DL/RB Josh Hough in the portal

[LeMoyneCuse]

It's pretty clear from Rhino's injury that a large human leading the way for Tucker really improved our run game. Hough's injury removed him as the backup for Rhino that I think Josh could have been.

I don't think there was ever discussion of how the staff actually planned to use him.

 

[tep624]

I never said he was "lightly recruited." I said he wasn't a top recruit, and the recruiting services, for what they're worth, agreed with that. Also, he was PA player of the year for his class because the board rigged the vote.

Regarding his HS tape, I never saw what people were so excited about. But that's just fully my opinion, not some agenda.

Well I mean I saw a 6'1 245 pound guy on some of his highlights returning kicks for TD's. So that's why I was excited about his athleticism at that size. It was on par with Harold Brantley and Steven Clark's HS tapes. Just extremely athletic guys for that size.

 

[SuFTW]

This is revisionist history. His father's presence on here wasn't where the initial expectations came from - that was film and measurables. And, the injury is the reason the expectations weren't met. He went from a workout warrior, large, fast RB to a DL rehabbing from a major injury and buried on the depth chart. If he never got hurt, he probably was our regular FB after Rhino went down. You can't just look at where he was coming in and where he is leaving and make an assessment on the board's expectations. What happened in between is pretty important.

It was a concern even when he first got here. The post below is from August 2021. There was a mix of factors that raised expectations too high.

Folks, just remember we don't have to raise expectations to an unreasonable level because his dad is on the board.

I'm excited to see Josh play but if he doesn't get a ton of minutes as a true freshman, it's because he's at a position stocked with upperclassmen. Kids need time to adjust to ACC football.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

So that's why I was excited about his athleticism at that size. It was on par with Harold Brantley and Steven Clark's HS tapes. Just extremely athletic guys for that size.

I too had high hopes for him as a D-Lineman.

 

[Ringostar57]

Damaged goods are damaged goods. Jobu Tupaki strikes again.

 

[Doc5120]

If a parent or relative post on this forum a surprisingly high percentage of posters throw all rational and objectivity out the window towards that player. It would make a good case study.

No case study needed. It's plain as day. Probably my biggest pet peeve when a bunch of grown adults kiss up to another adult they've never met because their son plays for our favorite team. I root for all the kids on the team. I certainly have my favorite players, but it's always struck me as odd (and a bit creepy) how some people become infatuated with a player based on their parent posting here.

Mr./Mrs. Jones - if you post/read here- Mikel is my favorite. Has been for a few years now.

 

[zjscuse]

Unbelievably ridiculous expectations put on him by the posters here.

As I remember it, his highschool stats were absolutely insane as a rb???

 

[tep624]

As I remember it, his highschool stats were absolutely insane as a rb???

They were and he was 6'1 240 running a 4.5-4.6 40 that could catch out of the backfield, out run guys down the field and return kicks at that size. So people were excited for a reason to begin with and it wasn't because of his dad. That came later post verbal.

 

[Nahson]

They were and he was 6'1 240 running a 4.5-4.6 40 that could catch out of the backfield, out run guys down the field and return kicks at that size. So people were excited for a reason to begin with and it wasn't because of his dad. That came later post verbal.

The level of excitement was what was ridiculous.

 

[ottodaorange]

Also, he was PA player of the year for his class because the board rigged the vote.

Did you vote for player of the year in Pa.? I suspect not. You see, it was an "open," open election, i.e. you could vote as often as you wanted.

Now, I've lived a lifetime to observe what happens in under these rules, and if you think others didn't response this way as well, my friend, you are mistaken.

 

[UD1954]

Hough sounds a victim of the end of the season conversation Babers has with his players about where they stand in the program. Wish him well going forward.

 

[GoSU96]

Hough sounds a victim of the end of the season conversation Babers has with his players about where they stand in the program. Wish him well going forward.

Yep

 

[SuFTW]

They were and he was 6'1 240 running a 4.5-4.6 40 that could catch out of the backfield, out run guys down the field and return kicks at that size. So people were excited for a reason to begin with and it wasn't because of his dad. That came later post verbal.

His Dad is the one that posted the 4.5 time though.

