O-Line Recruiting Last 5 Years

[businesslawyer]

On the pregame show far the Maryland game (which was among the things I DVR'd that day) Sean Mulcahey (who I imagine those on this board would agree has some knowlege of football, blocking schemes, etc) stated that he felt our offensive lineman were running into trouble as they appeared to be at times confused about their assignments and far from comfortable in what they were doing.

Whether it is right or wrong for the long term progression of this program and specifically, our offense, we have altered our basic OL philosophy, blocking schemes and assignments and there will be a learning curve involved with this. I happen to be a member of the "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" school of thought but unfortunately, I am not running the show here.

The one saving grace that the current staff has is that there is still an entire conference schedule to make up for many errors in the non-conference schedule.

The problem with the analysis, of course, is I don't know of any scheme that you can't master in a season and a half but with some more time you will. At this point, we need to conclude either the scheme is bad or we don't have the personnel to execute it.

 

[Husky25]

Its a mindset, you can still throw having it! Teams have won Super Bowls in the 21st century with it..

First, both the pro and college games have evolved since the millenium, Second, Not lately. You can count the number of Super Bowl winners on one finger who have won with the run first, QB game-manager philosphy. Here's a hint...the team begins with a "B" and end with "altimore Ravens." Even the Steelers employed more of a throwing philosophy since Big Ben's 2nd year and we can't count the Patriots either...In their least offensively prolific Super Bowl year (2001), they were ranked 13 in passing and 16 in Rushing offense, in terms of yards vs the rest of the NFL. The Ravens were 22 and 5, respectively.

 

[pj]

Just the fact that the Ravens were able to win with a rush-first philosophy shows it can work at all levels, if you have the right personnel.

My concern is we don't have the right personnel to be a run-first offense and our chances will be better with a balanced but passing-oriented attack. It just seems like we have some young playmakers in the passing game who can develop rapidly if given experience, and a greater focus on passing would create more room on the field and opportunities to get the ball in open space which our running back needs. In the running game, it's hard to see how much room there is for improvement midseason if the passing game remains an afterthought. Opponents can stack the box and our O-line won't over power them.

 

[RMS25CT]

OL is not a position with a high risk of injury, and we've gone 5/12 of the season without one. And we know Jimmy Bennett's knee has stood up.

Ugghh. You had to go an make that statement. We better start praying to the superstition gods.

 

[huskysupporter]

The lines issue isn't that they aren't mean enough. Being mean does not make any football player good.

The ornery argument is so 1970's. To run effectively you need to create space. To create space you need to take angles on the O Line. Period. I get so sick of the "the line has to get ornery". No. The line has to block well, which they aren't, and the coaches have to put them in a scheme that takes advantage of angles, which they aren't. Period.

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[Kgun7]

Guys go and look at the film of hypolytes run Saturday. Guards are pulling and defenders are getting leveled. We don't do zone blocking all the time. The problem with the offense is more consistancy in execution on the run plays

I was thinking the same thing. And if you watched the 4th play from scrimmage Masters pulls and leads McCombs off tackle. Does anyone even pay attention to the O-linemen?

 

[huskysupporter]

I was thinking the same thing. And if you watched the 4th play from scrimmage Masters pulls and leads McCombs off tackle. Does anyone even pay attention to the O-linemen?

My favorite position. They need to pull and trap like they did in prior years. I find those are our best plays.

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[Husky25]

Just the fact that the Ravens were able to win with a rush-first philosophy shows it can work at all levels, if you have the right personnel.

12 Years ago...Remember, After the 2003 AFC Championship game, Bill Polian cried to everyone who would listen (and appearently his fellow members of the competition committee did that year) that The Patriots were roughing up his precious Colts receivers. hat is when the ultra-enforcement of the 5 yeard chuck rule went into effect, openning up the passing game...as I said both the college and pro games have evolved since Y2K.

My concern is we don't have the right personnel to be a run-first offense and our chances will be better with a balanced but passing-oriented attack. It just seems like we have some young playmakers in the passing game who can develop rapidly if given experience, and a greater focus on passing would create more room on the field and opportunities to get the ball in open space which our running back needs. In the running game, it's hard to see how much room there is for improvement midseason if the passing game remains an afterthought. Opponents can stack the box and our O-line won't over power them.

This. I largely agree with.

 

[Husky25]

I was thinking the same thing. And if you watched the 4th play from scrimmage Masters pulls and leads McCombs off tackle. Does anyone even pay attention to the O-linemen?

Is this a serious question? They are almost the only group that people are paying attention to.

 

[Carl Spackler]

We are at least seven deep. Eight if you count Samra. OL is not a position with a high risk of injury, and we've gone 5/12 of the season without one. And we know Jimmy Bennett's knee has stood up.

If you want to use lack of depth as an excuse for how you prepared the OL coming into the season, we are now deep enough in where it has to stop being an excuse.

