First Depth Chart Released

[CTBasketball]

Help me find holes on the defense...

 

[businesslawyer]

Help me find holes on the defense...

Do we have a pass rush yet? Haven't had one since Trevardo and Sio left.

Does the loss of Graham Stewart leave us too slow at LB generally?

Can Watkins avoid being a weak link?

I'm not at all panicked about our D, and building around the corners is a great start, but we lost five starters from last year. It's not like this is a plug and play group returning.

 

[Husky25]

Generally, defense is much more fluid in terms of personnel packages. 7 linemen, 5 five linebackers and 5 secondary players could see "starter's minutes."

I'm much less concerned with the defense than the offense, particularly the offensive line.

 

[kibblesnbits]

How did i never notice Summers as a LS??? That's either a typo, or certifiably insane.

Good for him. When he gets to the NFL that's the kind of thing (emergency long-snapper) that can help a guy stick on a roster. I think he's good enough to make it as a straight corner, but smart guys figure out how to present the best set of skills to a team.

 

[TheDoggPound]

Help me find holes on the defense...

CB: Jamar Summers
John Green

CB: Jhavon Williams
John Green

 

[ktuck911]

CB: Jamar Summers
John Green

CB: Jhavon Williams
John Green

We have JRob IV coming off his Redshirt (at 6'2 195lbs), Brian McAllister who's currently slotted at S but could very well play CB for us (at 5'11 193lbs). Those 2 to go along with John Green as back up kinda eases my mind a bit... I don't think Hadley would've left if the cupboard was bare at CB...

 

[Huskyforlife]

That defense looks solid, the offense kinda scares me.

 

[Drew]

That defense looks solid, the offense kinda scares me.

this comment could be attributed to the past 13 UConn football teams

 

[businesslawyer]

Assuming that Shireffs shows the improvement you would expect a QB to show in his second year as a starter (and I had no question about that until Diaco talked about him being in a competition this week), the #s 1 through 5 keys to this season is the OL. I think at all the skill positions everyone would look better if we just got our OL play up to conference average this year. Last year was better than the year before, but still towards the bottom of the AAC.

I think the fact that Vachery and Rutherford couldn't crack the starting lineup gives me hope that there will be a big step forward this year, but hope and achievement are two different things. Let's see if we can blow Maine off the line of scrimmage, like we used to do against I-A opponents until the Sunshine Boys ruined everything.

One more point. I don't want to play Rutherford this year merely on placements and when the second string OL is in. If he's not going to really play a material amount from scrimmage, let the damn kid redshirt and have two years as a starter when Thor is gone. The fact that we've spent two years of his career to do very little is very frustrating (although I know that, in fairness, our inability to redshirt most of an incoming class may just be the incredible lack of depth and talent HCBD inherited, but eventually redshirts have to be preserved unless we are really using the player to make more than a very minor contribution).

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Assuming that Shireffs shows the improvement you would expect a QB to show in his second year as a starter (and I had no question about that until Diaco talked about him being in a competition this week), the #s 1 through 5 keys to this season is the OL. I think at all the skill positions everyone would look better if we just got our OL play up to conference average this year. Last year was better than the year before, but still towards the bottom of the AAC.

I think the fact that Vachery and Rutherford couldn't crack the starting lineup gives me hope that there will be a big step forward this year, but hope and achievement are two different things. Let's see if we can blow Maine off the line of scrimmage, like we used to do against I-A opponents until the Sunshine Boys ruined everything.

One more point. I don't want to play Rutherford this year merely on placements and when the second string OL is in. If he's not going to really play a material amount from scrimmage, let the damn kid redshirt and have two years as a starter when Thor is gone. The fact that we've spent two years of his career to do very little is very frustrating (although I know that, in fairness, our inability to redshirt most of an incoming class may just be the incredible lack of depth and talent HCBD inherited, but eventually redshirts have to be preserved unless we are really using the player to make more than a very minor contribution).

