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Message: [QUOTE="Jersey Orange, post: 3164255, member: 979"] To clarify - I think DeVito is the guy for the next two years but we need someone who brings some optionality to the offense similar to Dungey. For example, regardless of the O-line improvements that we will make, there are going to be times in the ACC (Clemson etc) where we are just overwhelmed at the point of attack and the standard offense is going to struggle. Look at what happened to Wisconsin when they finally met their match on the lines against Ohio State (the entire offense was completely shut down). I think we need a change of pace QB to cause the defense to account for the extra player (and thought we had that player with Amie). Post-DeVito - I do think we need to focus on multi-threat QBs - it is something we just need to have to be successful at SU. . I will say one thing about Shafer - he was generally a good defensive coach. While criticizing coaches is not something I really do - I think it is fair to say that we are not seeing anywhere near the creativity that we have seen during the Shafer era. However - I do recall a SS defense giving up ~400 yards rushing to a Georgia Tech team that could not throw a forward pass so perhaps there is a bit of selective memory going on here. But again - the SU defense under Ward needs a full top-down analysis. I think they did try some more heavy sets and experimented with the use of the wild cat - but ultimately this is a staff that is not going to make deviations from what they typically do. I was stunned that Marrone / Hackett were able to install the K-Gun in three weeks before the first game during Marrone's final year and do not see Babers and crew (who generally come from the same coaching tree) being capable of making such drastic change. I also don't think it would make a difference with this line - ultimately if we could find an offense where we just don't have to block anyone - I am sure he would run it. I think it is reasonable - though I agree - it is not a light lift by any means. We need to get the point were have depth and are playing kids that are 22-23 years old on the lines so we don't blow entire seasons due to 1-2 injuries or wear or few players down due to exhaustion. We brought in AET and Tristan Jackson off of the transfer wire so I am sure a 5-year WR transfer is possible with an established QB and offensive coach in DeVito/Babers (potentially someone from a MAC team or a Power-5 going through a coaching change or just struggling with the passing game). On the lines - we only need second string kids from power 5 teams who want a chance to start as a 5 year senior. I don't think it is unreasonable to find one kid from the SEC (non-starter), one kid from the Big-12 (non-starter) and one kid from the BIG Ten (non-starter) to provide depth and hopefully 1-2 ends up being a gap year starter. We can't go into another season in the ACC playing 19-20 year old kids on the offensive line - it is never going to work. On the DL - we just have to find big bodies (and I agree that this is the more difficult position to recruit but again, it is what it is). Given we are a physically overmatched - we really need to develop a 5 man rotation and play as many 22-23 year old's as possible. McKinley cannot play 90% of the snaps in the ACC. I am a fan of Black but he is a Justin Tuck type player who is really a 3-4 defensive end who should be splitting his time at DE and 1-gap DT on passing downs. I think Rondi is a Christian Ferrara clone but he is a guy who should be sitting next year, playing 10 snaps a game as a sophomore and then starting as a junior and senior. This has to be desparate focus. Again - I believe Locksley brought in 5-6 transfer starters this year so we should be thankful we are living in the world of the transfer portal. [/QUOTE]

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