How are the frosh (redshirt and Spring enrollees) doing?

[ktuck911]

I counted 18 pups (excludes K. Taylor and a RS walk-on FB) from the Spring roster that has 4 years of eligibility left.. We've already touched on Marriner. What about the others? Anyone in the know? Jalen Stevens, Cameron Stapleton, Fatukasi, Britton, Summers, Junior Joseph (coming off injury), TEs Myers, Thompson, and Boland, on the OL - Hopkins, Schafenacker, Murphy, Basilica, WR - Thomas Lucas....

Stevens was one of our higher rated recruits... yeah, I know stars mean nothing, but this kid did work in HS in a competitive league at DE... was looking for him to be our next Trevardo type off the edge... Not as much speed but definitely a kid that could give a QB some problems...

Stapleton's a kid that could either be on O or D.. interesting to know what the new staff thinks of how he fits in to this new system

Fatukasi - nice size for our DL... Hope he's able to crack the rotation.

The TE trio of Myers, Thompson and Boland ... we need somebody to step up here... We were all pretty excited about Myers initially. what's going on here?

OL our biggest concern... other than our optomism on Schafenacker, how's Hopkins coming along? Murphy and Basilica are walk-ons, right? Either way we need some bodies from this quartet to give us something

And, WR - Lucas ... Does he stay at WR? or do we move him back to DB?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

All of those smaller hybrid DE's are going to be moved to LB in the 3-4. You can't have a 225 lb DE in a 3-4.

TE we still have McQuillan but we won't know anything more until camp starts (really won't know much of anything until camp starts actually).

OL - I'll tell you what Diaco told me directly. They are high on Levy. Gifford will probably start the year at RT but watch for Knappe there. On the interior Mateas is the C and expect Samra and Cruz at the Guards with Paull in the rotation as well.

 

[freescooter]

All of those smaller hybrid DE's are going to be moved to LB in the 3-4. You can't have a 225 lb DE in a 3-4.

TE we still have McQuillan but we won't know anything more until camp starts (really won't know much of anything until camp starts actually).

OL - I'll tell you what Diaco told me directly. They are high on Levy. Gifford will probably start the year at RT but watch for Knappe there. On the interior Mateas is the C and expect Samra and Cruz at the Guards with Paull in the rotation as well.

Jimmy,
If Cruz is back that is good news. The offensive line isn't quite as inexperienced as what I was expecting. Mateas and Cruz both have a good deal of experience. Gifford played a good deal last year and didn't look awful. I keep waiting for Samra. Not saying it is the 2009-2010 oline, but it isn't as bad as what I anticipated, especially if Levy steps up, too.

 

[DCUconnfan]

Jimmy,
If Cruz is back that is good news. The offensive line isn't quite as inexperienced as what I was expecting. Mateas and Cruz both have a good deal of experience. Gifford played a good deal last year and didn't look awful. I keep waiting for Samra. Not saying it is the 2009-2010 oline, but it isn't as bad as what I anticipated, especially if Levy steps up, too.

I'm still trying to reconcile at this stage whether Gifford didn't look awful because Hemingway was so bad, or if he legitimately was decent. The right side was a sieve when Hemingway was up at the helm.

 

[UCFBfan]

I can't wait to see that giant Knappe on the field in a game! Hopefully he'll be as dominant as he appears he is!

 

[jackl]

I'm still trying to reconcile at this stage whether Gifford didn't look awful because Hemingway was so bad, or if he legitimately was decent. The right side was a sieve when Hemingway was up at the helm.

We have to give everyone on the o line some slack since they played under a pretty Fuc#ed up situation what with the DEAN of O Line DVDs as their tutor. I expect the use of a blocking sled and other primitive tools will unlearn their bad habits thru a full preseason camp. I for one am so happy that I won't be seeing the walking dead on the sidelines this year. It is a new beginning with all those bad memories a thing of the past. GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[freescooter]

I'm still trying to reconcile at this stage whether Gifford didn't look awful because Hemingway was so bad, or if he legitimately was decent. The right side was a sieve when Hemingway was up at the helm.

Good question, but I thought Gifford played fairly well, not dominating for sure, but the line improved quite a bit with him in there rather than Hemingway. Hemingway was just to small to play tackle at a D-1 A program. He was more of a 1AA sized guy. Typical 1A offensive tackle is around 6-4, 300. He was 6-2, 270. You can miss one of those metrics by a little. You can't miss both unless you're an incredible talent.

 

[Husky25]

We have to give everyone on the o line some slack since they played under a pretty Fuc#ed up situation what with the DEAN of O Line DVDs as their tutor. I expect the use of a blocking sled and other primitive tools will unlearn their bad habits thru a full preseason camp. I for one am so happy that I won't be seeing the walking dead on the sidelines this year. It is a new beginning with all those bad memories a thing of the past. GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Former "Offensive Coordinator and OL Coach" DeLeone was a press box coach. He rarely, if ever, was on the field.

 

[CTMike]

I can't wait to see that giant Knappe on the field in a game! Hopefully he'll be as dominant as he appears he is!

I can only imagine what Balis is doing with this guy- already was a hulking presence. I hope he can contribute.

 

[jackl]

Former "Offensive Coordinator and OL Coach" DeLeone was a press box coach. He rarely, if ever, was on the field.

I wasn't even thinking of him on the sidelines it was FHCPP that was dead man walking.

 

[uconndogs]

The improvement in the OL was immediate after P and GDL departed. There were still major issues, but Foley at least got those guys off the ball. The only universe where Hemmingway gets the nod over Gifford is one run be GDL. Hemmingway was not remotely ready. His play against Towson State was beyond dreadful. I thought Gifford started to come along at the end of the season. Let's hope these guys fell in love with the weight room, because they certainly avoided it under P's regime.

 

[Husky25]

I wasn't even thinking of him on the sidelines it was FHCPP that was dead man walking.

My bad. I assumed you meant the former OL "coach" because your post centered around the offensive line.

On a similar note, I believe Johnny Manziel is going replace Hoyer early this year. There is no way that he will be able to get out of way of the incessant pass rush that will be in his face all day...unless Hoyer gets a concussion and splits out wide...

Neither Ben Tate, Dion Lewis, Chris Ogbonnaya, nor any other Browns running back will be on my fantasy team (Same goes for the Bears' defense).

 

[BNich]

I can only imagine what Balis is doing with this guy- already was a hulking presence. I hope he can contribute.

Hopefully he is as good at football as his home country is at soccer.

 

[cttxus]

One of the new Husky pups . . .