I have heard a lot of people talk about Ryan as a cornerstone to our defense, but with the addition of new talent to the LB crew, is there any truth to him being moved back to DE ?? Does he have a redshirt year available...

 

Personally, I thought he wasn't that great, but I'm not here to bash him, just find out if its true that he will be moved back to DE

da coach, i agree, i think he needs to revert to the former position . , But who knows he just might get with it in the spring . go irish .

i don't know why we insist on sugarcoating everything on here. JR had an awful year. I was not once happy with his performance in a game this year. He has no future at OLB.

 

He was consistently a problem with letting teams get big gains to the outside (think back to the GT game and how easy they ran outside). If he doesn't move to DE (where he's less of a liability) i hope i never seem him on the field again.

 

Maybe I'd cut him slack if he was a great effort guy, but i don't see that either.

i don't know why we insist on sugarcoating everything on here. JR had an awful year. I was not once happy with his performance in a game this year. He has no future at OLB.

 

He was consistently a problem with letting teams get big gains to the outside (think back to the GT game and how easy they ran outside). If he doesn't move to DE (where he's less of a liability) i hope i never seem him on the field again.

 

Maybe I'd cut him slack if he was a great effort guy, but i don't see that either.

 

I'm with you Chris I've said it before and I'll say it again when JR is on the field we are playing with 10 guys.

i don't know why we insist on sugarcoating everything on here. JR had an awful year. I was not once happy with his performance in a game this year. He has no future at OLB.

 

He was consistently a problem with letting teams get big gains to the outside (think back to the GT game and how easy they ran outside). If he doesn't move to DE (where he's less of a liability) i hope i never seem him on the field again.

 

Maybe I'd cut him slack if he was a great effort guy, but i don't see that either.

 

Ha, tell us how you really feel?

 

I agree. He doesn't play with any passion or drive or skill for that matter. But, I harped on him enough in a few other threads so I'm done. I just hope the coaches figure it out.

JR looked like he was running in molasses this year, many times.

Get stronger and play D end, because OLB is not your calling.

Ryan definitely needs to improve. In my opinion a move back to DE would help to that end. He probably got some good experience playing out in space from playing OLB, but clearly he isn't built for the position. So hopefully that experience will just help to make him a better DE.

 

And as da coach pointed out, there will be an influx of talent this year at the LB position, whereas D-line is still a little thin. So it makes all the sense in the world to move Ryan back to DE and then let him compete for a starting job this spring. If he doesn't win the starting job, at least we can take comfort in knowing that we have some solid depth w/ starting experience at that position.

 

Just my .2 cents

if they don't bring back justin brown i dont know who's going to be the DE's so i'd be surprised if he didn't move to DE. I'd still really like a few guys to beat him out at that position too.

IMO Ryan played way too stiff for an OLB in any defense, say anything about a 3-4. I realize he has some pass rush ability, but its not from the outside backer position. I won't question his effort as some of you have, but in watching him I think he is way too unathletic and slow to be an end rusher. Let him put his hand on the ground and use his big body to bull to the quarterback. At the very least he should hold his own against the run. I think this will end up being a moot point tho because I fully expect some of our incoming recruits and younger emerging talent to take most of his minutes away.

Depth at both LB and DE should dictate where John Ryan will play next year. It makes sense for Ryan to end up at DE. ND is awfully thin, and it would be unreasonable to expect Cwynar and Johnson to come in and start right away. At LB, Smith and Neal by seasons end were already pulling significant mintues from Ryan. I'd expect Fleming, Poz, Paskorz, and Nagel to do the same.

 

Hopefully the staff will recognize this. If not, I guess we have to trust in the staff's ability to mold him into a quicker, aggressive OLB.

i don't know why we insist on sugarcoating everything on here.

 

Tell me about it. There is a lot of denial around here. Let's not find fault anywhere and maybe it wasn't that bad ok?

Depth at both LB and DE should dictate where John Ryan will play next year. It makes sense for Ryan to end up at DE. ND is awfully thin, and it would be unreasonable to expect Cwynar and Johnson to come in and start right away. At LB, Smith and Neal by seasons end were already pulling significant mintues from Ryan. I'd expect Fleming, Poz, Paskorz, and Nagel to do the same.

 

Hopefully the staff will recognize this. If not, I guess we have to trust in the staff's ability to mold him into a quicker, aggressive OLB.

It's pretty hard to make a kid quicker than he already is.

It's not impossible, but from what I've seen from Ryan, especially in the Air Force game, I don't think anyone can make him much quicker.

Yeah, I was really reaching there. We usually don't gain speed as we get older. What I really imagine is that Ryan is going to spend this offseason working on his agility, athleticism. Thus making him a little "quicker". I agree that his better days lie at DE as opposed to OLB.

Now there's no doubt that he could do that.

I would hate for him to have to lose weight to do it, but he could get more agile and somewhat quicker. He just looked a little too clumsy sometimes. The straight ahead speed isn't bad, it's the reaction and change of direction speed that he may never have. You can't have that and be a great OLB. Luckily he's young, and a little football intelligence goes a long way in making up for shortcomings.

I think he has a a lot of training to do in the off season to get to the premier level.

Welcome to DD Tom

John Ryan has seen the most playiing time he will see at ND. Next year he will be a spot player, there is too much talent now and he wiil just keep slipping down the depth chart.

John Ryan has seen the most playiing time he will see at ND. Next year he will be a spot player, there is too much talent now and he wiil just keep slipping down the depth chart.

i agree. it'll be to hard to keep brian smith, kerry neal and darius flemming off the field.

John Ryan has seen the most playiing time he will see at ND. Next year he will be a spot player, there is too much talent now and he wiil just keep slipping down the depth chart.

It's the absolute truth.

Now that's what you call depth.

John Ryan has seen the most playiing time he will see at ND. Next year he will be a spot player, there is too much talent now and he wiil just keep slipping down the depth chart.

i agree. it'll be to hard to keep brian smith, kerry neal and darius flemming off the field.

 

 

You'd hope so, but i would have even prefered to see Scott Smith in there this year. He's more athletic and active and tougher. Sometimes I don't understand the personell choices (e.g. Schwapp).

I was frustrated with his play this year as well. On more than one crucial occasion, he lost containment on the outside.

 

But Coash Weis must have seen something impressive to start him as a Soph. Remember, he was just a Soph this year.