BL - the kind of practice drills I'm talking about are very high risk of injury, but they most definitely get the blood pumping. I'm not using it as an excuse for anything. I just want to see consistency up front in how this OL plays, I want to see them be able to take over a game, like they should have late in the game on Saturday. It deosn't matter who's lined up behind them. I think they can be so much better than they are.

 

[businesslawyer]

BL - the kind of practice drills I'm talking about are very high risk of injury, but they most definitely get the blood pumping. I'm not using it as an excuse for anything. I just want to see consistency up front in how this OL plays, I want to see them be able to take over a game, like they should have late in the game on Saturday. It deosn't matter who's lined up behind them. I think they can be so much better than they are.

I don't know what you are talking about as to the drills themselves (and don't need to know). My only point is that it was one thing to "hold back" in practice starting the season due to risk of injury and lack of depth, but at this point, starting conference play without having lost anyone, it's time to not hold back.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I don't know what you are talking about as to the drills themselves (and don't need to know). My only point is that it was one thing to "hold back" in practice starting the season due to risk of injury and lack of depth, but at this point, starting conference play without having lost anyone, it's time to not hold back.

For that to be true, you'd have to know that the depth that you've built is reliable. From my LAY-Z-BOY coaching job position, if I'm confident in the depth I've built, I see no reason not to start to really challenge the big guys up front in practices, and start running some very physical drills. Thing is, if you're going to do that, you have to accept that the lineup you started healthy last saturday, might not be the same lineup that starts healthy the following the saturday.

I don't know. I'm perplexed by our offensive line this year. One snap, I'm like - wow, they get it, we can ride these guys. On the next, I"m thinking they're a bunch of flowers, and then they're great again, adn then they're pansies, and then they're great.

Consistency. The majority of the players on offense, need to block, on both pass plays and run plays.

Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. I really wonder what practices look like for this team on offense. I remember talking about it after the NC State game.

The passing game is doing quite well. Is it as simple as we're just going to have to wait til next year until the running game gets installed into this offense? It seems like on the other side of the ball last year, the run defense was built, and this year they've put the pass defense on top, which is still elarning.

The offense didn't have the same starting point to work from last year though, and they rode the mccummings offensive package as hard as they could for any consistency in moving the chains......the D had a different starting point in 2011, on O, there was, and is, a LOT of rebuilding to do.

I do know that i want to beat Rutgers this week.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

First, both the pro and college games have evolved since the millenium, Second, Not lately. You can count the number of Super Bowl winners on one finger who have won with the run first, QB game-manager philosphy. Here's a hint...the team begins with a "B" and end with "altimore Ravens." Even the Steelers employed more of a throwing philosophy since Big Ben's 2nd year and we can't count the Patriots either...In their least offensively prolific Super Bowl year (2001), they were ranked 13 in passing and 16 in Rushing offense, in terms of yards vs the rest of the NFL. The Ravens were 22 and 5, respectively.

Smash mouth mentality is not necessarily run first, its stepping on someone's neck to finish them or if the defense goes low, you go lower, its about wanting to get to the spot first. A smash mouth offense is try having a Drew Breese attidude, run or pass. It what you saw on Mike Osiecki's play. Its what you've see from Boise State on every play for the last ten years..

 

[Carl Spackler]

Ugghh. You had to go an make that statement. We better start praying to the superstition gods.

On my knees.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Smash mouth mentality is not necessarily run first, its stepping on someone's neck to finish them or if the defense goes low, you go lower, its about wanting to get to the spot first. A smash mouth offense is try having a Drew Breese attidude, run or pass. It what you saw on Mike Osiecki's play. Its what you've see from Boise State on every play for the last ten years..

I agree with you duncan. I will drop this after this final comment, we'll see what happens next week.

I've seen receivers catch the ball through 5 games this season, and play smashmouth. I"ve seen a QB, stand in the pocket and get decleated and planted, and then step right back up and go after it again, and there's nothing more smashmouth to a defender, than hitting a QB as hard as you can, and having that QB get up like nothing happened, and go to the next play and move the ball. I've seen a 5'7' 170lb back (measured in spikes and full gear) become a lead blocker and hit harder than I perceive our OL's to be hitting at times.

I expect it to change.

 

[SubbaBub]

Guys go and look at the film of hypolytes run Saturday. Guards are pulling and defenders are getting leveled. We don't do zone blocking all the time. The problem with the offense is more consistancy in execution on the run plays

To be fair, that was a trick play (for us). LM lined up at FB for the dive drew most of the attention inside. But it was nice to see them get out a set the edge.for a change.

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[Srqhusky]

To be fair, that was a trick play (for us). LM lined up at FB for the dive drew most of the attention inside. But it was nice to see them get out a set the edge.for a change.

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To all those with their heads in the mud are missing some of the blocks mccombs has been making this year

 

[Dann]

I was curious at looking at the recruiting side of this....

