Preseason practices begin Aug. 8...
- Thread starter YakiCoug
- Start date
I think everyone will be singing Falk's praises by mid-season. I think he breaks 5,000 yards passing this season. On defense, I'm going to say Charleston White. I think he gets four picks this year.
Surprise on offense...
I think Keith Harrington is the surprise X factor on offense.
Defense...
I think Luani and Broughton make a big difference.
I think Keith Harrington is the surprise X factor on offense.
Defense...
I think Luani and Broughton make a big difference.
Is there a two-deep depth chart floating around? Seems like the athletic dept. put one out for spring practices, but all I can find is an alphabetical roster.
Offense..... I will say that Daniel Lilienthal will break out. Defense.... I have a feeling McClennan will step up big and be lights out.
Practices begin Aug. 8, so I guess we'll see something shortly after everyone has reported.
If White stays healthy and gets competent safety help behind him he might be all-conference, he just seems like one of the best players we have on defense.
Yeah there is a Post Spring Depth Chart.
Doesn't have the new class on there at all,, but it will give you an idea of where people are at.
Every year, we've had a young receiver come in and just blow people away, so that's certainly a good pick.
Not a lot on the guy from the official website.
http://www.wsucougars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209985164&DB_OEM_ID=30400
Yeah he kind of is like a mystery guy. He was a JC receiver from Mr. San Jacinto. he first appeared on the 2013 roster but there was no commit announcement of anything.
He red shirted in 2013 and was a RS Jr last year, and is now a RS Sr. He's very good at post routes and apparently has the nickname "Dan Post"
He had 4 catches for 60 yards and a TD in the spring game.
If Breske was still here, I'd say that I wouldn't be surprised if none of the new guys (including JCs) plays as much as we might expect or hope them to right now, at least in the first half of the season, and that we'd instead see some incremental improvement (and maddening limitations) from the guys already in the program. They would have known the system, seen and experienced Pac-12 speed, etc.
With Grinch running the D, things may be very different.
With Grinch running the D, things may be very different.
I think White will be solid. Lemora I think will do some good thing. I think Hameed will be better. Porter and Pippins better. Everyone will be better due to a year of experience, and from what the reports say about Grinch teaching them the right way to play the ball in the air.
But Luani and Broughton are both gamer chip on their shoulder type players.
Broughton
Luani.
See for yourself. They up the growth rate and I think will make a significant impact.
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This comment got me wondering, are these kids really that deficient in the fundamentals that it takes a new coach to teach them the basics of the position? I'd guess most of these kids have been playing football a good chunk of their childhood and were recruited out well respected HS football programs, which you'd think would have tought them the fundamentals. I've always assumed/attributed the bulk of improved performance on the field came from physical growth, increased discipline that goes with college programs, and practice/repetition. Certainly, position coaches can recognize technique flaws to help improve players, but at least with respect to our secondary, it seems like these players are having to be tought fundamentals they should have known years ago. How is that?
From what I saw, the defensive backfield guys were closer talent-wise to our competition last year than they were in previous years, they just had a lot of instances where they didn't make the play at the end. They were close to the right spot or right action but just missing out. I think that they'd be better just from maturing whether we changed coaches or not. I'm just hoping that the new coach accelerates the improvement.
In HS they get the basics, and some are more developed than others, but the biggest difference is in really developing and polishing technique and going against much better receivers.
If you were the best corner at your school in HS you now will not just be lining up against the best WR from another school, but 3-5 of the best...in the state.
The step up is really big and just getting adjusted to the speed of the game + the talent increase + the physical increase...well are your fundamentals sharp enough to deal with that out the gate? Probably not.
Only about 3-4% of HS football players get to play college ball. Of that 3-4% only about 11,000 make it on scholarship at division 1.
So as a freshmen secondary player you are going up against the top 1% of receivers in the Nation, and you better have top 1% technique.
So technique is always important, and the best teachers make the best players that can compete. Some players are further behind. Some have their heads swimming from having to learn a new defense and just want to be in the right position and are slow to react because there is so much more mentally going on.
The more they practice fundamentals the more they become second nature and the more they rep the coverage the faster their reactions get.
So while they may have the physical tools to compete with the 1% they have to get their brains, bodies, and technique at that level too.
Fully agree, but seems like turning your head and looking for the ball would be second nature for a kid that had played that position for several years, even when playing against better athletes. Kind of like knowing to kick the ball at the goal in soccer. Maybe there's something to their head swimming with schemes, but once you're locked on to that receiver, it's really a very simple task: keep the receiver from catching the pass (doing it may be difficult, but the objective itself is straightforward).
Anyways, hope you're right--I'm excited to see what kind of D Grinch puts on the field...I miss watching a bad-ass defense, been too long since we've fielded one.
Luani was rated the No. 1 JC safety in the country by one service. After watching his highlights, I'm glad we pulled him away from the beavers. In rereading the story about Broughton's commitment, I see he also was once an OSU commit. I wonder if the other JC corner (Kirkland Parker) will redshirt.
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Yes- the time between the Riley defection and them showing they could pull a coach away from a traditional power was good for us.
