Let's start with the obvious. Look at Golson now and look at him against Michigan. Game is slowing down for him big time. We will be able to run 80-90 plays a game if we so choose. We've already seen a big jump. Now he gets 15 more practices, all summer under Longo and 7 on 7 drills, another spring session and then more practice in the fall. I'd like to see 5 more pounds of muscle.

 

Offensive line~~With the return of Zack I think our offensive line will be stellar. Zack, Watt and Lombard are a load. Hegarty looks like he will be cleared for spring and that's a big deal. He has more range then Cave and was already touching 300 pounds. After spring ball and 3 months lifting in the summer he will be fine. He is an exceptional athlete. Watched tape of him at OU's camp. Very very quick feet.

 

I'm sure we will get the best 5 on the field at the same time, but I like Ronnie Stanley. He's already physically there at 6' 6'' and 305. Highly recruited left tackle that could start out at right tackle and move Lombard over. Don't forget Steve Elmer comes in early and he is physically imposing as well. Coming in early he should be way ahead of most freshmen physically and mentally. He's massive at 6' 6'' and about 310.

 

Others who might play as they have been in the system are Nick Martin and Hanratty. I can see 7 players in rotation while we red shirt the 5 freshmen studs.

 

Running Backs~~GA111 time. Hawaii said this was his favorite player in that recruiting class. BlackIrish said it too. It's your time George. Great speed, good balance and around 215 pounds. We finally get to see Amir Carlisle and we add a 5 star super stud that demands to see the field. Don't forget Cam McDaniel who simply makes yards with vision and incredible balance, always getting extra yards. Have to mention Mahone. Some think he is the cream of this crop. Bottom line, the talent is getting better and deeper.

 

Receivers/tight ends~~What a group. DaVaris Daniels will get yet bigger and more productive. He really hit the weights, probably after seeing the guns on Floyd. Time for stardom.

 

TJ~~simply a star. He just makes plays and has great hands and concentration. Always looking to make you miss and break the big one.

 

Chris Brown~~He can improve the most. He needs some muscle on that slight frame. He will develop along the lines of DeVaris. Not quite as big though, should play at about 185. Time to make a name.

 

Devonte Neal~~Takes over for Toma and will be more productive. He's a better athlete with game breaking ability. Look for him in the spring. Should run some reverses.

 

Nicklas~~So long Tyler Eifert, hello Nicklas, Koyack and Welch. I look for production to increase because Golson will be better. tyler may be a better athlete then any of these guys but as a group, we will be fine. Throw in

 

Heurman~~He comes in early. He is an incredible receiver. He will play.

 

Put it all together and we improve dramatically. We will come out of the gate a much improved unit, but we will still be able to get better as the season moves along. Offensive line will jell. Run game will provide more long runs. We will be a real Kelly offense with the ability to pound it or spread you all over the place.

 

One more possibility is Corey Robinson~~Could come in at 6' 6'' and very good leaping ability. Strong hands and the ability to adjust to the ball. Destroyed not so great competition, but still provides that big big window for Golson. Maybe next year we won't be hearing about any problems in the red zone.

Edited December 19, 201211 yr by OklahomaIrish

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9507dbGqM1r3wlui.gif

 

 

 

 

Pretty much agree with most of your thoughts except........GA111 being our guy at running back. I would have to give the nod to Cam and the Freshman carrying the load.

This thread was brought to you by Captain Obvious...

Golson--Golson--GOLSON!!!

 

He will be THE story in 2013.---Manti has worn the crown and it was on defense as it should have been---But with Manti moving on, the crown is laying on the field. Who will claim it ???

 

IMO its going to be GOLSON---his play and his role on the 2013 team will be the overriding story of next years squad!

 

aloha's go irish!

This thread was brought to you by Captain Obvious...

 

ROFL!!! Thanks for the laugh, Rocket.

I think RB and WR are the two spots to watch in Spring ball and through Summer camp...