2008
Adam Masters - starter (2 star)
Jimmy Bennett - starter, healthy this year, but injured most of career. (3 star, like 10 good bcs offers. considered 1 of or the best RE recruit at uconn)
Eric Kuraczea - gone (mixed 2/3 star)

2009
Kevin Friend - starter (2 star)
Steve Greene - starter ( mixed 2/3 star, minn offer. also ucf/temple offers back then...)
Tyler Bullock - 2nd team (was a DL recruit, 2 star)

2010
Mark Hansson - gone (2 star, indiana and other low offers)
Greg McKee - gone (mixed 2/3 star, wisc offer)
Bryan Paull (mixed 2/3 star)
Gus Cruz - 2nd team (2 star)

2011
Xavier Hemingway - 2nd team (PP-3 star handful of bcs offers)
Dalton Gifford - 2nd team (RE-mix 2/3 star)
Paul Nwokeji (RE-2 star)
Alex Mateas - starter, transfer from Penn St. (PP transfer)

2012
Drew Ghio (local walk on to ship right?)
Richard Levy (2 star)
Rennick Bryan - gone to juco (2star, temple offer)
Zach Rugg (mix 2/3 star, temple offer)
Tyler Samra - 2nd team (mix 2/3 star)

2013
matt barone- mix 2/3 star, decommitted to temple
kyle schafenacker- 3 star, offers from cincy, uscE and smu
tommy hopkins- mix 2/3 star
*i expect 1 or 2 more OL this class (dorian miller being #1 target)

here is my point with this. i feel that PP recruiting wise has us on a #uptick as u guys know overall. but i feel the oline position has barely improved meanwhile other positions have progressed more recruiting wise. in 2013 the recruiting of this position seems to be better but 2012 wasn't anything great, if we can land one of the big fish we are after this fall then i could change my mind on this. as of right now, oline is the worst position recruiting wise for this staff as we have not seen a improvement like we have elsewhere. maybe the only argument you could have would be rb, but at rb we got joe williams last year(almost dobbs) and we seem like we are going to at worst land a kid at this position with 2 other offers = 2 or beter than us. so rb can't be worse i would say.

as RE progressed 07-he left recruit wise he was slowly doing better but the way it was coming was questionable for a overall grade. he seemed to every once in a while land a great recruit. bennett is a great example of that for this position. 1 recruit makes the overall stats of stars/offers look better and doesn't tell the whole story. besides him mckee had a wisc offer which is a quality recruit. other wise RE got a bunch of 2 star kids and a few with crapy bcs offers like indiana and minn who were both low low low lifes back then and still are somewhat(minn is arguable).

PP started out big with hemingway and the psu transfer meanwhile RE let with the usual 2 types in the 2011 class. PP kept all on board. in 2012 the OL recruits imho didn't look any different from a RE year to me. the only small difference is PP gets a couple of those 2/3 star kids with at least some quality offer like temple. its a bit better than a recruit without that offer but not enough that its a improvement that matters. thats why i feel this position is a issue recruiting wise while others have been on a better rise. this year the fl kid is a great get, hopkins is a typical recruit and barone would have been a typical recruit. so we have 2 so far. its hard to tell if PP can take this position to the enxt level at this point. we still have a couple OL to add this class, i will wait and see but this position recruiting wise is the one i have been most worried with as far as the #uptick.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

On my knees.

"That's what she said."

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I don't think Ghio is on the team this year. He came in as a Jan enrollee and never got healthy enough to give it a go. I'm not sure if he's even in school at this point. He was a preferred walk on.

 

[pj]

WVU has been beating us out on our top RB prospects and Rutgers has been beating us out on our top OL prospects. It would be great to have a breakthrough at those spots.

 

[businesslawyer]

"That's what she said."

I just hope and pray that is not what she said to Spackler.

 

[huskymedic]

"That's what she said."

 

[Dann]

WVU has been beating us out on our top RB prospects and Rutgers has been beating us out on our top OL prospects. It would be great to have a breakthrough at those spots.

wvu this year has killed us with rbs. its only getting to get worse it seems which is crazy. they are looking at laray as a apb/wr which would just be another one we lose out on. right now i would say laray is a cuse lean unless wvu or oregon offer. stinks for us. marriner seems to be leaning towards uconn but there have been signs that now wvu is interested which could be a disaster for us. i still think unless we have some 1 on our radar sleeper wise to our public knowledge interest that we should offer clay. hes solid.

ol wise yes rutgers has gotten the better of us in the past. miller would be a great get and hopefully a game changer recruiting wise in nj.

 

[Doggie Style]

Guys go and look at the film of hypolytes run Saturday. Guards are pulling and defenders are getting leveled. We don't do zone blocking all the time. The problem with the offense is more consistancy in execution on the run plays

A really good view of that run was from channel 30 sports from the end zone. You could see the whole thing develope and then watch Hypolyte run down the sideline like a freight train. We need to see more of this kid!