This is a very young team. | Syracusefan.com

This is a very young team.

Crusty

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I didn't expect much from this year's team beyond a bowl (6-6 or 7-5) but I have been psyched for the next few years. Now more than ever.

Everyone understands that the defense is very young and many players have game experience but that is going also be the case with the offense by the end of the season. We have a real chance to build the kind of quality depth that is required to compete for ACC championships.

Here is the 2-deep UVA pregame. Notwithstanding players entering the draft (certainly 2 and maybe as many as 5), we will have a roster fuill of talent on both sides of the ball. We may also have an incoming freshman or two worthy of game time and I think we will also be scouring the portal for OLinemen and Receivers.

So long as Shrader and Gadsden and the young DLine keeps improving, I think we have a great bunch of building blocks and, beacuse of the way White rotates players, another good defense.

Offense Starters/Backups
FR/RFR 0/5
SO/RSO 5/5
JR/RJR 4/4
SR/RSR 2/0

Defense Starters/Backups
FR/RFR 1/7
SO/RSO 8/2
JR/RJR 2/0
SR/RSR 0/2

We are realy poised for sustained success. How mucn? Stay tuned.
 
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I think most of those juniors and seniors are on the OL. This is the year their training and development should pay off. The OL needs to step up.
At the beginning of the season I thought it was a great thing that virtually the whole OL would be back in 2023. Now I'm not so sure.
 
I think most of those juniors and seniors are on the OL. This is the year their training and development should pay off. The OL needs to step up.
At the beginning of the season I thought it was a great thing that virtually the whole OL would be back in 2023. Now I'm not so sure.
The fact they were still recruiting transfer OL should have been the red flag warning
 
I didn't expect much from this year's team beyond a bowl (6-6 or 7-5) but I have been psyched for the next few years. Now more than ever.

Everyone understands that the defense is very young and many players have game experience but that is going also be the case with the offense by the end of the season. We have a real chance to build the kind of quality depth that is required to compete for ACC championships.

Here is the 2-deep UVA pregame. Notwithstanding players entering the draft (certainly 2 and maybe as many as 5), we will have a roster fuill of talent on both sides of the ball. We may also have an incoming freshman or two worthy of game time and I think we will also be scouring the portal for OLinemen and Receivers.

So long as Shrader and Gadsden and the young DLine keeps improving, I think we have a great bunch of building blocks and, beacuse of the way White rotates players, another good defense.

Offense Starters/Backups
FR/RFR 0/5
SO/RSO 5/5
JR/RJR 4/4
SR/RSR 2/0

Defense Starters/Backups
FR/RFR 1/7
SO/RSO 8/2
JR/RJR 2/0
SR/RSR 0/2

We are realy poised for sustained success. How mucn? Stay tuned.
Is it though?

WR, yes.

DL, yes.

Other positions are quite old. LB’s are older (Jones likely done after this season). CB & S have experienced guys (Williams likely done).

RB - Tucker done. OL has a bunch of guys who are graduating. Shrader is a 4th year JR.

It’s not that young a team, honestly.
 
Not sure Tucker is gone; he’s not playing like he did last year and that might hurt his draft status. I love Sean and feel like he might be playing through an injury.

B9D76D5C-44BB-439D-9D36-BA6E78388D9C.jpeg
 
Is it though?

WR, yes.

DL, yes.

Other positions are quite old. LB’s are older (Jones likely done after this season). CB & S have experienced guys (Williams likely done).

RB - Tucker done. OL has a bunch of guys who are graduating. Shrader is a 4th year JR.

It’s not that young a team, honestly.
LB’s have good depth behind them and they are getting game time too. Same for the DB’s
 
Is it though?

WR, yes.

DL, yes.

Other positions are quite old. LB’s are older (Jones likely done after this season). CB & S have experienced guys (Williams likely done).

RB - Tucker done. OL has a bunch of guys who are graduating. Shrader is a 4th year JR.

It’s not that young a team, honestly.
I wonder where Tucker will go if his numbers don't pick up. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid but if you didn't see him last year, would you say, that kid is leaving for the NFL next year?
 
Is it though?

WR, yes.

DL, yes.

Other positions are quite old. LB’s are older (Jones likely done after this season). CB & S have experienced guys (Williams likely done).

RB - Tucker done. OL has a bunch of guys who are graduating. Shrader is a 4th year JR.

