Mark Stoops and company has the talent level on Ky's football squad at a level close to 2007 or maybe higher? With quality tight ends and receivers and what looks to be a o-line better than last few years ? The breakout year that some have said was in the making. I feel like we need one player to step up and be that go to guy that makes us really dangerous like a Randall Cobb or a Craig Yeast ? Who on this coming season roster has it in them to be that 1 special player who will get it done for us ?
1 Special Player ?
- Thread starter Trublupopeye
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Garrett Johnson, Boom Williams (if players stop chasing him down from behind preventing easy touchdowns), CJ Conrad. I think that group will be similar to Little, Stevie/Kenan (if baker gets head out of ***). CJ Conrad could very well go down as best tight end ever at UK even better than Tamme. But we need to see better player development, we need to see a team that shows up to big games fired up, we need to make adjustments on our side of the ball when teams switch things up (we at no point in any game last season made in game adjustments). I love the talent this team has (maybe more so than 07? Recruiting rankings would at least suggest so but brooks was much better head coach and way better at developing talent, imagine if we were investing all this money while he was here? He probably would've stayed til around til 2014 and we would currently be a top tier SEC team, only if we invested the money when we told brooks we would then instead of now), I just haven't seen anything from stoops as a head coach besides recruiting that gives me faith. I've seen very minimal player development, I've seen our teams come to games as flat as can be. He still looks like a rookie head coach going into his 4th season which is unacceptable.
He needs to improve, there's a chance he does, IMO that's our biggest issue right now, player development and game management. Not the players in place I don't see any joker players besides All Sec Center Jon Toth. If he improves in these areas, which hasn't happened after 3 seasons considering year 3 was the worst coaching I had seen in a long time so it would be ridiculously dumb to bet on it, but it could possibly happen. So I'm not going to count on it. But I sure hope so. If we don't go to bowl (or lose to USM) his seat will be scorching hot. We will not acceot anything less than 6 wins this season. I'm tired of stoops blaming players in post game interviews, time to take accountability, stop being the biggest hypocrite a coach can be. And get to work and make this happen. Last season all I heard was excuses from stoops. I'm tired of the damn excuses after he was talking about how much improved our team was before the season in year 3 saying we should expect big things only to see that they regressed from year 2 to year 3.
He needs to improve, there's a chance he does, IMO that's our biggest issue right now, player development and game management. Not the players in place I don't see any joker players besides All Sec Center Jon Toth. If he improves in these areas, which hasn't happened after 3 seasons considering year 3 was the worst coaching I had seen in a long time so it would be ridiculously dumb to bet on it, but it could possibly happen. So I'm not going to count on it. But I sure hope so. If we don't go to bowl (or lose to USM) his seat will be scorching hot. We will not acceot anything less than 6 wins this season. I'm tired of stoops blaming players in post game interviews, time to take accountability, stop being the biggest hypocrite a coach can be. And get to work and make this happen. Last season all I heard was excuses from stoops. I'm tired of the damn excuses after he was talking about how much improved our team was before the season in year 3 saying we should expect big things only to see that they regressed from year 2 to year 3.
The "1 special player" on an a football team that can step up and really make an average team dangerous is the QB. Others can make plays here and there but QB play is the key for a seasonal success. IOW, a "big" year by Barker would likely mean more than a big year by anyone else.. JMO.
Peace
Randall Cobb was a one man team and made a terrible team a bowl team and didn't play qb hardly at all (even tho he was best qb on roster). I know he's the exception like a few players are. But it doesn't always have to be the QB. Such as Randall cobb, Leonard Fournette, players like that who put the whole team on there backs.
No, it doesn't have to be the QB but it usually is. Fournette is terrific but LSU overall is pretty damn good. It is hard to carry a team when the team is pretty good.
Cobb was a great player but hardly a one man team. Yes, he was #2 in All Purpose yards in 2010 but Locke rushed for about 900, Matthews was less than 100 yards behind Cobb in receiving yards and the much maligned Hartline was #19 in passing yardage and #23 in QB rating. Quite a few players on that team.
Peace
Has to be Drew Barker or I'll also go with the entire offensive line paying as one.
Cobb was the difference in having 3 wins and having 6 wins. I have had season tickets for as long as I can remember and he truly was a one man team if I've ever seen one. Obviously there were other good players I mean there's going to be a few good players on every D1 football team but he was truly the epitome of a one man team.
Or Dewayne Robinson on our d severalyears ago. That team had some good players but Robinson was so disruptive at times that the whole d looked great.
I would hope Elam just works his *** off this summer and can just totally shutdown between the tackles. Would like for Westry and baitsy to live up to our expectations too. D that can shutdown interior running and deep passes sure does make it easier on the lbers.
