2025 Preseason Camp Thread

[HRE Otto IV]

I'll be honest, saying you don't like Duce Chestnut and Devin Grant at safety is a red heel statement. I'll give you DE and LB (for now) but absolutely disagree safety is in great shape.

Both Deuce and Grant missed a lot of tackles last year and took a bunch of bad angles. I don’t think either is good in coverage.

I don’t like Deuce as a S. He will make a great play occasionally but most plays I think he is overmatched. I rather see him play as a 3rd CB.

What about their play last year makes you think different? Grant’s 2-3 big hits? Deuce at least caused some nice TOs. That's nice but I’ll give those up for consistently solid play.

We were 14th in ACC games for 10+ and 20+ yards runs conceded. Tied for 13th in 40+ yard passes. And 16th in Comp %. Those aren’t all on them, but they are somewhat on them.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Sometimes I get the feeling that if we don't have a Freeny at DE, people think we can't rush the passer. I actually really like the talent across our entire dline. I think Rooks and Jobity adding weight is good news. I think that we should think our DC has the ability to scheme pressure and sacks. I think our LBs have potential, especially with our portal addition. Certainly we gotta see how everything translates on the field. Against Tennessee we are going to be playing against some big oline. If we can be stout on the run...I think we can scheme sacks and pressure and I think there's always a few surprise players who meet the moment. We have not played a game yet. Let's see how the team does?

We should be a lot better vs the run this year.

We were tied for 15th in Sacks/G in ACC play last year. We didn’t blitz much last year. Will that change?

 

[upperdeck]

Big plays happen with mistakes at all levels. Some is tackling, some is positioning, some is angles.

Coaches have mentioned growth in the scheme which allows better boxes to tackle in. I guess we see quickly of that has gotten better.

 

[cusefan88]

Both Deuce and Grant missed a lot of tackles last year and took a bunch of bad angles. I don’t think either is good in coverage.

I don’t like Deuce as a S. He will make a great play occasionally but most plays I think he is overmatched. I rather see him play as a 3rd CB.

What about their play last year makes you think different? Grant’s 2-3 big hits? Deuce at least caused some nice TOs. That's nice but I’ll give those up for consistently solid play.

We were 14th in ACC games for 10+ and 20+ yards runs conceded. Tied for 13th in 40+ yard passes. And 16th in Comp %. Those aren’t all on them, but they are somewhat on them.

All fair points. I just see them as playmakers and some of their shortcomings can in part be explained but how poor the defense was in run game.

I do pray the interior of the DL is solid.

 

[hoopsupstate]

I think we are more talented, bigger and faster all over the field on defense. There might be a learning curve, but we’re better. Barron made a lot of big plays, but he also made lots of bone headed plays too, including many personal foul penalties.

 

[baggerbob]

You have no clue how the defense will play and neither does anyone else.

Well said someone making the statement that the DL, LB, SS are all bad before the 1st game is just spitting into the wind. And it might come back and hit them in the face.

 

[FrozenWaves]

I got poison ivy hacking out a trail from the bottom of the Presidents streets through the swamp to Onondaga Lake park so we could carry kegs into the regatta. I think Pendock was part of that activity. Senior year at LHS.

The Cleveland Ave trail, I might have followed that trail myself a couple times.

 

[OmahaCuse]

Well said someone making the statement that the DL, LB, SS are all bad before the 1st game is just spitting into the wind. And it might come back and hit them in the face.

The two keys IMO are#1 stopping the run upfront, that always makes the LB’s, DB’s look better. # 2 pressure on the QB, this also makes the LB’s and DB’s look better. If we improve in those areas which seems likely the defense will be much better.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

He's got my mustache from when I did porn.

So that's where you left it?

 

[XC Cuse]

Sometimes I get the feeling that if we don't have a Freeny at DE, people think we can't rush the passer. I actually really like the talent across our entire dline. I think Rooks and Jobity adding weight is good news. I think that we should think our DC has the ability to scheme pressure and sacks. I think our LBs have potential, especially with our portal addition. Certainly we gotta see how everything translates on the field. Against Tennessee we are going to be playing against some big oline. If we can be stout on the run...I think we can scheme sacks and pressure and I think there's always a few surprise players who meet the moment. We have not played a game yet. Let's see how the team does?