Like for the Sunshine Boys comment. Made me chuckle.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Assuming that Shireffs shows the improvement you would expect a QB to show in his second year as a starter (and I had no question about that until Diaco talked about him being in a competition this week), the #s 1 through 5 keys to this season is the OL. I think at all the skill positions everyone would look better if we just got our OL play up to conference average this year. Last year was better than the year before, but still towards the bottom of the AAC.

I think the fact that Vachery and Rutherford couldn't crack the starting lineup gives me hope that there will be a big step forward this year, but hope and achievement are two different things. Let's see if we can blow Maine off the line of scrimmage, like we used to do against I-A opponents until the Sunshine Boys ruined everything.

One more point. I don't want to play Rutherford this year merely on placements and when the second string OL is in. If he's not going to really play a material amount from scrimmage, let the damn kid redshirt and have two years as a starter when Thor is gone. The fact that we've spent two years of his career to do very little is very frustrating (although I know that, in fairness, our inability to redshirt most of an incoming class may just be the incredible lack of depth and talent HCBD inherited, but eventually redshirts have to be preserved unless we are really using the player to make more than a very minor contribution).

I will be both stunned and disappointed if (shy of Rutherford starting due to injury) both Rutherford and Hashemi aren't both redshirted this season. If we can pull that off (and have another decent recruiting haul on the OL) we will finally have solved our depth issues on the offensive line and we also may (by 2017) have solved the quality issue as well.

 

[businesslawyer]

I will be both stunned and disappointed if (shy of Rutherford starting due to injury) both Rutherford and Hashemi aren't both redshirted this season. If we can pull that off (and have another decent recruiting haul on the OL) we will finally have solved our depth issues on the offensive line and we also may (by 2017) have solved the quality issue as well.

I don't find it likely that we can redshirt both of them, if they are our 3rd and 4th best tackle, and I have assumed Hashemi's career will never rise to starting in any event, but if it can be both of them great.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

BL, I'm under the assumption that Levy is really the backup LT. It is my guess that Hashemi is in fact destined to be depth but I also believe he has planned on spending five years here regardless. If we can redshirt ever offensive lineman who has not yet taken a redshirt, our roster from 2017 forward should be pretty solid.

 

[BNich]

We have JRob IV coming off his Redshirt (at 6'2 195lbs), Brian McAllister who's currently slotted at S but could very well play CB for us (at 5'11 193lbs). Those 2 to go along with John Green as back up kinda eases my mind a bit... I don't think Hadley would've left if the cupboard was bare at CB...

It's Brice McAllister, but is everyone forgetting Aaron Garland? I think he could be a dark horse in the DB spot.

 

[TheDoggPound]

It's Brice McAllister, but is everyone forgetting Aaron Garland? I think he could be a dark horse in the DB spot.

I was going to mention Garland but you beat me to it. I was just trying to point out that if JWill or Summers got injured for a week or 2 the reliable placeholder we had (Hadley) is no longer an option.

It just sucks because recent attrition took a toll on the depth we were trying build up. Somebody is gonna have to find out the real story on Ryslik, Hadley and Billy Williams. Doesn't make sense they would all leave. All had what seemed to be pretty significant roles this coming season.

 

[RedStickHusky]

There is certainly room for better QB play from BrS this year but most of the criticism directed at him is, in pretty large measure, offensive-line related. He never got comfortable enough to drop and plant on rhythm and therefore had very little opportunity to take chances at the second-level downfield. For those calling him out in the qb competition thread, all I can say is we'd have been lucky to go 3-9 again last year without him.

 

[ktuck911]

It's Brice McAllister, but is everyone forgetting Aaron Garland? I think he could be a dark horse in the DB spot.

My bad BRICE. Smartphones have a mind of their own. Garland'so been listed as S. Since he's only been here a year I figure we probably keep him there, but you gotta point bro. He probably increases our defensive backfield depth at CB.

 

[Drew]

Breaking Down UConn Football's First 2016 Depth Chart

After a few notable players left the program last week, UConn Football will have some interesting battles for starting jobs and supporting roles going into fall camp. There were a number of opportunities available due to graduation and other attrition, but that number increased as most of those four would have been on the two-deep depth chart.