 

At RB - 5-star freshman recruits scare me, sorry but I heard everything we are hearing about Bryant back when James Aldridge was coming out. Never quite panned out as expected for a variety of reasons, but I won't count RB chickens from recruiting eggs...

 

To me, that leaves a battle between GA3/Cam/Amir. Amir coming off injuries has to show he is back to full form before he can legitimately compete for carries, so in many respects, we are going to go from Cierre and Theo to George and Cam and I see it working out just about the same way - George/Cierre have the higher ceiling, more talent and better top end speed; but in the end Cam/Theo end up grinding out those tough yards just a bit better. It will be an interesting competition though to see if any of the young bucks can break into the rotation or demand touches along the lines of what we have seen from GA3 this year...

 

WR is still a concerns for me. Brown has flashed speed and some potential - maybe not as much as Golden Tate did as Freshman, but still a good amount of hope for much more in '13-'15; but honestly Neal has disappointed. I know our blocking on Punt Returns is akin to a bull fight (Ole!), but he seems to always be on the verge of a turnover for some reason. He also has a tendency to dance instead of getting vertical and that hurts his impact, but I cannot recall him making very many meaningful plays in the passing game this year. A couple of blown up reverses, a couple of pedestrian screens and not much at all in the vertical game. I hope he has the light go on and becomes a real break-through player. TJ and Davaris will need to grow at least as much as they did from '11 to '12 for us to have a solid core of WRs in '13. Greenberry would have been poised for BIG things in '13 if he hadn't taken the money and run...err, I mean gone to Houston...

 

TE is the one position where I am at least as confident as I was when Fasano gave way to Carlson or Carlson gave way to Rudolph or Rudolph gave way to Eiffert...between the returning players I believe Niklas will be the next great one, but there is a lot of talent behind him as well...Te'o giving way to TE'U? (Bad pun I know...)

 

QB...looks to me to really be a battle between Zaire and Kiel to determine who has the inside track on Kelly's confidence to run the offense. Rees will almost certainly start off as the back-up, though I am sure CBK would love to see him get beat out for that role.

 

I did think my prediction would be that Kiel is moving on after Spring Ball; but after taking a red shirt this year already, if he did transfer and have to sit out, that would put him off the field for TWO years between HS and college career really getting going...not a very good recipe for success. Kiel may actually already be all-in at this point and focused on getting better, or at least better enough to force his way onto the field for a few series a game in '13, despite Everett coming back and looking for all the world to be a 4-year starter in the making...

 

Zaire has a better situation at ND. He can redshirt in '13, back-up in '14/'15 and fight for the starter's job in '16 and '17. Kiel not so much...redshirt in '12, back-up in '13/'14/'15 and fight Zaire in '16? Maybe he wants to be the reincarnation of Kevin McDougal...

I think RB and WR are the two spots to watch in Spring ball and through Summer camp...

 

At RB - 5-star freshman recruits scare me, sorry but I heard everything we are hearing about Bryant back when James Aldridge was coming out. Never quite panned out as expected for a variety of reasons, but I won't count RB chickens from recruiting eggs...

 

To me, that leaves a battle between GA3/Cam/Amir. Amir coming off injuries has to show he is back to full form before he can legitimately compete for carries, so in many respects, we are going to go from Cierre and Theo to George and Cam and I see it working out just about the same way - George/Cierre have the higher ceiling, more talent and better top end speed; but in the end Cam/Theo end up grinding out those tough yards just a bit better. It will be an interesting competition though to see if any of the young bucks can break into the rotation or demand touches along the lines of what we have seen from GA3 this year...

 

WR is still a concerns for me. Brown has flashed speed and some potential - maybe not as much as Golden Tate did as Freshman, but still a good amount of hope for much more in '13-'15; but honestly Neal has disappointed. I know our blocking on Punt Returns is akin to a bull fight (Ole!), but he seems to always be on the verge of a turnover for some reason. He also has a tendency to dance instead of getting vertical and that hurts his impact, but I cannot recall him making very many meaningful plays in the passing game this year. A couple of blown up reverses, a couple of pedestrian screens and not much at all in the vertical game. I hope he has the light go on and becomes a real break-through player. TJ and Davaris will need to grow at least as much as they did from '11 to '12 for us to have a solid core of WRs in '13. Greenberry would have been poised for BIG things in '13 if he hadn't taken the money and run...err, I mean gone to Houston...