Jobity is an underrated pass rusher. I like him a lot

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

He is rangy and smart. That makes up a couple of tenths

But, is he wirey?

 

[HRE Otto IV]

I think we are more talented, bigger and faster all over the field on defense. There might be a learning curve, but we’re better. Barron made a lot of big plays, but he also made lots of bone headed plays too, including many personal foul penalties.

We had a lot of turnover of the roster. We need to hope that is a good thing.

Connelly had us 83rd on D last year (14th in the ACC). So we have nowhere to go but up.

We did lose Barron, Clark, Diggs, Wax, Lewis, Bellamy, Watson, Barnes, Gould, Edwards. Some of those are big Ls and others addition by subtraction.

 

[Cusefan69]

We should be a lot better vs the run this year.

We were tied for 15th in Sacks/G in ACC play last year. We didn’t blitz much last year. Will that change?

So educated guess only but yes. I would expect our DC will have learned some things and would expect, because pressures and sacks matter, that he would try more scheme aggression if needed.

 

[UnknownOrange]

I don't think I've seen a single report of Joe Cruz running with the 1s, what are you basing that on?

Oh absolutely nothing haha i have zero insider info just felt like he’s a solid option but maybe he’s not the guy. OL if these guys can meet expectations can be a really strong unit though

 

[HRE Otto IV]

The two keys IMO are#1 stopping the run upfront, that always makes the LB’s, DB’s look better. # 2 pressure on the QB, this also makes the LB’s and DB’s look better. If we improve in those areas which seems likely the defense will be much better.

On paper we should be a lot better vs the run this year.

Last year was really bad. YPC in conference games we were dead last nearly half a yard worse than 16th, who was closer to 12th than they were to us.

We really need to find a way to be better with a pass rush. Last year the lack of a rush resulted in being 15th in ACC games in QB Rating.

 

[FrancoPizza]

And yet no one has been able to supplant McDonald in years. Coaches must like something.

Or they haven’t been able to recruit over him yet.

 

[FrancoPizza]

So educated guess only but yes. I would expect our DC will have learned some things and would expect, because pressures and sacks matter, that he would try more scheme aggression if needed.

Better hope Reese and the portal LB are playmakers because otherwise… eek.

 

[wfschrec]

Both Deuce and Grant missed a lot of tackles last year and took a bunch of bad angles. I don’t think either is good in coverage.

I don’t like Deuce as a S. He will make a great play occasionally but most plays I think he is overmatched. I rather see him play as a 3rd CB.

What about their play last year makes you think different? Grant’s 2-3 big hits? Deuce at least caused some nice TOs. That's nice but I’ll give those up for consistently solid play.

We were 14th in ACC games for 10+ and 20+ yards runs conceded. Tied for 13th in 40+ yard passes. And 16th in Comp %. Those aren’t all on them, but they are somewhat on them.

Part of Grant's problem is he had a torn miniscus in his knee he played through a majority of the season, lacked a lot of explosiveness.

 

[richmondcuse03]

Part of Grant's problem is he had a torn miniscus in his knee he played through a majority of the season, lacked a lot of explosiveness.

Yup. Staff thinks he can play in the NFL. I expect him to be a big presence.

 

[Cusefan69]

Jobity is an underrated pass rusher. I like him a lot

Agree he has flashed on a few occasions the ability to get to the QB. He is very athletic for his size as well. It will be interesting to see how the added size impacts his on field play both positive or negative. I think he meets the moment though.

 

[orangefog]

Part of Grant's problem is he had a torn miniscus in his knee he played through a majority of the season, lacked a lot of explosiveness.

You can see it in how he runs in the TD against Miami after punching that thing out. That was not him at 100%, but it was REALLY good. I can't wait to see him at 100% this year.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

You can see it in how he runs in the TD against Miami after punching that thing out. That was not him at 100%, but it was REALLY good. I can't wait to see him at 100% this year.

Might be the best defensive player on the team.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Bulldog04]

The offense and their ability to score last year made me not worry about the defense so much. This year I’m hoping the Defense can step up so there won’t be so much pressure on the O

 

[Sudano]

Might be the best defensive player on the team.

That can't be the case...