WR - Something has to give.

[GoCuse14]

I know that I am going to be in the minority here...but I see Estime more as a corner. I know he was pretty dynamic with the ball in his hands, but I think if we have that type of talent coming in...he would be needed more as a corner and returner ala honey badger. He was thought of as much if not more as a DB coming out of HS.

 

[Crusty]

Well said. I'm cooler than most on West/Broyld, bullish on Cornelius/Estime/the incoming players and redshirts, and unsure about Funderburke/Kobena. I won't be surprised if Flemming/Lewis/Hale are moved or are not back. We'll see though.

I do think that between Cornelius and Estime, the redshirts, and the incoming players we'll have at least two all-conference performers.

However, if we have a vastly improved group of WR, AB may get more open shots. Not ready to give up on him at all. He did a pretty good job of being the #1 without ever having played the position. I think the jury came back in on Kobena.

 

[Rocco]

Until a couple deep threats emerge, we will continue to struggle in the passing game. Ishmael fills one of those spots.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Some of this stuff will work itself out.

Flemming is coming off two season ending injuries and he may not be back.

Hale seems like a transfer at this point.

Kobena has been recruited over, wouldnt be suprised to see him transfer for a final year of PT at a 1AA

Lewis seems like a good candidate to move to defense or become strictly a special teams guy, dont see how he gets PT at WR barring a deluge of injuries.

The two guys who are unknowns are Cornelious and Funderburke, tough to say how things shake out for them but with Funder only a Jr and his offer sheet I hope he doesnt bolt for a 1AA.

The incoming frosh were sorely needed, the WR position needed an infusion of talent and guys like Williams, Cooper, and Ishmael (hopefully) provide that. It seems likely to me that Williams and Cooper will probably redshirt unless one of them is on fire during the pre-season.

That leaves Broyld, Estime, West, and I am going to assume Ishmael and probably some combo of Funder/Alvin and another frosh as your rotation.

Custis and Enoicy(maybe) to TE and then a sit down with Kendall Moore about moving to Tackle.

Avant was a class filler last year going to be hard for him to get any PT, probably the same for Winfield as well. Might be a good idea to see if Winfield and Lewis can be moved to D.

Also keep in mind that unfortunately grades and injuries are likely to thin the heard more then we realize. Whenever you go into a year thinking your loaded to the brim at a position something always kills that depth. Just like baseball says you can never have enough pitching.

 

[Trueblue25]

Yeah I'm done with Kobena

 

[Crusty]

Until a couple deep threats emerge, we will continue to struggle in the passing game. Ishmael fills one of those spots.

We will NEVER compete for anything if we can't score 30 points a game. (OttoinGrotto explained to me that to win we need to score more points than the other team.) Last time we did that was 2002 and that was distorted by a couple of games.

We have moved from 16-18 PPG under GRob to 19-24 under DM (one season at 30 and we were 8-5). Shafer has to develop an offense that can score points. We can't continue to have seasons where we are outscored on average for the season or plus by a point or two. The next step means OFFENSE and that means WR's and TE's.

Shafer also has to do something about the stupid OLine penalties that just kill drives over and over. That, I believe, is on the staff and needs to be fixed. They talk about it but they don't fix it.

Those two things - reduce the penalties and get some deep threats and possession types and we can find those 6 points. Man we are getting close.

 

[Crusty]

Yeah I'm done with Kobena

I think McDonald is also.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

I think McDonald is also.

Can he play safety?

 

[statsgrad]

What is it that people see in West? He's made a couple of nice catches but every time I watch he gets ZERO separation.

 

[Crusty]

Can he play safety?

Nah he's too old but Kobena might.

 

[GoSU96]

Yeah, that's my point. We need a couple of the new WRs to be good enough to displace some of the kids that were getting run, IMO. We need a couple of impact players at WR. Estime has that potential. West does not. AB is a wild card at best. Funderburk hardly played, regardless of the reasons. And more importantly, the passing offense with those guys at WR had an FBS ranking of 102. Yes, the QBs contributed to that poor performance and yes I do expect some type of improvement. But not enough to close the gap.

