Class of 2015 JUCO OLB Ted Taylor (KS) Signed LOI

[anomander]

I can seeing taking a kid late like Womack, but this one here just seems like a waste of a scholarship. We have a young, talented LBer unit why do we need to clog it up with a below average JUCO kid who will probably never see any game.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Shouldn't the point of Jucos be to get them in for spring ball to be ready to contribute right away?

 

[anomander]

Shouldn't the point of Jucos be to get them in for spring ball to be ready to contribute right away?

you would think so.

 

[Louie and Bouie]

The staff sees something they like in this kid and the program is very thin at LB so far as any proven talent is concerned. Outside of Franklin and Hodge who has proved anything? I don't think they've offered our last scholarship to him because they think he won't ever play. They must think he has a chance to contribute. Why they think this is the million dollar question. Either they are concerned about the academics of the current roster/commits at LB or they haven't seen the expected on the field development/play with the LB crew and aren't quite as impressed with their ability as are some on this board.

Let us all take the time to remember that the staff is way more in tune with the future depth chart, off-season conditioning, including off-field and on-field assessments and academic progress than anyone here. Therefore, its a pretty good guess that they are bringing him in because they feel they need him and they don't feel comfortable with the current situation at LB.

 

[PhatOrange]

i have no opinion of this kid's ability but we have 7 LB's on the roster which is THIN. 2 incoming freshman make 9. This kid has been playing high level JUCO for 2 years. At a minimum you maybe have a decent kick off special team-mer. 3 to play 2. Who the heck knows. How many offers did Kirkland have?

 

[syr02esq]

We need depth there right now. Hodge and Frankin in the middle, Bennet and Thomas at the will, Moskal and Vigile at the SAM I believe. Who knows that is going to happen with Arcinega and his injury to be honey, and I'm not sure Arlik Perry sees the field here outside of specials. We need a guy who can come in on 3rd downs and get after the QB and drop into coverage ala Kirkland's role the last two years.

For a layman like me, what are the differences between the three LB positions Will Mike and Sam?

 

[jekelish]

For a layman like me, what are the differences between the three LB positions Will Mike and Sam?

Well, without getting into the specifics, WILL is weakside linebacker, MIKE is middle linebacker, SAM is strongside linebacker. Unless you already knew that much, in which case this isn't helpful at all.

 

[CuseOnly]

Am I the only concerned by the striking lack of height or size in that list?

I was concerned with the shocking lack of size and height of some of our recent best linebackers...Siriki (5'10"), Cam Lynch (5'11"), Dyshawn Davis (216 lbs), Spruill was listed at 6'1" and 224.

I am no longer concerned and will not be again after seeing those guys play.

 

[alphaorange]

It's not Zaire.

Good to know but I wasn't implying any particular player. I would have no idea who the players are..

 

[anomander]

i have no opinion of this kid's ability but we have 7 LB's on the roster which is THIN. 2 incoming freshman make 9. This kid has been playing high level JUCO for 2 years. At a minimum you maybe have a decent kick off special team-mer. 3 to play 2. Who the heck knows. How many offers did Kirkland have?

What did Kirkland ever do other then being a warm body? He was always banged up, and his over aggressiveness put him out of position more times then not.

If this kid was any good what so ever he would have been gobbled up long ago.

We should have targeted more HS kids, we have shown the ability to land some highly regarded prospects.

 

[007]

I was concerned with the shocking lack of size and height of some of our recent best linebackers...Siriki (5'10"), Cam Lynch (5'11"), Dyshawn Davis (216 lbs), Spruill was listed at 6'1" and 224.

I am no longer concerned and will not be again after seeing those guys play.

Good to know. Just to be clear, you are saying Lynch, Davis and Spruill were undersized LBs and had good careers at SU, therefore all undersized LB will do well at SU?

 

[CuseOnly]

Good to know. Just to be clear, you are saying Lynch, Davis and Spruill were undersized LBs and had good careers at SU, therefore all undersized LB will do well at SU?

No, but can you remember a traditionally sized LB at SU? Just curious.

EDIT: just an FYI- ALL our linebackers are undersized...and someone has to start so the odds are that at least 3 of our undersized linebackers will do well. Whoever starts.

 

[IHeartSUFball]

What did Kirkland ever do other then being a warm body? He was always banged up, and his aggressiveness put him out of position more times then not. If this kid was any good what so ever he would have been gobbled up long ago. We should have targeted more HS kids, we have shown the ability to land some highly regarded prospects.

depth got 2 years schollie open back
Up, let's get him here and see. Think at this point be a solid pick up

 

[JrodCuse]

depth got 2 years schollie open back
Up, let's get him here and see. Think at this point be a solid pick up

Yoda?

 

[007]

No, but can you remember a traditionally sized LB at SU? Just curious.

EDIT: just an FYI- ALL our linebackers are undersized...and someone has to start so the odds are that at least 3 of our undersized linebackers will do well. Whoever starts.

Let's see, can I remember any - how about: Doug Houge and Kelvin Smith were both 6-2, 235; Derrel Smith was 6-1 236; Keith Bullock was 6-3 235; and Marquis Spruill was 6-1, 231 (measurements from the combine).

As for this gem: "FYI- ALL our linebackers are undersized...and someone has to start so the odds are that at least 3 of our undersized linebackers will do well;" I'm thinking that you don't understand the meaning of "odds are."

FYI - being named a starter and "doing well" are not necessarily synonymous.