 

TE is the one position where I am at least as confident as I was when Fasano gave way to Carlson or Carlson gave way to Rudolph or Rudolph gave way to Eiffert...between the returning players I believe Niklas will be the next great one, but there is a lot of talent behind him as well...Te'o giving way to TE'U? (Bad pun I know...)

 

QB...looks to me to really be a battle between Zaire and Kiel to determine who has the inside track on Kelly's confidence to run the offense. Rees will almost certainly start off as the back-up, though I am sure CBK would love to see him get beat out for that role.

 

I did think my prediction would be that Kiel is moving on after Spring Ball; but after taking a red shirt this year already, if he did transfer and have to sit out, that would put him off the field for TWO years between HS and college career really getting going...not a very good recipe for success. Kiel may actually already be all-in at this point and focused on getting better, or at least better enough to force his way onto the field for a few series a game in '13, despite Everett coming back and looking for all the world to be a 4-year starter in the making...

 

Zaire has a better situation at ND. He can redshirt in '13, back-up in '14/'15 and fight for the starter's job in '16 and '17. Kiel not so much...redshirt in '12, back-up in '13/'14/'15 and fight Zaire in '16? Maybe he wants to be the reincarnation of Kevin McDougal...

 

Kiel is a great athlete and can run our system very well. Spring ball will be a battle between Kiel and Zaire and I give a strong endorsement of Kiel to be the first guy off the bench next year. If you watch the spring game, Kiel can make a lot of yard with his feet. He makes a lot of yards after contact with size, power and determination. He is not as slow footed as Tommy. I think he has a stronger arm then Golson.

 

The situation just continues to get better. Right now we have two guys ready to go in Rees and Golson, but Rees has limitations. As we develop Kiel and Zaire we will soon have a championship caliber back up quarter back. How many schools have that??

 

Without Martin coming back we may well have regressed on offense and had our quarterbacks beaten up as in years when we couldn't protect them (Willingham and Weis). We still have two major positions to fill and it is possible we will have to play someone that isn't ready. We have taken a lot of hits by losing offensive linemen ever since James lost his life. The situation should be remedied in a couple years with the incoming freshman, but this is the one area where we could have major problems. We can't take any injuries to Martin, Lombard or Watts.

 

I know some posters like Rocketstan don't enjoy threads on player development and don't have anything constructive to add other then personal attacks, but there are so many knowledgeable guys here that I enjoy sharing and learning from you. So I would suggest if you don't have anything to add to the thread go somewhere else and talk about something you may have some knowledge about.

I know some posters like Rocketstan don't enjoy threads on player development and don't have anything constructive to add other then personal attacks, but there are so many knowledgeable guys here that I enjoy sharing and learning from you. So I would suggest if you don't have anything to add to the thread go somewhere else and talk about something you may have some knowledge about.

 

How about posting something original rather than being verbose about the obvious? I think I've read this same idea set from you several times...:noidea:

I know some posters like Rocketstan don't enjoy threads on player development and don't have anything constructive to add other then personal attacks, but there are so many knowledgeable guys here that I enjoy sharing and learning from you. So I would suggest if you don't have anything to add to the thread go somewhere else and talk about something you may have some knowledge about.

 

i·ro·ny

/ˈīrənē/

Noun

The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Adjective

Of or like iron: "an irony gray color".

Synonyms

noun. taunt - sarcasm (example, "Please tell us more about your daughter in the band")

adjective. iron - ferreous - ferrous

i·ro·ny

/ˈīrənē/

Noun

The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Adjective

Of or like iron: "an irony gray color".

