Roster breakdown

[TexanMark]

We shouldn't be taking flyers on undersized prospects any more. IMO.

I agree but as a developmental program I think 2-3 guys per 25 is expected and okay

 

[AngryOtto]

If we had those 3 players in our secondary this year I'd be excited. Without them we are going to struggle vs the pass this year IMO

Two of those players were gone for most of the season and the dbs improved over the season. I feel secondary will step up this season.

 

[tep624]

IMO that's what happens when you change coaches every 4 years. The first year's recruiting class is often a bit of a reach, so many of those guys won't pan out. In general, I think that we've had that problem with our recruiting up to this day. Too many guys didn't pan out. Plus, when you switch coordinators and play styles, some guys are going to be pushed out due to system fit.

The only hurdle I think Dino had/has yet to overcome is taking guys who legitimately have a shot in the ACC ased on physical measurables alone. We shouldn't be taking flyers on undersized prospects any more. IMO.

The coaching change year recruiting class can make or break a coaches tenure. Marrone came in with largely a new staff, retained two diamonds in Pugh and Lemon, and mined a few more extremely late in the game in Shamarko Thomas, Zach Chibane, Rishard Anderson, Brandon Sharpe, and Andrew Tiller, and had Andrew Phillips, Torrey Ball and Charley Loeb in the class as well that were all players that contributed and graduated. 10/16 graduated from the program, a NFL first rounder, 4th rounder, and a 6th rounder in the class. Plus they added Paulus as a grad transfer. I really was impressed looking back at what they did with essentially a new staff and 3 recruits worth of keeping from GRob and 3-4 weeks left in the recruit cycle.

The coaching change class for Shafwr was the exact opposite. Retained half the staff, added Mr recruiting hype George McDonald, and pretty much limped to the finish line with a class that 2-3 years later was a big contributor to him getting fired.

 

[Sudano]

Two of those players were gone for most of the season and the dbs improved over the season. I feel secondary will step up this season.

Who do you think will step up and win some games?

 

[GoSU96]

Who do you think will step up and win some games?

Win games from the secondary?

their role first is don’t lose games

then get stops

then get turnovers (which the defense was excellent at last year)

they aren’t there to win games

 

[RF2044]

Who do you think will step up and win some games?

Garrett Williams is an established player, and an all-conference caliber candidate.

Guys who played last year in a reserve capacity / when injuries popped up who we can expect to be key players this year:

• Ja'Had Carter - S [think he could eventually be an impact starter]
• Ben LaBrosse - CB [think he could eventually be an impact starter]
• Robert Hanna - S

Inexperienced guys who redshirted / were on the roster last year that I am interested in seeing perform on the field:

• Chase Atkinson - CB
• Ahman Greenwood - CB
• Justin Barron - S [big for the position]

Newcomers who I think could challenge for the two-deep:

• Darian Chestnut - CB [could he push for a starting role?]
• Malcolm Folk - S

And then there's Neil Nunn, who had a tumultuous off-season -- to put it mildly. Will he put that in the past and live up to the lofty recruiting ranking?

Coley [lots of starting experience] also returns from injury.

Big shoes to fill, but quality raw materials in the secondary pipeline.

 

[Sudano]

Garrett Williams is an established player, and an all-conference caliber candidate.

Guys who played last year in a reserve capacity / when injuries popped up who we can expect to be key players this year:

• Ja'Had Carter - S [think he could eventually be an impact starter]
• Ben LaBrosse - CB [think he could eventually be an impact starter]
• Robert Hanna - S

Inexperienced guys who redshirted / were on the roster last year that I am interested in seeing perform on the field:

• Chase Atkinson - CB
• Ahman Greenwood - CB
• Justin Barron - S [big for the position]

Newcomers who I think could challenge for the two-deep:

• Darian Chestnut - CB [could he push for a starting role?]
• Malcolm Folk - S

And then there's Neil Nunn, who had a tumultuous off-season -- to put it mildly. Will he put that in the past and live up to the lofty recruiting ranking?

Coley [lots of starting experience] also returns from injury.

Big shoes to fill, but quality raw materials in the secondary pipeline.

I know the roster, and know who we'd all like to be All conference, just wondering if you had any specific evaluation on players who you think will be on field talents. That list right there does not look particularly impressive. I hope to be wrong.

 

[SWC75]

Yup I think Dino biggest problem is how he's handle the offensive line. From a recruiting and coaching perspective. I think he has learned his lesson

They've got 22 of them for a 5 man unit. Will quantity produce quality?

 

[SWC75]

This is one of the fundamental keys to turning a program around.

You have to find a way to stop churn, to keep players in the system for 4 or 5 years consistently.

When you take in kids with character issues, academic issues, health issues, you introduce risk and if you do it enough times, you end up with a senior class of 5 or 6 people instead of 20-25.

Some of our churn has just been bad luck. We have had a lot of kids declared unfit to play well before their senior season. Some had previous injury issues. Some did not.

