depth chart

[gioff23]

The courant is running a piece of media day updates and one blogger suggested OL going in to practice will be (from L to R) -- Levy, Rugg, Mateas, Samra, and Knappe.

 

[LRock34]

Knappe? Wow.

 

[Dooley]

Knappe as starting RT? That is a bit of a surprise.

 

[BNich]

Knappe as starting RT? That is a bit of a surprise.

I was trying to follow on twitter. One gentleman had Knapp OR Gifford.

 

[LRock34]

If Knappe beats out Gifford who has been playing the position for probably all of his life, I will be very impressed. Its amazing that he is already being considered.

 

[coachcap]

If Knappe beats out Gifford who has been playing the position for probably all of his life, I will be very impressed. Its amazing that he is already being considered.

Just a conversational point: Didn't Knappe play both offensive & defensive line positions on his club team in Europe before matriculating to UConn?

 

[Bill Sussman]

If Knappe beats out Gifford who has been playing the position for probably all of his life, I will be very impressed. Its amazing that he is already being considered.

Saw this from Knappe on Instagram a little while ago. Looks like he has been putting in work

 

[huskymedic]

Jim Fuller: http://runwayramblings.blogspot.com/2014/07/uconn-releases-its-depth-chart.html

>>On the offensive line Richard Levy is the No. 1 left tackle, Zach Rugg and Gus Cruz are the co-starters at LG, Alex Mateas and Tyler Samra are the starters at center and right guard while Andreas Knappe and Dalton Gifford are co-starters at right tackle.<<

 

[Carl Spackler]

Just a conversational point: Didn't Knappe play both offensive & defensive line positions on his club team in Europe before matriculating to UConn?

Alex Polito was playing with him on D, and Zach Frazer was playing with him on O for the same program in Europe, and talked him into getting in touch with UConn and finding out about eligibility and all that, and then Hank Hughes recruited him.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Interesting. Wide open QB competition. Again. I guess we'll know on opening night.

 

[freescooter]

Jim Fuller: http://runwayramblings.blogspot.com/2014/07/uconn-releases-its-depth-chart.html

>>On the offensive line Richard Levy is the No. 1 left tackle, Zach Rugg and Gus Cruz are the co-starters at LG, Alex Mateas and Tyler Samra are the starters at center and right guard while Andreas Knappe and Dalton Gifford are co-starters at right tackle.<<

wow, that's one way to improve your o-line I guess. Start 2 guys at every position but Left Tackle. You can really double team anyone you want...

 

[Husky25]

Interesting. Wide open QB competition. Again. I guess we'll know on opening night.

Diaco said in Newport that two QBs will play. This is really the only thing that I've heard so far that I'm not a fan of. Two starters = no starter. However it works a little better in college than it does in the pros (Leak/Tebow, Palmer/Leak, Brady/Henson). My guess is that Cochran ultimately wins out because he seems to take care of the ball better. Diaco won't suffer the turnover fool.

 

[freescooter]

Interesting. Wide open QB competition. Again. I guess we'll know on opening night.

When you look at all the 'co-starters" I don't think this really tells us too much. These are (mostly) the guys we would expect to be competing for jobs. For what its worth, i don't think it is generally a good thing to have competition for quarterback, and I hope this is just typical coach speak (nobody has a guaranteed job on this team). Having that position unsettled means your team never gets settled either. I think most head coaches know this too. But they have to say what they have to say. I remember Edsall saying that Orlovsky didn't have the starting job locked up going into his senior season. Of course, nobody believed it. If the position is really open, we more likely have problems than an abundance of riches.

 

[Dooley]

Diaco said in Newport that two QBs will play. This is really the only thing that I've heard so far that I'm not a fan of. Two starters = no starter. However it works a little better in college than it does in the pros (Leak/Tebow, Palmer/Leak, Brady/Henson). My guess is that Cochran ultimately wins out because he seems to take care of the ball better. Diaco won't suffer the turnover fool.

Completely agree. I HATE 2 QB systems...especially those with any sort of a wildcat or limited play package for a particular QB based on skill set.

To be fair to the coaching staff, Diaco only has a few practices and a spring game to go by. What he saw at the spring game was the same thing we all saw: mediocrity. Whitmer still can't throw with any semblance of accuracy if he's on the move, Cochran doesn't have the arm strength to make throws from one hash to the far sideline, and Boyle has the arm strength but lack decision making timing and accuracy.

If the rumors are true about Cochran being a below average practice QB, then my guess is that he's not doing himself any favors with the new staff there. I think not naming a starter right now is the best approach - even Shirreffs should be in play. If I had to guess, I'd say Diaco has his silent favorite from what he's seen on film and through getting to know his players more on a personal level. But let's lace 'em up and see which QB can make all the right reads and throws and name him starter for BYU.

 

[Husky25]

Completely agree. I HATE 2 QB systems...especially those with any sort of a wildcat or limited play package for a particular QB based on skill set.

To be fair to the coaching staff, Diaco only has a few practices and a spring game to go by. What he saw at the spring game was the same thing we all saw: mediocrity. Whitmer still can't throw with any semblance of accuracy if he's on the move, Cochran doesn't have the arm strength to make throws from one hash to the far sideline, and Boyle has the arm strength but lack decision making timing and accuracy.