Synonyms

noun. taunt - sarcasm (example, "Please tell us more about your daughter in the band")

adjective. iron - ferreous - ferrous

 

Every time I see someone post a definition it makes me think of this:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4y3f3CMcJ1r0fn5ao1_500.gif

How about posting something original rather than being verbose about the obvious? I think I've read this same idea set from you several times...:noidea:

 

I was trying to get an early feel for next year's team. This is the first thread that analyzes returning players, problems to solve and new blood. To me, the offensive line is the one huge concern because of bad luck with injuries (Nichols, Carrico), death (James), poor recruiting (Heggie) and lack of numbers, (only two sophmores and one is coming off surgery (Stanley). Most teams take at least one hit to the offensive line early in the season, we are precariously thin. But as you say, this has all been discussed, I just must have missed it.

I was trying to get an early feel for next year's team. This is the first thread that analyzes returning players, problems to solve and new blood. To me, the offensive line is the one huge concern because of bad luck with injuries (Nichols, Carrico), death (James), poor recruiting (Heggie) and lack of numbers, (only two sophmores and one is coming off surgery (Stanley). Most teams take at least one hit to the offensive line early in the season, we are precariously thin. But as you say, this has all been discussed, I just must have missed it.

 

Hey, Oklahoma Irish! Don't mind them! When one person makes fun of another, it is reflective of THEM. If they had something constructive and respectful to say, I would listen. If they also had a record of uncannily correct predictions of scores, wins, and players, I would listen even more. But they don't. YOU do!

 

That's one reason I'm your biggest fan,

with love,

The Texas Rose

How about posting something original rather than being verbose about the obvious? I think I've read this same idea set from you several times...:noidea:

 

so your response is to prove him right?

 

Regarding our offense, the only thing I am a little worried about is the RB position because it is a young group right now. It is clear that GAIII was not ready to be an every down back, he needs more development before I am completely comfortable with him. However, the QB position will be fine, the WR will be more experienced (in fact, the only WR we will lose is John Goodman), I personally feel comfortable with the TE position (but I know others here are not), and I think the OL will be strong by returning 3 starters.

Edited December 19, 201211 yr by NDhoosier

How about posting something original rather than being verbose about the obvious? I think I've read this same idea set from you several times...:noidea:

 

What?! A rude Canadian?

What?! A rude Canadian?

 

http://www.lolriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Funny-Tweet-The-average-Canadian-says-sorry-over-45000-times-a-day.png

When one person makes fun of another, it is reflective of THEM.

 

Didn't "make fun" of anyone...in this thread...

 

What?! A rude Canadian?

 

Wasn't rude either...:canada:

This thread reflects boredome. And now the cannibals come out.

methinks Rose also has a daughter in the band.

This thread reflects boredome. And now the cannibals come out.

 

I liken it to raccoons sniffing garbage...

I was trying to get an early feel for next year's team. This is the first thread that analyzes returning players, problems to solve and new blood. To me, the offensive line is the one huge concern because of bad luck with injuries (Nichols, Carrico), death (James), poor recruiting (Heggie) and lack of numbers, (only two sophmores and one is coming off surgery (Stanley). Most teams take at least one hit to the offensive line early in the season, we are precariously thin. But as you say, this has all been discussed, I just must have missed it.

 

Oklahoma, I really enjoyed this post and the similar post about the defense. To me, it's nice to collect all of these thoughts from many different threads and bring them together in one place and reflect on them a bit. Please don't let a few negative comments disuade you.

 

I think offensive improvement is expected, but it's not a gimme. I really hope Kiel comes on strong enough to either push or pass Golson. To me, we need much better QB play next year if we want to win all of our games. I expect Stanford to be better next year and we literally won by a few inches this year.

 

I'm also worried about our receivers and tight ends a bit. Eifert demanded double teams all the time and we still had difficulty in the passing game. Losing Eifert will hurt alot.

 

The OLine is thin with only 7 non-freshmen in the rotation. Freshmen playing on the OLine is never good. Injuries could cause major problems here.