Give Me Hope - Linebackers

[UConnDan97]

Due to hitting the bottle way too hard after having watched our favorite team snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, I am starting the "Give Me Hope" series. Mostly for my emotional well-being, but perhaps therapeutic for others as well. I need to believe that this team will be better next year than they are this year, so I'm looking for any comment that will make me believe that, in each of the major areas of the field. (Try to focus on the areas of interest, and don't use the words PP or GDL, so that I can keep my dinner down). Here we go:

Linebackers - This is arguably one of the best units that we have, and two of the three starters will be graduating. Obviously, this will be an area of future concern. Losing Sio and Jory will hurt like a mother!

Future hope - Donahue will still have one more year of eligibility, if I'm not mistaken. Smallwood will be one year older and better, and he is already a monster! Are Ashiru and Vann as good as advertised? Is Graham Stewart going to be as great as we all think he can be? How about Clax or Hicks? What do you think, Boneyarders? How do you think this unit will be next year?

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Give me hope. HCPP will retire.

 

[whaler11]

Impossible that the linebackers are better. No chance in a thousand years.

 

[UConnDan97]

Impossible that the linebackers are better. No chance in a thousand years.

I'm not asking if they will be better. I'm saying how good do you think the unit will be. Who do you think will be the starters, and do you think they will be a solid unit?

 

[UConnDan97]

I have to say, I'm impressed that the first two people to jump onto a thread labeled "Give Me Hope" were TDH and Whaler...

 

[whaler11]

I would love to have hope and I'll be around even at 1-11. If you want to find hope it's Whitmer - that kid provides some.

 

[UConnDan97]

I would love to have hope and I'll be around even at 1-11. If you want to find hope it's Whitmer - that kid provides some.

I agree. I really think he's going to be a very good one (I think he's a decent one already). If I'm being honest, I'm not as concerned with the linebackers as I am with the damned offensive line. That's probably the one that I should have started with, because that's the one that I really need the most "give me hope" for...

 

[metsfan2323]

I think our D will be solid as long as Don Brown is here, he has charisma and the players buy into his teaching. Make him the head coach so the whole team can feel the effect.

Hope is Don Brown, Whitmer, and Cochran.

 

[UConnDan97]

I think our D will be solid as long as Don Brown is here, he has charisma and the players buy into his teaching. Make him the head coach so the whole team can feel the effect.

Hope is Don Brown, Whitmer, and Cochran.

I do like the fact that the linebackers I've listed (Stewart, Vann, Ashiru, Clax, Hicks, and especially Donahue) will have had a couple of years under their belts with Don Brown to get used to his schemes and his style of play. That's certainly a great thing when thinking about consistency in that unit for next year...

 

[huskymedic]

Give me hope. HCPP will retire.

Like clockwork....

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Like clockwork....

One of the Pasqualoni children I presume?

 

[huskymedic]

One of the Pasqualoni children I presume?

Nope... Just finding it humorous how you work it into every thread. But hey - it's a free world and a free board so trudge ahead. Now if you only had the juice to make it happen, because you stamping your feet isn't working.

 

[UConnDan97]

One of the Pasqualoni children I presume?

TDH, I think Medic is making more of a commentary on the fact that I specifically asked for people not to use the words PP or GDL, and the first reply was yours....commenting on PP...

 

[RedSoloCup]

I agree. I really think he's going to be a very good one (I think he's a decent one already). If I'm being honest, I'm not as concerned with the linebackers as I am with the damned offensive line. That's probably the one that I should have started with, because that's the one that I really need the most "give me hope" for...

You probably started here because it is safe. LB hope is not a stretch. OL hope can go a lot of ways.

I just hope the guys keep playing for each other. The whole team, and no one quits on each other.

That will give us a chance in the years ahead while we are recovering the ground we are losing.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I have absolutely no concerns about our LB's (or any position on defense) going forward. There are a few spots where we do need to assemble more talent and yes, we need to continue to bring in quality recruits at all positions but where we need to be concerned begins outside of the personnel and within our personnel, somewhere other than LB.

 

[huskyblooz]

Hope is joining the Colonial Conference. Maybe we can win 6 or 7 games there.