 

[money3189]

I had tempered expectations from the start. He was a big kid that could move but his competition level was bad. A lot of the times he was the biggest kid on the field. Ive always questioned his ability to run laterally in the acc. The injury didnt allow him to cut his weight and show his ability at RB.

 

[tep624]

His Dad is the one that posted the 4.5 time though.

He my have posted it or mentioned it but it was reported in the media long before his father ever joined this board.

 

[UD1954]

Not all student athletes are willing/able to put in the work to be successful at the P5 level and there's nothing wrong with that. Lot less football pressure at the FCS level.

 

[SuFTW]

He my have posted it or mentioned it but it was reported in the media long before his father ever joined this board.

The timeline I see doesn’t fully support that. There is probably other info out there, but I think most people are getting their info from this board.
This is not to indict or incriminate his father, I just agree that the posts had a synergistic effect to help create more hype.

Feb 1, 2020 First offered and thread created.
Feb 2 Tweet from his father posted in thread with several other tweet postings to follow
April 16 Tweet from Pittsburgsportsnow reporter posted stating 4.5/4.6 forty and 250 pounds
April 17 Mr Hough joins the board
April 20 Committed to Syracuse
June 29 Post from Mr Hough with 40 times, post #171 in thread
Aug 10, final post in thread #1297.

 

[SWC75]

Very disappointed. I thought he could wind up on the defensive line next to Rashard Perry and both could have been very special. I assume the injury negated any possibility of that. Here is his highlight film and the comments I made on it in my SU FB previews:

The big name is Hough (as in “I’ll Hough and I’ll pough and I’ll blow you’re house down”), who combines massive size, (6-3 255) with the speed to take it the distance, at least in high school: “Rushed for 2,048 yards and 29 touchdowns on just 124 carries (16.7 yards per carry!), as a senior for Beaver Falls … Rushed for 4,378 yards in his high school career” (Cuse.com). here he is in action:




What jumps out at me is that there’s very little power running showed here. On most of these runs, he’s untouched. Part of that is excellent blocking. Part of it is Josh’s quick acceleration though the line and his ability to pick the correct hole and look for the seams. But I have to say I didn’t see how good a short-yardage power runner he is. Maybe there were so many long plays to highlight that there was no room for those plays. Maybe he’s just so much bigger than the average high school player they are afraid to make contact with him. I’m not saying that Josh isn’t a great power runner. I’m just saying that this clip doesn’t show me that. Also, like Howard, he can sure run past those teenagers. But will he be able to do it against ACC-level college players? He was measured at 4.69 in the forty, which is good for a man his size but otherwise not exceptional for a college running back. Steele ranked Hough the #118 RB in the nation, 247 #84 – good but not exceptional rankings.

He’s been called a high school Derrick Henry. Will he be a college or pro Derrick Henry? We’ll have to see what happens on the field- if he plays this year. He’s got four veteran running backs ahead of him so a redshirt might make some sense. But in this era of the wide-open transfer portal, do we dare not use him? One more note: I thought his defensive plays were as impressive in their own way as the long runs on offense. He can bat passes down, use his quickness to get into the backfield and throws ball-carriers around as if they were crash test dummies. He'd make a heck of an inside linebacker, (much like Marlowe Wax, so was also a big-time power runner in high school but is now a very promising LB). Whatever happens with Josh, I’m glad it will happen in Orange.
Update: Hough has a leg injury that will set him back for a time. He was seen on crutches and wearing a leg brace for the 8/17 practice.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Hough has already had an interesting career here and he has yet to play a game. All through his senior year in high school, we kept hearing of his phenomenal statistics, (his father kept us appraised on the board). Here was a 6-3 255 monster of a running back who averaged 16.5 yards per carry and scored 29 touchdowns! His highlight film showed one long run after another and is fun to watch: (see above)

This got everybody on the board excited about seeing him make runs like that for the Orange. I got excited because of my perennial dream of bringing back a Csonka-Little look to the running game with Hough as Csonka and Tucker as Little. I even came up with a nickname for them: since Tucker can disappear down the field in a puff of smoke, they would be the “Hough and Pough backfield”. Then Josh turned up in fall practice wearing crutches and was out for the year.