If Dino is going to stick here and stay long term, he has to find a way to keep kids healthy, solid academically and loyal enough that they don't pack up and leave at the first sign of adversity.

Senior classes are typically much smaller than freshman classes. there's always attrition, (and will be more than ever now). You've got have enough good players coming into the program to keep you afloat.

 

[RF2044]

I know the roster, and know who we'd all like to be All conference, just wondering if you had any specific evaluation on players who you think will be on field talents. That list right there does not look particularly impressive. I hope to be wrong.

We have a blend of experienced starters, mixed with a lot of younger players who got thrown to the wolves last year and held up. One of the returning starters is a stud CB -- great place to start.

LaBrosse seems like a guy [to me] with incredible speed / physical tools, would love to see some combination of him, Carter, and Chestnut in the starting lineup.

Don't believe that the situation is as dire as you're making out. I see talent and depth. Sure, there's also inexperience -- but college athletics is all about attrition, and new faces coming in every year to replace more experienced ones.

I can understand people being underwhelmed, but Atkinson, Folk, Hanna, Greenwood, etc. were all good "gets" who fit what the coaching staff wants in the secondary. I think our two-deep is going to be competitive. This group accorded themselves well after injuries to Melifonwu, Cisco, and Trill -- who were arguably three of the top 4 or 5 best players on the team last season.

 

[cusefan88]

We have a blend of experienced starters, mixed with a lot of younger players who got thrown to the wolves last year and held up. One of the returning starters is a stud CB -- great place to start.

LaBrosse seems like a guy [to me] with incredible speed / physical tools, would love to see some combination of him, Carter, and Chestnut in the starting lineup.

Don't believe that the situation is as dire as you're making out. I see talent and depth. Sure, there's also inexperience -- but college athletics is all about attrition, and new faces coming in every year to replace more experienced ones.

I can understand people being underwhelmed, but Atkinson, Folk, Hanna, Greenwood, etc. were all good "gets" who fit what the coaching staff wants in the secondary. I think our two-deep is going to be competitive. This group accorded themselves well after injuries to Melifonwu, Cisco, and Trill -- who were arguably three of the top 4 or 5 best players on the team last season.

Also the transfer Simmons Jr. He's not coming to sit...

 

[RF2044]

Also the transfer Simmons Jr. He's not coming to sit...

Great point -- can't believe I left him out.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I know the roster, and know who we'd all like to be All conference, just wondering if you had any specific evaluation on players who you think will be on field talents. That list right there does not look particularly impressive. I hope to be wrong.

The thing I hang on to is that before Nunn got hurt, he was splitting time with Williams.

If that means it's because he's just as good as Williams, well, we're going to be pretty strong at corner. I think Chestnut will be in the mix too.

Safety, feels like talent is there, it's a question of how quickly can their understanding of the defense mature, and can they exhibit the proper dedication to s&c? Carter did well for a true freshman, LaBrosse made some plays where the talent was obvious, Greenwood had a rough season but seemed to settle in late in the year. Then there's the transfer coming in that probably brings something.

I'm cautiously optimistic, all said.

 

[cusefan88]

Great point -- can't believe I left him out.

I'm bullish on the DB's as well. Let's be honest, they held their own while being on the field way too much in addition to Cisco only playing 2-3 games and trill shutting it down as well.

The key questions:
Where does Simmons Jr play? (Based on his highlights I think Rover)
Who starts opposite G. Williams? (Nunn? Certainly biggest question)
Can Hanna, Greenwood, and LaBrosse make sophomore jumps?

 

[money3189]

They've got 22 of them for a 5 man unit. Will quantity produce quality?

Are you asking me if more bodies mean better? If so, of course not. You do have a bigger pool to choose your best 5 from. The extra lineman is roster management move that adds quality of depth and competition in practice and being better prepared for casualties like injuries, Dq's and ineligibility. If line play has been holding you back. You better try something different.

 

[TheCusian]

I know the roster, and know who we'd all like to be All conference, just wondering if you had any specific evaluation on players who you think will be on field talents. That list right there does not look particularly impressive. I hope to be wrong.

Half empty sort of fella, huh?

 

[rrlbees]

Garrett Williams is an established player, and an all-conference caliber candidate.

Guys who played last year in a reserve capacity / when injuries popped up who we can expect to be key players this year:

• Ja'Had Carter - S [think he could eventually be an impact starter]
• Ben LaBrosse - CB [think he could eventually be an impact starter]
• Robert Hanna - S

Inexperienced guys who redshirted / were on the roster last year that I am interested in seeing perform on the field:

• Chase Atkinson - CB
• Ahman Greenwood - CB
• Justin Barron - S [big for the position]

Newcomers who I think could challenge for the two-deep:

• Darian Chestnut - CB [could he push for a starting role?]
• Malcolm Folk - S

And then there's Neil Nunn, who had a tumultuous off-season -- to put it mildly. Will he put that in the past and live up to the lofty recruiting ranking?

Coley [lots of starting experience] also returns from injury.

