I STILL think QB play is lacking.

RememberTheDanny

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Re: I think they look better than last year

Sep 9, 2023, 9:51 PM

It is rare that we get out-of-the-gate linemen who also have the necessary mental discipline to not jump prematurely into false start penalties.

However, we have recruited numerous OL each year starting with the 2018 recruiting class.

Jackson Carman in 2018 recruiting class … the top OL recruit in the nation … played extensively as backup during our 2nd Nat. Championship season. Started at LT in both 2019 and 2020 seasons before going pro.

Will Putnam played extensively at RG as a true FR back in 2019 season. He had the combination of strength, technique, and OL cadence discipline (I.e., not prone to false starts).

Walker Parks played meaningful snaps as true FR at RT in 2020. We should have kept him at RT instead of moving him to RG so that Blake Miller could be given RT spot.

Marcus Tate, a great talent, started at LG to start 2021 season, Tate wasn’t ready for the cadence part of OL play (litany of false starts, also getting mixed up on the plays), so ended up on the bench for 2nd half of 2021 season. (He had good year in 2022.)

Dietrich Pennington, another great talent, was considered for starter at RG in 2021 season … but then tore ACL before season started. Gained a ton of weight while rehabbing the knee, played sparingly as backup in 2022. Looked pretty good (moved well for a huge man) from my vantage in limited snaps against UNC late last year, also in Spring 2023, and once again in 2nd half play today.

Blake Miller, upon his arrival as true FR for Spring practice in 2022, had the physique and strength to be a plug in and play OG for 2022 season. Coaches put him at RT, though, where he has continually struggled against OK opposing DE’s. He was ready to make a big contribution, maybe even a star, had we put him at RG instead of RT. Oh well.

For 2023, reports from the coaches (backed up by where they have him on the current depth chart) indicate that Harris Sewell is yet another react-to-play true FR O-Lineman in the 2023 class. He isn’t starting because we have experienced players (who, at this time, are better players) than Sewell for the OG positions. I’d love to see if we can RS him, but what do I know.

Across the line talent for OL was a problem back in 2021, but successful recruiting starting in 2019 … usually one physically & ‘cadence ready’ player each year … has endowed us with very talented and experienced players in this department. Highly regarded backups who developed more slowly have also been stalwarts (Jordan McFadden and Mitchell Maye come to mind) were better as experienced players than the newby highly rated OL recruits who ended up needing more time to develop (e.g.,Tristan Leigh and Colin Sadler).

In summary, our personnel at OL looks very good. I believe that Leigh, Tate, and Putnam will earn some level of All ACC accolades (1st, 2nd, or 3rd team) after 2023 season is finished. We have enough talent, if they are put in the correct spots, to have another star performer at RG and a competent player at RT for this unit to be up there with RB unit as the best part of the offense.

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We have the talent, but maddeningly keep gambling that two veteran players that the coaches have in the wrong positions in hopes that their improvement will accelerate in time before we ring up too many more losses.

Our starting RT and RG needed to switch positions … at the beginning of 2022 season.

Our current RG played good enough as RT starter in 2021. Not great, but OK. Pass protection was his strength at RT. On the other hand, his run blocking has been not good enough for a RG.

Our current RT was horrendous at pass protection as a true FR during first 3 or 4 games in 2022; he improved to simply being not good enough since then. Yet, his run blocking is good. He looks like a prototype Tackle, but simply isn’t agile enough for the T job.

Our coaches MUST recognize this, yet it is as if they are so committed to being ‘right’ that they keep doubling and tripling down on their original personnel / position decisions because they don’t want it to look like they made a mistake in the first place.

I swear, our OL would be at its best if we did this:

RT: Starter - Mitchell Mayes (who is not a starter, but should be). 2nd - Colin Sadler. 3rd - Jon Williams (he’s pretty quick)
RG: Starter - Blake Miller. 2nd - Walker Parks 3rd - Harris Sewell
C: Starter - Will Putnam (he’s on track to be All-ACC this year). 2nd - R.Linthucum. 3rd - P.Howard
LG: Starter - Trey Tate 2nd - Walker Parks. 3rd - Dietrich Pennington
LT: Starter - Tristan Leigh (looked good against Duke and also today) 2nd - Colin Sadler. 3rd - Jon Williams

(*). Our OL room is good enough to win the ACC. The chairs in the room need rearrangement.

I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

I think they look better than last year

Re: I think they look better than last year

Re: I think they look better than last year

I gotta disagree. When the D rushes six

Re: I gotta disagree. When the D rushes six

Re: I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

Re: I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

Do you happen to recall who was center on the fumbled snap?

Re: I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

Re: I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

Re: I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

Re: I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

Re: I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

Re: I STILL think the OL is the root of all evils

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