I’d noticed three things in that tape: that Josh had an explosive start for such a big man, (also an extra gear when he saw an opening downfield), that, despite his size, the tape doesn’t actually show much power running: there’s virtually no physical contact when he has the ball, (his teammates do a great job of blocking for him), and the second half of the tape has several rather spectacular-looking defensive plays by Josh. He can use that burst to get to the quarterback. He can pull people down with one hand. He tipped an intercepted pass to himself and was off to the races. I noted that Marlowe Wax, one of our outstanding linebackers, had been an outstanding high school runner but also played very effectively both ways. Dino and Tony White wanted him for the defense and I wondered if Josh Hough might someday be on defense.

Now he is. Even more astonishing is that he’s no longer 255 pounds. He’s now 315 pounds! The first question is: is he over his leg injury? The second: is that extra 60 pounds fat that built up while he was on crutches or is it muscle he built up rehabbing from the injury? This clip might give us an answer.

Summer Workouts 2022

Thought Caleb O looked considerably bigger in this picture. Maybe he will be moving to play the inside more than he has previously done in his career? Really hoping some of the younger edge guys can step up. Nolton, Geer, Jacquez all seem to have serious potential. As money3189 always says...

syracusefan.com

247 had Josh at #1,162/#84 as a running back. Nunes: “After sustaining a season-ending injury in training camp last year, Hough finds himself starting from scratch on the other side of the ball. With the running back room starting to get crowded, Hough moved to the most needed position on the team: defensive line. Though he won’t start, his explosive speed could elevate him quickly. He played some defensive end and outside linebacker in high school, so this isn’t a totally new experience for Josh.” I still don’t know why they consider the running back room ‘crowded‘ but I agree that his explosive speed can help him on defense as well as offense. Football is ultimately about short bursts that set up everything else and, if his injury hasn’t cost him that, he could be quite a dynamic defender.

 

[PhatOrange]

If he'd stayed at RB he would've been a short yardage back and not much else. He always reminded me of Adonis Ameen Moore.

 

[money3189]

Very disappointed. I thought he could wind up on the defensive line next to Rashard Perry and both could have been very special. I assume the injury negated any possibility of that. Here is his highlight film and the comments I made on it in my SU FB previews:

The big name is Hough (as in “I’ll Hough and I’ll pough and I’ll blow you’re house down”), who combines massive size, (6-3 255) with the speed to take it the distance, at least in high school: “Rushed for 2,048 yards and 29 touchdowns on just 124 carries (16.7 yards per carry!), as a senior for Beaver Falls … Rushed for 4,378 yards in his high school career” (Cuse.com). here he is in action:




What jumps out at me is that there’s very little power running showed here. On most of these runs, he’s untouched. Part of that is excellent blocking. Part of it is Josh’s quick acceleration though the line and his ability to pick the correct hole and look for the seams. But I have to say I didn’t see how good a short-yardage power runner he is. Maybe there were so many long plays to highlight that there was no room for those plays. Maybe he’s just so much bigger than the average high school player they are afraid to make contact with him. I’m not saying that Josh isn’t a great power runner. I’m just saying that this clip doesn’t show me that. Also, like Howard, he can sure run past those teenagers. But will he be able to do it against ACC-level college players? He was measured at 4.69 in the forty, which is good for a man his size but otherwise not exceptional for a college running back. Steele ranked Hough the #118 RB in the nation, 247 #84 – good but not exceptional rankings.

He’s been called a high school Derrick Henry. Will he be a college or pro Derrick Henry? We’ll have to see what happens on the field- if he plays this year. He’s got four veteran running backs ahead of him so a redshirt might make some sense. But in this era of the wide-open transfer portal, do we dare not use him? One more note: I thought his defensive plays were as impressive in their own way as the long runs on offense. He can bat passes down, use his quickness to get into the backfield and throws ball-carriers around as if they were crash test dummies. He'd make a heck of an inside linebacker, (much like Marlowe Wax, so was also a big-time power runner in high school but is now a very promising LB). Whatever happens with Josh, I’m glad it will happen in Orange.
Update: Hough has a leg injury that will set him back for a time. He was seen on crutches and wearing a leg brace for the 8/17 practice.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Hough has already had an interesting career here and he has yet to play a game. All through his senior year in high school, we kept hearing of his phenomenal statistics, (his father kept us appraised on the board). Here was a 6-3 255 monster of a running back who averaged 16.5 yards per carry and scored 29 touchdowns! His highlight film showed one long run after another and is fun to watch: (see above)

This got everybody on the board excited about seeing him make runs like that for the Orange. I got excited because of my perennial dream of bringing back a Csonka-Little look to the running game with Hough as Csonka and Tucker as Little. I even came up with a nickname for them: since Tucker can disappear down the field in a puff of smoke, they would be the “Hough and Pough backfield”. Then Josh turned up in fall practice wearing crutches and was out for the year.