Big shoes to fill, but quality raw materials in the secondary pipeline.

on Packer and Durham this morning they were picking the best ACC players at each position for this fall. At DB Williams was one of the 4 selected. Unfortunately he was the only SU player selected although I missed specials.

 

[syrBossHogg]

on Packer and Durham this morning they were picking the best ACC players at each position for this fall. At DB Williams was one of the 4 selected. Unfortunately he was the only SU player selected although I missed specials.

I think by the end of next season Tucker and Bergeron will be getting some good recognition by the league, hopefully one of the LBs too.

 

[Doc5120]

I'm bullish on the DB's as well. Let's be honest, they held their own while being on the field way too much in addition to Cisco only playing 2-3 games and trill shutting it down as well.

The key questions:
Where does Simmons Jr play? (Based on his highlights I think Rover)
Who starts opposite G. Williams? (Nunn? Certainly biggest question)
Can Hanna, Greenwood, and LaBrosse make sophomore jumps?

I think this is the biggest key. I don't think any of them played very well. Labrosse had limited reps. The other 2 either got beat or had difficulty making tackles, quite often.

I, like everyone else, love Williams. I think Carter is solid. Hopefully Chestnut is the impact player he's being made out to be, but hard to count on a true frosh there. Coley has been alright, but I think we tend to overhype him a bit. I know nothing about Simmons other than he's transferring here. Hopefully he's better than what we have and gets on the field and can make some plays.

Overall, I'm most concerned with this group moreso than any other on the team.

 

[money3189]

I think this is the biggest key. I don't think any of them played very well. Labrosse had limited reps. The other 2 either got beat or had difficulty making tackles, quite often.

I, like everyone else, love Williams. I think Carter is solid. Hopefully Chestnut is the impact player he's being made out to be, but hard to count on a true frosh there. Coley has been alright, but I think we tend to overhype him a bit. I know nothing about Simmons other than he's transferring here. Hopefully he's better than what we have and gets on the field and can make some plays.

Overall, I'm most concerned with this group moreso than any other on the team.

You've raised the same concerns I have. The group is definitely a work in progress.

 

[CbusCuse]

I think this is the biggest key. I don't think any of them played very well. Labrosse had limited reps. The other 2 either got beat or had difficulty making tackles, quite often.

I, like everyone else, love Williams. I think Carter is solid. Hopefully Chestnut is the impact player he's being made out to be, but hard to count on a true frosh there. Coley has been alright, but I think we tend to overhype him a bit. I know nothing about Simmons other than he's transferring here. Hopefully he's better than what we have and gets on the field and can make some plays.

Overall, I'm most concerned with this group moreso than any other on the team.

Agreed. Only bringing in Folk and Chestnut this year as DB's, we obviously didn't recruit the position like we thought we were going to lose 3 to the draft this year. Going to need to bring in some numbers here in 2022. I really think Labrosse is going to step up and be a nice surprise. He was injured to start the season last year so that set him back in comparison to some others I think but I'm confident Captain Canada will look solid this year. Really need Chestnut and Atkinson to be solid newcomers at the corner positions as well.

 

[Doc5120]

Agreed. Only bringing in Folk and Chestnut this year as DB's, we obviously didn't recruit the position like we thought we were going to lose 3 to the draft this year. Going to need to bring in some numbers here in 2022. I really think Labrosse is going to step up and be a nice surprise. He was injured to start the season last year so that set him back in comparison to some others I think but I'm confident Captain Canada will look solid this year. Really need Chestnut and Atkinson to be solid newcomers at the corner positions as well.

I'm all in on Chestnut, but I'm assuming it'll take him a portion of this season to really settle in. And then I expect big things from him in 2022. If he and/or Folk give us a lot of quality snaps, we can be OK this season.

I agree with you that the staff probably didn't expect to lose all 3 guys this off season. Cisco was pretty much a foregone conclusion, but the other 2 probably came as more of a surprise. I thought Iffy was outstanding all season long, and as the year progressed it became more obvious he was ready to make the jump. I think he is significantly better than his draft slot. I happen to be a Lions fan, so I'm thrilled! Trill's departure caught me a bit off guard. I think if he came back and had the season we all think he's capable of, he finds himself drafted somewhere rounds 2-4. Now he has his work cutout for him.

 

[AngryOtto]

Barron is a big addition. Think he either starts or gets significant minutes.
Cooley coming off injury so is a question mark.
Carter will be really good this year.
Williams a stud.
Just need to fill the other corner spot. But have a number of options.

 

[RMH44]

Barron is a big addition. Think he either starts or gets significant minutes.
Cooley coming off injury so is a question mark.
Carter will be really good this year.
Williams a stud.
Just need to fill the other corner spot. But have a number of options.

Good call on Barron. I love his size at safety.

 

[TheCusian]

Hanna was good - made some mistakes and needs to get bigger - but these are true freshman things. I think Hanna, Carter and Labrosse all put in decent 1st seasons given that it was the first year in the system with no camp (crazy just writing that)