

It's extremely difficult to find a tall, athletic lineman, with the smarts necessary to play the position. Maybe a few dozen out of HS are locks, but the rest are a roll of the dice. Keeping them healthy, and a proper playing weight, was an issue for us.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Tall is better for wingspan, longer arms, legs, and probably other parts.

what other parts could you be referring to?

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Tall linemen have the added advantage of carrying good weight more easily... longer frame to carry muscle instead of fat... you can have extremely big fast linemen instead of having fat slower ones

IIRC, there's a point where one can be TOO tall and standard arm / chest weight training isn't particularly effective because longer arms mean more energy is expended, netting fewer reps.

 

[Oakland]

The question isn't about the aspects of a tall OL man. The question is 'is Fran purposely building a very tall offensive line?'. If so, what are your thoughts about a very tall OLine? I'm not aware of top college or pro teams that have multiple 6-6 to 6-9 OL linemen (center of gravity and leverage baby) - maybe I don't follow FB closely enough.

 

[CIL]

Early in Dino's tenure, everyone was commenting on us getting bigger OL. We were. Plenty of tall guys. We had terrible luck with them, though. Med DQ's, football IQ issues, body shaping issues. Guys that ate themselves out of playing time, and others that couldn't put on the necessary weight.

It's extremely difficult to find a tall, athletic lineman, with the smarts necessary to play the position. Maybe a few dozen out of HS are locks, but the rest are a roll of the dice. Keeping them healthy, and a proper playing weight, was an issue for us.

It wasn’t a Dino issue. It’s been a Syracuse issue for as long as I have been a fan.

Sure, we have put occasional OL in the league. But the reality is we haven’t placed OL AND DL in league very often, especially for a P5 school.

The transfer portal is definitely working to our benefit. Something previous staffs did not have access to, or did in a more restrictive environment.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Coach Fran knows the Bible and the football rule book... Slingshots not allowed in games so we're rolling out a team of Goliath's.

Yeah, but, uhm, I mean... Goliath lost.

 

[721Comstock]

Yeah, but, uhm, I mean... Goliath lost.

Gee Davey,

Pretty sure the opposing D’s aren’t allowed to use slingshots during games.

And they’d likely be ineffective anyway,
given that our Goliaths are all wearing helmets.

 

[hplare]

I've mentioned in the past that the Sizable Seven of the '59 team had all been ends in HS. Ben liked tall people and added muscle to them. Maybe that started the trend. But what was tall then isn't the same today. Jimmy Johnson played DL for Arkansas at 5'8. His teammate. and later boss, Jerry Jones played gard at 6' If you were 6'4 or 6'5 playing BB in HS back then you sure didn't play guard. SU had a 6' 8 center in the early 50's but the team had to always .wait for him to catch up at both ends of the court.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Yeah, but, uhm, I mean... Goliath lost.

Thus the slingshots not allowed part... Before that Goliath was stomping mud holes in er'rybody

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Thus the slingshots not allowed part... Before that Goliath was stomping mud holes in er'rybody

I thought the lesson was that God magnifies the work of His servants, not that slingshots stop tall people, but, I mean, ok.

 

[ImperialOrange]

I thought the lesson was that God magnifies the work of His servants, not that slingshots stop tall people, but, I mean, ok.

Always thought it went to if He is for you none can stand against you but I'm faaaaar from a Biblical scholar.

Next time I'll just reference Andre the Giant or something *shrug

 

[RandomGuy]

Andre the Giant was terribly unathletic, due to his medical condition. Plenty of smaller guys wound up performing in wrestling, that also played college football(line). The Rock, John Cena, Golderg(NFL), Hacksaw Jim Duggan, on and on...

6'4 - 6'7 seem great for line. Nothing wrong with a shorter C. Some big schools have shorter lines, than you think. The guy that executes the most -plays. We've had taller starting Olines than top schools. Height is a factor, but skill trumps all.