It’s not that young a team, honestly.
When you look at the backups that will have experience by the end of the year I think we will be in good shape. Some will becpme the next defensive stars. Seems like we do a good job developing them.
 
Not true. I plotted this out:

 
Not true. I plotted this out:

Isn't this apples and oranges. You looked at recruits and I am looking at the 2-deep. In my view the 2-deep is impressive. I can't remember when we have been able to plug in so many capable plugins and they are all undersclassmen.
 
Isn't this apples and oranges. You looked at recruits and I am looking at the 2-deep. In my view the 2-deep is impressive. I can't remember when we have been able to plug in so many capable plugins and they are all undersclassmen.
Because you’re not accounting for the fact that 2020 didn’t count eligibility-wise. Guys who would ordinarily be Juniors are listed as Sophomores. That doesn’t make them “young.”
 
Potential 2023 Starters:

DL: Lockett, Linton, Geer
LB: Wax, Thompson, Sparrow/McDonald
DB: Wilson, Chestnut, Barron, Carter, Clark

QB: Shrader
RB: Tucker/Allen
TE: Gadsden/Mang
WR: I Jones, Pena, Alford
OL: J Cruz, Ellis, Iloa, ??, ??

Everything except Oline looks pretty good. Ellis is the only proven commodity, and Iloa is somewhat of an experienced commodity. But there needs to be more answers there
 
Potential 2023 Starters:

DL: Lockett, Linton, Geer
LB: Wax, Thompson, Sparrow/McDonald
DB: Wilson, Chestnut, Barron, Carter, Clark

QB: Shrader
RB: Tucker/Allen
TE: Gadsden/Mang
WR: I Jones, Pena, Alford
OL: J Cruz, Ellis, Iloa, ??, ??

Everything except Oline looks pretty good. Ellis is the only proven commodity, and Iloa is somewhat of an experienced commodity. But there needs to be more answers there

Would hope they get a transfer WR in the portal, and that's assuming someone like Alford steps up and becomes a reliable receiver.

Tucker should leave for the draft IMO
 
Because you’re not accounting for the fact that 2020 didn’t count eligibility-wise. Guys who would ordinarily be Juniors are listed as Sophomores. That doesn’t make them “young.”
Young as in eligibility remaining. I would have thought my point in using the 2-deep and class would clearly show we have a ton of talent returning for a few years. Don't know how old they are and don't care. If they are on the 2-deep they must be ready to play.
 
Young as in eligibility remaining. I would have thought my point in using the 2-deep and class would clearly show we have a ton of talent returning for a few years. Don't know how old they are and don't care. If they are on the 2-deep they must be ready to play.
That’s not “young” though. That’s eligibility remaining. I will argue semantics all day. We’re not young, and it’s pretty “clear” if you think about it realistically.
 
I wouldn’t care so much, but you’re creating a false narrative. The team isn’t young - I chart participation by game, and the grand majority of snaps are taken by players who have been on campus since 2020 and before.

To say the team is “young” implies an exciting core of freshmen/sophomores who are performing above expectations.

That’s not the case here. The team is winning because it is experienced and mature at many key positions.
 
I wonder where Tucker will go if his numbers don't pick up. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid but if you didn't see him last year, would you say, that kid is leaving for the NFL next year?

RBs should leave as quickly as possible.

Counted about 15 NFL scouts last night, and I'm bad at counting.
 
RBs should leave as quickly as possible.

Counted about 15 NFL scouts last night, and I'm bad at counting.
That isn't surprising. You being bad at math, I mean.
 
RBs should leave as quickly as possible.

Counted about 15 NFL scouts last night, and I'm bad at counting.

Just because there were 15 scouts doesn’t mean they came away impressed with Tucker. RB’s need to strike while the iron is hot, unfortunately Tucker isn’t hot. RB’s are a dime a dozen, one of the easiest positions to draft for. Tucker would be crazy to leave early this year.
 
Just because there were 15 scouts doesn’t mean they came away impressed with Tucker. RB’s need to strike while the iron is hot, unfortunately Tucker isn’t hot. RB’s are a dime a dozen, one of the easiest positions to draft for. Tucker would be crazy to leave early this year.

Last night clearly not.

I'm rarely at the Dome, so maybe it's commonplace to have a bunch of NFL guys in the building.

Hopefully he gets some wind at his back second half of the season.
 
I wouldn't be so sure that Shrader will be back...he'll be graduating
 

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