I’d noticed three things in that tape: that Josh had an explosive start for such a big man, (also an extra gear when he saw an opening downfield), that, despite his size, the tape doesn’t actually show much power running: there’s virtually no physical contact when he has the ball, (his teammates do a great job of blocking for him), and the second half of the tape has several rather spectacular-looking defensive plays by Josh. He can use that burst to get to the quarterback. He can pull people down with one hand. He tipped an intercepted pass to himself and was off to the races. I noted that Marlowe Wax, one of our outstanding linebackers, had been an outstanding high school runner but also played very effectively both ways. Dino and Tony White wanted him for the defense and I wondered if Josh Hough might someday be on defense.

Now he is. Even more astonishing is that he’s no longer 255 pounds. He’s now 315 pounds! The first question is: is he over his leg injury? The second: is that extra 60 pounds fat that built up while he was on crutches or is it muscle he built up rehabbing from the injury? This clip might give us an answer.

Summer Workouts 2022

Thought Caleb O looked considerably bigger in this picture. Maybe he will be moving to play the inside more than he has previously done in his career? Really hoping some of the younger edge guys can step up. Nolton, Geer, Jacquez all seem to have serious potential. As money3189 always says...

syracusefan.com

247 had Josh at #1,162/#84 as a running back. Nunes: “After sustaining a season-ending injury in training camp last year, Hough finds himself starting from scratch on the other side of the ball. With the running back room starting to get crowded, Hough moved to the most needed position on the team: defensive line. Though he won’t start, his explosive speed could elevate him quickly. He played some defensive end and outside linebacker in high school, so this isn’t a totally new experience for Josh.” I still don’t know why they consider the running back room ‘crowded‘ but I agree that his explosive speed can help him on defense as well as offense. Football is ultimately about short bursts that set up everything else and, if his injury hasn’t cost him that, he could be quite a dynamic defender.

Watching the first 10 clips of that film just reminded me how bad the competition he faced. It looked equivalent to class C in NY.

 

[SUforme]

I had tempered expectations from the start. He was a big kid that could move but his competition level was bad. A lot of the times he was the biggest kid on the field. Ive always questioned his ability to run laterally in the acc. The injury didnt allow him to cut his weight and show his ability at RB.

It also shouldn't be an excuse that he gained 40-50lbs either. There has been discussion about nutrition/strength program not being top notch but it's highly unlikely anyone told him to gain all that weight.

 

[qdawgg]

If he'd stayed at RB he would've been a short yardage back and not much else. He always reminded me of Adonis Ameen Moore.

I really liked AAM. For his size he had really good quickness and “touch” below the knees. I could be wrong but I thought he should get more run, felt like he didn’t quite fit in the scheme so wasn’t used.

 

[zjscuse]

I really liked AAM. For his size he had really good quickness and “touch” below the knees. I could be wrong but I thought he should get more run, felt like he didn’t quite fit in the scheme so wasn’t used.

He definitely should’ve gotten more run, he was always one of my favorite players.

 

[GoSU96]

Very disappointed. I thought he could wind up on the defensive line next to Rashard Perry and both could have been very special. I assume the injury negated any possibility of that. Here is his highlight film and the comments I made on it in my SU FB previews:

The big name is Hough (as in “I’ll Hough and I’ll pough and I’ll blow you’re house down”), who combines massive size, (6-3 255) with the speed to take it the distance, at least in high school: “Rushed for 2,048 yards and 29 touchdowns on just 124 carries (16.7 yards per carry!), as a senior for Beaver Falls … Rushed for 4,378 yards in his high school career” (Cuse.com). here he is in action:




What jumps out at me is that there’s very little power running showed here. On most of these runs, he’s untouched. Part of that is excellent blocking. Part of it is Josh’s quick acceleration though the line and his ability to pick the correct hole and look for the seams. But I have to say I didn’t see how good a short-yardage power runner he is. Maybe there were so many long plays to highlight that there was no room for those plays. Maybe he’s just so much bigger than the average high school player they are afraid to make contact with him. I’m not saying that Josh isn’t a great power runner. I’m just saying that this clip doesn’t show me that. Also, like Howard, he can sure run past those teenagers. But will he be able to do it against ACC-level college players? He was measured at 4.69 in the forty, which is good for a man his size but otherwise not exceptional for a college running back. Steele ranked Hough the #118 RB in the nation, 247 #84 – good but not exceptional rankings.

He’s been called a high school Derrick Henry. Will he be a college or pro Derrick Henry? We’ll have to see what happens on the field- if he plays this year. He’s got four veteran running backs ahead of him so a redshirt might make some sense. But in this era of the wide-open transfer portal, do we dare not use him? One more note: I thought his defensive plays were as impressive in their own way as the long runs on offense. He can bat passes down, use his quickness to get into the backfield and throws ball-carriers around as if they were crash test dummies. He'd make a heck of an inside linebacker, (much like Marlowe Wax, so was also a big-time power runner in high school but is now a very promising LB). Whatever happens with Josh, I’m glad it will happen in Orange.
Update: Hough has a leg injury that will set him back for a time. He was seen on crutches and wearing a leg brace for the 8/17 practice.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Hough has already had an interesting career here and he has yet to play a game. All through his senior year in high school, we kept hearing of his phenomenal statistics, (his father kept us appraised on the board). Here was a 6-3 255 monster of a running back who averaged 16.5 yards per carry and scored 29 touchdowns! His highlight film showed one long run after another and is fun to watch: (see above)

This got everybody on the board excited about seeing him make runs like that for the Orange. I got excited because of my perennial dream of bringing back a Csonka-Little look to the running game with Hough as Csonka and Tucker as Little. I even came up with a nickname for them: since Tucker can disappear down the field in a puff of smoke, they would be the “Hough and Pough backfield”. Then Josh turned up in fall practice wearing crutches and was out for the year.

I’d noticed three things in that tape: that Josh had an explosive start for such a big man, (also an extra gear when he saw an opening downfield), that, despite his size, the tape doesn’t actually show much power running: there’s virtually no physical contact when he has the ball, (his teammates do a great job of blocking for him), and the second half of the tape has several rather spectacular-looking defensive plays by Josh. He can use that burst to get to the quarterback. He can pull people down with one hand. He tipped an intercepted pass to himself and was off to the races. I noted that Marlowe Wax, one of our outstanding linebackers, had been an outstanding high school runner but also played very effectively both ways. Dino and Tony White wanted him for the defense and I wondered if Josh Hough might someday be on defense.

Now he is. Even more astonishing is that he’s no longer 255 pounds. He’s now 315 pounds! The first question is: is he over his leg injury? The second: is that extra 60 pounds fat that built up while he was on crutches or is it muscle he built up rehabbing from the injury? This clip might give us an answer.

Summer Workouts 2022

Thought Caleb O looked considerably bigger in this picture. Maybe he will be moving to play the inside more than he has previously done in his career? Really hoping some of the younger edge guys can step up. Nolton, Geer, Jacquez all seem to have serious potential. As money3189 always says...

syracusefan.com

247 had Josh at #1,162/#84 as a running back. Nunes: “After sustaining a season-ending injury in training camp last year, Hough finds himself starting from scratch on the other side of the ball. With the running back room starting to get crowded, Hough moved to the most needed position on the team: defensive line. Though he won’t start, his explosive speed could elevate him quickly. He played some defensive end and outside linebacker in high school, so this isn’t a totally new experience for Josh.” I still don’t know why they consider the running back room ‘crowded‘ but I agree that his explosive speed can help him on defense as well as offense. Football is ultimately about short bursts that set up everything else and, if his injury hasn’t cost him that, he could be quite a dynamic defender.

He wasn’t going to play here

 

[kcsu]

He wasn’t going to play here

Pre injury he would have played here. I hope that he recovers, gets in shape and has a great career.