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net upgrade

kcsu

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With Spring ball essentially in the books i believe that we go into the summer with Syracuse in a net upgrade state vs at the end of last season.

Lots of changes especially on the coaching side. There is no doubt that we lost three very talented coaches. I think that at the DC position and possibly the OC position we came out in better shape. As good as White was Long is the GOAT of this D. Beck brings a fresh approach and youth to the position and more importantly seems to have a good working relationship with Dino which is a plus. Nick can't be replaced but the focus on Jersey and East coast coaches is solid as far as recruiting goes and these guys also have the experience and creds as coaches so overall, I'd say coaching is in good if not better shape.

As to the units The D will be improved. Sure we lost some great DB talent but we gained some solid kids that i believe will only be a tick below what we lost and not by much. All other aspects of the D are improved and deeper. The Dline is going to be our best in years and the LBs won't miss a beat. So, I give the D a solid upgrade over last year.

O massive upgrade. Yes massive. Sure Tuck is gone but he was gone last year as well as he played the whole season at 75%. Shrader is a year older, wiser and hopefully healthier. The back up position at QB is the single most improved spot on the team. In Lamson and Carlos we have two guys that are talented and can win games. This cant be understated. RBs are thin but the top two kids can both play and Allen has star written all over him. Wr and Te are also big upgrades. Getting the kid who was hurt last year back will make a difference as if healthy he might have actually been our best wide out. The others should all improve and I'm excited to see what the TEs can do especially the kid from Michigan who is new to the position.
The big question mark is the OL. Always is. Cant replace Berg but all other positions look to be better. A big if is if Big Red makes a splash over the summer and in fall camp. If he can anchor the center position everything falls in place. I'm going to be positive and say he does take the reigns on the center spot and Bleich gets healthy and takes his spot in the starting line up as well. All in all the O will be equal to if not better primarily because of the QB and Wr positions.

Now here is the game changer. Special teams. I'm not sure where we finished in punting but it had to be worse than Ithaca college. We were awful. Stats or no stats when the chips were done our punters were terrible. By all accounts we are in for a treat with the kid from the show me state. Also, the Florida kicker has a cannon and should be solid. So, I give us a huge upgrade in the kick games.

If we stay healthy this team looks to be better and deeper than last years. Coaching is at worst a push and the schedule is about the same. I think we win 6 going away and have a solid chance at 8. Looking forward to tomorrow night. Go Cuse
 
I do agree we maybe slightly upgraded our DC in terms of knwowledge, but I think the biggest question mark is in recruiting for me. Not saying TW was the an Ace, but he definitely was good. TBD on how well rocky recruits for us, looking forward to seeing!
 
Lequint’s the real deal.
In person (NYC) against a very good Minny D, LA would have been unstoppable if the field was not sloppy. He may not be as fast straight ahead as ST, lightning quick, shifty and sees the field. Also, cant really stop him on swing passes they will almost need a spy which will free up GS and the WR’s
 
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In person (NYC) against a very good Minny D, LA would have been unstoppable if the field was not sloppy. He may not be as fast straight ahead as ST, bit lightning quick, shifty and sees the field. Also, cant really stop him on swing passes they will almost need a spy which will free up GS and the WR’s
Laquint reminds me of former Cincy RB Isaiah Pead.
 
Darton proving he can be a productive player on the inside is a huge boost for interior depth. If the dl kids can have a rotation so that guys are playing 35 snaps each without much fall off that can make up for some talent disparity. Hockey line changes during drives, keep them fresh, best guys play at crunch time.
 
Darton proving he can be a productive player on the inside is a huge boost for interior depth. If the dl kids can have a rotation so that guys are playing 35 snaps each without much fall off that can make up for some talent disparity. Hockey line changes during drives, keep them fresh, best guys play at crunch time.
Who says there's a talent disparity?
 
I’m not sure I fully agree, as of this moment in time that our coaching staff at the coordinator positions is better for disparate reasons:
- OC - Really like Beck and think his upside is surely much much higher than Anae, but this will be his first as OC. Hope he hits the ground running, but there may be ramp up time needed for the extra responsibility.
- DC - TW may have lacked Rocky in overall mastery of the 3-3-5, but he had a very unique ability to utilize the strengths of the players on the field. While Rocky is the master of the 3-3-5, his inexperience with the players may take a season or two for him to fully understand the players strengths and weaknesses.

Not saying you’re wrong with saying they’re better than the guys they replaced. Just very cautious about my own expectations going into the season.
 
……
- DC - TW may have lacked Rocky in overall mastery of the 3-3-5, but he had a very unique ability to utilize the strengths of the players on the field. While Rocky is the master of the 3-3-5, his inexperience with the players may take a season or two for him to fully understand the players strengths and weaknesses.

Not saying you’re wrong with saying they’re better than the guys they replaced. Just very cautious about my own expectations going into the season.
Rocky is an experienced coach, I am sure he can figure out who can do what between the spring and fall practices.
 
Not rolling a bunch of 4 and 5 star kids out there
Confused Power Rangers GIF
 
The more i look into Rocky and his background the more i love this hire. He is going to be great for the entire program. Bringing in someone of his stature doesnt usually happen at Syracuse. We have been blessed over the years to have some brilliant coaches. Ben, George, Mac, Paul Doug and recently Nick and coach White. All exceptional coaches. Guys like Saben and others like Hack have gone onto greatness but it is rare when Syracuse has a coach on its staff that is seasoned and as exceptional as Rocky. He is a program changer in my book and i hope we have him for the rest of his career.
 

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