An influx of talent is needed.

An upgrade of talent is always needed, but you are completely discounting experience, continuity, and the ability of 21 and 22 year olds that have gone through four and five years of strenght and conditioning and college coaching over kids coming in out of HS.

If the choice was between Flemming, Hale, and Lewis vs the new kids, it would be a no brainer, but that's not the choice.

 

[Statesman1]

I know that I am going to be in the minority here...but I see Estime more as a corner. I know he was pretty dynamic with the ball in his hands, but I think if we have that type of talent coming in...he would be needed more as a corner and returner ala honey badger. He was thought of as much if not more as a DB coming out of HS.

Except he's tiny.

 

[PhatOrange]

I know that I am going to be in the minority here...but I see Estime more as a corner. I know he was pretty dynamic with the ball in his hands, but I think if we have that type of talent coming in...he would be needed more as a corner and returner ala honey badger. He was thought of as much if not more as a DB coming out of HS.

might not be a bad idea and he can still obviously return kicks.

 

[PhatOrange]

They gave Kobena another chance towards the end of the season (forget which game it was) but they threw him and underneath screen or something and the ball went right through his hands. I don't think he played again, or I don't believe they threw a pass his way again.

 

[007]

An upgrade of talent is always needed, but you are completely discounting experience, continuity, and the ability of 21 and 22 year olds that have gone through four and five years of strenght and conditioning and college coaching over kids coming in out of HS.

If the choice was between Flemming, Hale, and Lewis vs the new kids, it would be a no brainer, but that's not the choice.

Perhaps you are misinterpreting what I am trying to say. To clarify, I am not "completely discounting" anything with respect to the returning WRs, even the 3 you listed; and I do agree in principle that upperclassman will generally be better prepared and stronger than freshmen. Nor am i predicting that several of the freshmen will beat out the incumbents just because.

What I am saying is that we better hope that we have, or will, attract the talent to displace some of the run that went to some of the players from this year's team. I am saying that the talent at the WR position is lacking. I am saying that if the current group of returning WRs is in fact the best we have next season, then I do not expect to see a significant increase in the efficiency and productivity of the passing game, even with the improvement that naturally comes with experience and years in the system.

 

[GoSU96]

Perhaps you are misinterpreting what I am trying to say. To clarify, I am not "completely discounting" anything with respect to the returning WRs, even the 3 you listed; and I do agree in principle that upperclassman will generally be better prepared and stronger than freshmen. Nor am i predicting that several of the freshmen will beat out the incumbents just because.

What I am saying is that we better hope that we have, or will, attract the talent to displace some of the run that went to some of the players from this year's team. I am saying that the talent at the WR position is lacking. I am saying that if the current group of returning WRs is in fact the best we have next season, then I do not expect to see a significant increase in the efficiency and productivity of the passing game, even with the improvement that naturally comes with experience and years in the system.

Displace which people?

 

[Crusty]

I think that the passing game will improve significantly next year for a variety of reasons.

• Hunt is already better than he was most of the season. The game is slowing down for him and McDonald loosened up the play book and threw down field more and more near the end of the season. That is invaluable experience.
• Hunt will not share reps with Drew Allen next spring and fall.
• Broyld was leading receiver despite never having played the position before. That ain't nothin. He figures to improve.
• The emergence of Estime, Cornelius and Parris. All three will be much better after spring and fall practice.
• One of these freshman (probably Ishmael but perhaps, K.J or Custis) will probably step up for PT.
• More of the playbook will be installed. McD's second year will be a big improvement - second years are usually the biggest.
• Non-producing WR's will sit. The competition will be fierce.

The conference is going to be more difficult next year so we need to get better just to same the same.

 

[syr02esq]

Assuming Ishmael signs and everyone returns this is what the WR unit would look like.