If the rumors are true about Cochran being a below average practice QB, then my guess is that he's not doing himself any favors with the new staff there. I think not naming a starter right now is the best approach - even Shirreffs should be in play. If I had to guess, I'd say Diaco has his silent favorite from what he's seen on film and through getting to know his players more on a personal level. But let's lace 'em up and see which QB can make all the right reads and throws and name him starter for BYU.

I wouldn't surprised to see Shirreffs as our starter, to be honest. If he has a good camp, he has the seemingly size pre-requisite that Diaco likes. Plus he's a "Diaco kid". It might be a rush job but our game plan for BYU should be more of a ball control type of offense (eliminates Whitmer). I'm not saying that's who I would start (I don't have a preference but I think Cochran has earned a bit of leash given the way he finished last season), I"m just saying I wouldn't be surprised.

I like everything you wrote except that Shirreffs should be in play.

Unless they also vote to allow transfers to be eligible immediately next Thursday along with p5 Autonomy, then he is ineligible for game competition until August 2015.

 

[Dooley]

"Co-starter" is just a politically correct way of listing your 2-deep. I think it's the right approach - open camps foster competitive juices and energy. FR can come in and push for jobs. This team-first mentality is what I loved so much about the 2001 Patriots. Someone goes down, someone steps in seamlessly. Until Diaco can get a majority roster of what he likes (read: size), I think this is the best approach for more short-term results.

 

[Lewconn]

Dooley, I hate to break it to you, but Shirreffs has to red-shirt this year, due to NCAA transfer rules. He can participate in practices, film break downs and be the Scout team QB, but that’s about it….

 

[Dooley]

I like everything you wrote except that Shirreffs should be in play.

Unless they also vote to allow transfers to be eligible immediately next Thursday along with p5 Autonomy, then he is ineligible for game competition until August 2015.

Ha! I don't know why I can't get it through my head that he's a transfer. This is the umpteenth time I have made this mistake with Shirreffs. My apologies everyone. I'll edit what I wrote.

 

[Dooley]

Dooley, I hate to break it to you, but Shirreffs has to red-shirt this year, due to NCAA transfer rules. He can participate in practices, film break downs and be the Scout team QB, but that’s about it….

Yup, I've correct my post. As I told Husky25, I've made this mistake with Shirreffs before and will probably continue to make it all year. I apologize in advance. I just can't seem to grasp that he's an undergrad transfer, not a grad transfer or FR. I guess I'm just punchy for when the day comes that he is named starter and we can all say "there is a new Shirreffs in town".

 

[huskymedic]

@tim_fontenault: Diaco says that Casey Cochran has lost 30 pounds, now about 217 lbs.

 

[Dooley]

@tim_fontenault: Diaco says that Casey Cochran has lost 30 pounds, now about 217 lbs.

Really makes you wonder what kind of S&C program went on before Balis. Twinkee lifts? Nap times? I'm excited to see the difference in 2nd half of games. There were too many games for my liking that our D was noticeably gassed by the end of the 3rd Q of games under the old regime.

 

[businesslawyer]

Completely agree. I HATE 2 QB systems...especially those with any sort of a wildcat or limited play package for a particular QB based on skill set.

To be fair to the coaching staff, Diaco only has a few practices and a spring game to go by. What he saw at the spring game was the same thing we all saw: mediocrity. Whitmer still can't throw with any semblance of accuracy if he's on the move, Cochran doesn't have the arm strength to make throws from one hash to the far sideline, and Boyle has the arm strength but lack decision making timing and accuracy.

If the rumors are true about Cochran being a below average practice QB, then my guess is that he's not doing himself any favors with the new staff there. I think not naming a starter right now is the best approach - even Shirreffs should be in play. If I had to guess, I'd say Diaco has his silent favorite from what he's seen on film and through getting to know his players more on a personal level. But let's lace 'em up and see which QB can make all the right reads and throws and name him starter for BYU.

No one from the outside knows how best to motivate/placate -- i.e. manage human beings -- at any particular position. Having said that, if Cochran isn't what Diaco has in mind to play QB after having watched last year's films Diaco isn't as bright as we all think. If someone takes the job from Cochran in practice, so be it. But if they're really "even" going in, we have a longer term problem than QB play.

 

[gioff23]

I honestly dont know what to make of the QB position. Whitmer seems unable to avoid the turnover bug; Boyle seems to have all the measurables on paper but was thrown in to the deep water too early and now I worry it may have a longer term effect; and CC went from #3 in a bad rotation to Tom Brady for leading us to wins against Memphis and Rutgers (Smallwood and the D pulled us out of the Temple game). I hope one of them jumps out, but I think declaring any of them a leader at this stage seems premature. Then again, i would say that for about 18 of the 22 starting positions. Should be intersting to see who lines up in a month

 

[ktuck911]

@tim_fontenault: Diaco says that Casey Cochran has lost 30 pounds, now about 217 lbs.

good news IMO.. more updates to come on the roster...

 

[metsfan2323]

I'm not surprised we will start the season with multiple QB's, we can't afford any more transfers so this is a way to protect against that.

Whitmer and Boyle can both run a bit so my guess is Cochran will start and one of the other two will come in and have more planned runs than we have seen in the past, not a Wildcat, but more like the way Edsall planned on using Box, if the first option isn't there you tuck and run.