I would hope Elam just works his *** off this summer and can just totally shutdown between the tackles. Would like for Westry and baitsy to live up to our expectations too. D that can shutdown interior running and deep passes sure does make it easier on the lbers.
Well it doesn't have to be the QB. A great RB for example can make an average QB look great. But no doubt the QB position is the most important on the team and it's the biggest reason we've struggled since Mike Hartline left. Our QB play has been so terrible it's beyond description. A good season out of Barker will get us into a bowl in my opinion.
A lot of fans don't realize what a tremendous senior year Peters had at DT at UK------and fewer probably think about how much better it would have been if the stupid NCAA hadn't suspended Jarmon for the entire year for an honest mistake when he was NOT taking PEDs-------they thought the over the counter reducing agent he bought MIGHT have been used to hide use of other drugs------so they assumed he was guilty and took the whole year away from him------UK actually, he ended up a third round early draft choice. He was everything the NCAA claims they want in a student athlete, already graduated and very involved in the community.
Peters was double teamed on practically every play, I saw him fight through a lot of them and still get the tackle, with Jarmon to split the double teams with him he would have had an even better year.
Peters was double teamed on practically every play, I saw him fight through a lot of them and still get the tackle, with Jarmon to split the double teams with him he would have had an even better year.
I remain cautious about 2016 because our defensive front 7 must be rebuilt from part time starters and transfers. The special players in 2016 are Boom, Conrad, Toth, Ware, Westry. I believe our overall talent level in 2017 will be at least equal to 2007.
I agree with you 100 percent. My point was I hope we don't have to rely on just 1 good player to carry us. Cobb was used more than any player I have ever seen. I still wish Hartline does not get hurt in the usc game that Kentucky team would have won 9 games imo
Cobb was a 1st team All American who now has a big contract with the Packers. Elite quickness, hands, upper body strength. Players like Cobb are rare. I don't see any offensive players in Cobb's class in Kentucky's current pipeline although Mac Jones is intriguing. On our current offense, the best players are Toth, Boom, Conrad. I think people are going to be surprised by Benny Snell. What we need is for a couple of wide receivers to step up big. The most obvious candidates are Juice Johnson and Dorian Baker, but I don't like all the drops. I am looking forward to Jabari Greenwood and Kayaune Ross. They can make a big difference this year.
Current UK roster hasn't shown anyone that is at a truly elite status. A few guys have intriguing potential but those guys also have holes in their game. Let's hope the team can take a step forward, do away with unforced errors, and begin making winning football plays.
Hard to say at this point but basically I think the 07 team had several elite players in starting positions on both sides of the ball - they have been mentioned above by several members, however the 16 CATS appear to me on paper to have a lot more depth than the 07 team. Williams is a star, Johnson a budding star on offense but the jury is still out on many others. We have several players with great resumes but they have not reached the Cobb/Johnson/Tamme level of play as of yet.
Great observations, although the obvious weakness of our 2016 team is the lack of depth on our defensive line.
RC's biggest asset was that big muscle in his chest!!! Will never forget the vicious ILLEGAL hit he took against SC on the goal line and he was hurting, but he got up and marched off with field with a big scowl on his face...fierce competitor and could surely teach this group of wr a thing or two about being tough and playing with heart
I think Boom has the elite player in him if he can stay healthy and have a more team centered attitude about him...the incident last year scared him a little I think and he definitely needs to be a team leader this year along with Jojo and DB of the offense.
A huge understatement, on paper the 07 team should have been quite mediocre on offense------one 5.8, at least six available this year, NO 5.7s, probably another six of those available this year, one 5.6 compared to eight or ten this year available, and two LATE 5.5s, one turned down by UL and one turned down by UK at one point. with at least SEVEN two stars in the starting lineup at all times. And yes, not just on paper but on the field this team has a ton more depth than the 07 team, losing Little alone probably cost us the 8 point loss to Florida after we had just beat the NC. The starting OL averaged about a 5.2.
There were several amazing overachievers (per the on paper evaluation) on that team, the two late 5.5s, and two star Johnson (a $35,000,000 contract recently, still playing?), all were NFL talent, but the amazing stories were FIVE POINT ONE Gary Williams that had a very long NFL career and FOUR POINT NINE Dickie Lyons Jr that was a very good WR, might have made the NFL if not for injuries.
Amazing offense with Brooks spotting a lot of underrated players AND coaching them up, with the OC and coach that developed those amazing receivers, Joker Phillips (what, have I gone crazy, LOL).
One thing there should be NO doubt about, this team will have an unbelievable edge in the backups, several four stars not able to start but great for depth.
Agreed that several of those on the 07 offense reached an amazing level of performance compared to their ratings.
No question about it. Boom is the best player on the team and we should build the offense around him the way we did with Cobb when he was here. I'd like to see them use Boom and King more in a pass catching role.