1
Ashton Broyld
WR
6/2
221
Jr.
88
Jarrod West
WR
6/2
203
Sr.
2
Quinta Funderburk
WR
6/3
201
Jr.
20
Brisly Estime
WR
5/9
176
So.
82
Alvin Cornelius
WR
6/1
187
So.
22
Adrian Flemming
WR
6/3
200
Sr.
25
Jeremiah Kobena
WR
6/1
182
Sr.
84
Ben Lewis
WR
6/2
194
So.

16
Keenan Hale
WR
6/2
190
Jr.
13
Corey Winfield
WR
6/1
180
RF
83
Sean Avant
WR
5/10
183
RF
x
Corey Cooper
WR
5'11
191
Fr
x
Jamel Custis
WR
6'6
225
Fr
x
KJ Williams
WR
6'2
188
Fr
x
Steve Ishmael
WR
6'2
170
Fr
15 Players. Personally I think Broyld, West, and Funderburk are the starters with Estime 1a.

The log jam is with Flemming, Kobena, Hale, and Lewis. There has to be some hard choices and talks with those guys.

I don't think a nice catch by Funderburke against BC justifies him being on the 2 deep next year. I've been waiting (patiently I might add) for this guy to contribute and NOTHING. Time to allow other WRs to get experience.

 

[dinosaurbbq]

Personally I think Broyld, West, and Funderburk are the starters with Estime 1a.

The log jam is with Flemming, Kobena, Hale, and Lewis. There has to be some hard choices and talks with those guys.

I'd say Cornelius, Broyld, and a Freshman as WR starters with Estime back at Hback and Funderburk as the 1a.

 

[javadoc]

I don't think a nice catch by Funderburke against BC justifies him being on the 2 deep next year. I've been waiting (patiently I might add) for this guy to contribute and NOTHING. Time to allow other WRs to get experience.

He's been kept off the field intentionally while he clears up some extracurricular things, right? And Shafer said that he's done a good job. So if those things really are behind him, I am eager to see what he can do. The lack of production isn't because he's a bad football player.

 

[GoSU96]

I don't think a nice catch by Funderburke against BC justifies him being on the 2 deep next year. I've been waiting (patiently I might add) for this guy to contribute and NOTHING. Time to allow other WRs to get experience.

Waiting patiently? He couldn't play season before this because he was a transfer, he was forced to sit out by NCAA rules.

It was this staff's decision, evidently for reasons not related to his ability to play, to not participate for much of the season.

FYI, Funderburk was seen as the #1 receiver by Marrone and Hackett. I'll go with that evaluation and the evaluation of many of the best programs in the country that the kid can play.

 

[timkay99]

My take:

West, Funderburke and Broyld are the starters -
West is old reliable. Was open a lot this season, but couldn't get a catch.
Funderburke was held back by things not having to do with the football field. Ready to get after it
Broyld will take a huge step forward.

Estime, Cornelius and Cooper will get run.

I think everyone else will redshirt from newcomers.

Lewis moves to DB.

 

[007]

Displace which people?

Now, that's a good question, but no one can really answer that at this point. I would hope/think that SS opens all spots to competition. Based on this year, AB, West, Clark (gone) and Brisly were the most productive. The 3 returning WRs produced 1106 yards combined and should be considered front runners. IF any of the new comers are talented enough, I would not care who they displaced.

 

[GoSU96]

I'd say Cornelius, Broyld, and a Freshman as WR starters with Estime back at Hback and Funderburk as the 1a.

A returing senior, two year starter, and three year featured player, who has been the #4, #3, and #2 receiver on the team is not going to be displaced by a true freshmen and/or a RS So who has played in 5 games and has nine career receptions vs 36 games and 85 receptions.

 

[dinosaurbbq]

A returing senior, two year starter, and three year featured player, who has been the #4, #3, and #2 receiver on the team is not going to be displaced by a true freshmen and/or a RS So who has played in 5 games and has nine career receptions vs 36 games and 85 receptions.

Just my best guess. We'll see. He may not return, he may not play, etc.