 

[sufandu]

I don't have a problem with them bringing this kid in. Maybe he won't see the field as a LB, but with 85 players on scholarship that can be said for a lot of players on the team every year. If he's athletic and likes to hit, he sounds like a great gunner. If that's all he is, it keeps one of our better prepared LB's from having to fill that role.

 

[IHeartSUFball]

Yoda?

um yea sure

 

[sufandu]

Let's see, can I remember any - how about: Doug Houge and Kelvin Smith were both 6-2, 235; Derrel Smith was 6-1 236; Keith Bullock was 6-3 235; and Marquis Spruill was 6-1, 231 (measurements from the combine).

As for this gem: "FYI- ALL our linebackers are undersized...and someone has to start so the odds are that at least 3 of our undersized linebackers will do well;" I'm thinking that you don't understand the meaning of "odds are."

FYI - being named a starter and "doing well" are not necessarily synonymous.

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but I think every guy you mentioned grew into those weights by their senior years. Bullock came to campus as a 195 lb safety and was somewhere around 215 when he was moved to LB his sophomore year. I think Hogue was aroung 210, Derrell Smith was 205, and Spruill was around 205 coming out of high school. I don't remember much about Kelvin Smith.

 

[TheCusian]

I'm not sure why we are worried about being undersized all of a sudden.

Also: can we confirm that they ever updated the size weights from last summer? Or that anything on that site is all that accurate?

 

[CuseOnly]

Let's see, can I remember any - how about: Doug Houge and Kelvin Smith were both 6-2, 235; Derrel Smith was 6-1 236; Keith Bullock was 6-3 235; and Marquis Spruill was 6-1, 231 (measurements from the combine).

As for this gem: "FYI- ALL our linebackers are undersized...and someone has to start so the odds are that at least 3 of our undersized linebackers will do well;" I'm thinking that you don't understand the meaning of "odds are."

FYI - being named a starter and "doing well" are not necessarily synonymous.

Your Original Post "Am I the only concerned by the striking lack of height or size in that list?"

My answer was basically "NO", you never mentioned "doing it well", it was purely height and size and it was "...am I the only one concerned?".

Were we talking about Syracuse or the NFL? Spruill realistically played under 220 at a height of 6'1" at SU, Not ideal size. Just so you know, you named 5 guys and had to dig all the way back to 1984 to find 2 of them which kind of proves my point. And to sufandu's point, NONE of them came her with ideal size and height.

Here is a tidbit...If a LB has ideal size and height with enough speed to play in Shafer/Bullough's system, guess what...they are 4-5 star kids and aren't coming here.

 

[anomander]

Let's see, can I remember any - how about: Doug Houge and Kelvin Smith were both 6-2, 235; Derrel Smith was 6-1 236; Keith Bullock was 6-3 235; and Marquis Spruill was 6-1, 231 (measurements from the combine).

As for this gem: "FYI- ALL our linebackers are undersized...and someone has to start so the odds are that at least 3 of our undersized linebackers will do well;" I'm thinking that you don't understand the meaning of "odds are."

FYI - being named a starter and "doing well" are not necessarily synonymous.

There is a reason Keith Bullock has been one of the only LB's who have stuck around the NFL and had a very successful career. With that said I don't think size is overly crucial to the college game, but i'd rather have it, then not have it. I know it's obvious, but just being big allows you to do certain things smaller guys can't.

 

[sufandu]

There is a reason Keith Bullock has been one of the only LB's who have stuck around the NFL and had a very successful career. With that said I don't think size is overly crucial to the college game, but i'd rather have it, then not have it. I know it's obvious, but just being big allows you to do certain things smaller guys can't.

I think he continued to get bigger after he got to the league too. I think he topped out somewhere around 250.

 

[sufandu]

Your Original Post "Am I the only concerned by the striking lack of height or size in that list?"

My answer was basically "NO", you never mentioned "doing it well", it was purely height and size and it was "...am I the only one concerned?".

Were we talking about Syracuse or the NFL? Spruill realistically played under 220 at a height of 6'1" at SU, Not ideal size. Just so you know, you named 5 guys and had to dig all the way back to 1984 to find 2 of them which kind of proves my point. And to sufandu's point, NONE of them came her with ideal size and height.

Here is a tidbit...If a LB has ideal size and height with enough speed to play in Shafer/Bullough's system, guess what...they are 4-5 star kids and aren't coming here.

Yeah, and most of the guys that have been bigger haven't been all that fast. Guys like Clifton Smith were more suited to Pasqualoni's more conservative system than Bullough's.

The last kid that had ideal size and athleticism straight out of high school may have been the kid under GRob that had to quit football because of blood clots. Wasn't he somewhere around 6'2" 240?

 

[anomander]

Yeah, and most of the guys that have been bigger haven't been all that fast. Guys like Clifton Smith were more suited to Pasqualoni's more conservative system than Bullough's.

The last kid that had ideal size and athleticism straight out of high school may have been the kid under GRob that had to quit football because of blood clots. Wasn't he somewhere around 6'2" 240?

I actually think Zaire Franklin is about 6'1 240 right now.

 

[CuseOnly]

Yeah, and most of the guys that have been bigger haven't been all that fast. Guys like Clifton Smith were more suited to Pasqualoni's more conservative system than Bullough's.

The last kid that had ideal size and athleticism straight out of high school may have been the kid under GRob that had to quit football because of blood clots. Wasn't he somewhere around 6'2" 240?

I would take Siriki Di'Abate at 5'10" with speed and instinct over a slower bigger LB any day. SPEED KILLS...and there is not substitute for it at any position. Period.