Anyone else think we need to recruit a big back like Dixon this year?

[Irondawg]

I think we all saw what a power back can do in the spread offense but most spread coaches want to flashy speed guys running that spot. The good news is that makes them a bit uncrecruited b/c most people don't want to sign a big back that runs a 4.7. Well, I do if he loves to run over people, can move the pile and has decent feet and hands.

If I'm Mullen I'm looking all over the South to find a guy like that - I know there is one out there that is getting frustated b/c everyone wants him as a FB.

Think of how many yards Dixon had last year after first contact and think of how few yards we've had after contact this year. Dixon broke more tackles in most single games last year than we have all year by our RB's.

 

[Irondawg]

I think we all saw what a power back can do in the spread offense but most spread coaches want to flashy speed guys running that spot. The good news is that makes them a bit uncrecruited b/c most people don't want to sign a big back that runs a 4.7. Well, I do if he loves to run over people, can move the pile and has decent feet and hands.

If I'm Mullen I'm looking all over the South to find a guy like that - I know there is one out there that is getting frustated b/c everyone wants him as a FB.

Think of how many yards Dixon had last year after first contact and think of how few yards we've had after contact this year. Dixon broke more tackles in most single games last year than we have all year by our RB's.

 

[Todd4State]

The only reason we haven't offered him is because of grades. I think he is related to Micheal Haddix to. If he can get his grades in order- and I don't think it's too much of a stretch that he will- we will probably offer.

The bad thing for us is the best RB in the state right now is probably Xavier Grindle at East Marion, and he's only a junior, so we have to wait another year on him. But he's 6'0" 180 and is Terrell Grindle's cousin.

Nick Griffen must not be that good because if he was, I don't see why we're redshirting him.

 

[seshomoru]

No need to try and find another Anthony Dixon. Who would want that?

 

[RebelBruiser]

I ask that because I think Dixon made great strides between his junior and senior years in his conditioning and overall skillset. He was a lot quicker and a lot better pass catcher out of the backfield his senior year after he'd lost some weight than he was before that.

Dixon was a good between the tackles back prior to his senior year and alright on the edges. His senior year he added a lot to his game, and fortunately for him, it coincided with an offense change where he had a chance to showcase that new versatility.

 

[seshomoru]

I think the new system and new coaches was the motivation he needed. Whenever that came in, he was going to be better. I actually don't think he enjoyed playing football under Croom, who pretty much dogged him out repeatedly despite providing him little to no opportunity to flourish unless he found a way to break a tailback dive 60 yards through a nine man defensive front. In other words, the sooner a new system and coaches came in, the sooner Dixon would be having FUN, FUN, FUN! Thus, the sooner he would have turned into an All-SEC back.

 

[BadDawg.sixpack]

Perry is Pig Prather's half brother. He's not the same size as Dixon, about the same build as Pig and he is bad ***. He wants to come to State so, hopefully he'll pull through on the grades.

 

[jcdawgman18]

I ask that because I think Dixon made great strides between his junior and senior years in his conditioning and overall skillset. He was a lot quicker and <span style="font-weight: bold;">a lot better pass catcher out of the backfield his senior year </span>after he'd lost some weight than he was before that.

Dixon was a good between the tackles back prior to his senior year and alright on the edges. His senior year he added a lot to his game, and fortunately for him, it coincided with an offense change where he had a chance to showcase that new versatility.

He was still playing at 240 or so. He could get loose on the outside prior to that, too, as evidenced by several big runs the year before. The quickness difference was mostly due to being healthy. Remember, early in the year before he strained a groin and missed a lot of practice for about 4-5 weeks and played on Saturdays.

I think the difference was a combination of realizing he was a senior and having to focus more, hearing criticism/coaching from a new set of voices, and one heck of a wake up call from the summer DUI.

Also, he could always catch the ball. He had over 100 yards receiving in the 07 Egg Bowl and had some of that lining up wide a running routes like a receiver.

 

[AzzurriDawg4]

I guess part of it is that we haven't had a Dixon or Norwood-type talent in the state for a few years. Neither of the guys we have committed right now are top recruits. Maybe Grindle is our next stud. I really think RB is one of the easiest positions on the field to evaluate for Scout or Rivals, so I usually put a fair amount of stock on their star rankings at RB.

Oddly, Florida really has the same problem. You give UF one of Bama's tailbacks and they would be nasty. Generally, I agree with you though. I think if you can find a big back with plus speed, it does a TON for the spread offense.

 

[Irondawg]

The great thing about some possible big back is that some might take walk-on opportunities. Heck, I don't even think to be effective you need plus speed. but if you can break a few tackles and bust off some 20-yard runs that would be a big improvement over what we have most of the time now.

 

[Dawgzilla]

[No message]

 

[Coach34]

we sure havent missed him the last two games since Ballard has solidified the #1 spot

 

[Todd4State]

that like you said, there's not really one out there that's high profile like AD or Norwood.

Some of that is because of the rise of the spread in high schools- some of these guys that were tailbacks in the past are now slot wide receivers. So, that hurts their development at tailback, or they just stay at WR.

Tupelo has a good running back to, Ashton Shumpert, who is related to William Shumpert on MSU's team. But he's a sophomore.

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I would like to see Matt Wells get a look at RB. I know that he is going to play defense, but we have a ton of safeties, and not so many RB's.

 

[Coach34]

we will be changing the offense a good bit in 2012 when Russell takes over and hopefully Mullen is taking notes on the struggles Meyer and Fla are having right now with Brantley. Him running the veer vs Bama was just sad. They are going to have to mix in some I to go with the Spread to make Brantley successful. Same with Russell.

 

[Felonious Junk]

lets get a couple like walter payton and bo jackson

 

[majors42]

[No message]

 

[jwbigcreek]

was pretty bad *** when we (Calhoun City) played Walnut. They had never lost a conference game (including whomping our *** the year before) until we kicked the **** out of them. One of the few times The only time I ever saw Justice seemingly feel sorry for another team. One of their guys had only half of one of his arms, and I was thinking he was a Perry. Going down to see us play them on 10/22 hopefully on the way to another undefeated season (and to make it even more 6Pack related, C34's protege, Perry Liles who was a star on my team, will be coaching CC).

 

[Trainwreck.sixpack]

*

 

[Irondawg]

Dont' even bring up Conner - we hoped he would be that kind of power back but he supposedly didn't enjoy contact too much depsite his raw talent. The fact that he's 3rd or 4th string at Co-Lin tells you everything you need to know.

I like Ballard a lot and dude runs hard and moves the pile forward. But I can't remember us having a back run over someone and breaking the tackle to keep going or throwing a good stiff-arm all year like AD did.

I think the rise of the spread in HS has phased most of these type guys out to other positions but I've always been a big fan of the power back and State has done very well with that type of player in the past (Davis, Bouie, Donte pre Sr. Season, AD). I'd just like to see us continue to recruit the bruising back to go along with the speedy guys Mullen is recruiting as well.

 

[MSUDawg25]

Deleted: I agree with what coach said, but misread it the first time.

 

[majors42]

do you know if he "enjoyed" contact or not? That is like saying our freshman are all terrible or else they would be starting. Take that weak rationalization somewhere else. We thought we wouldn't need him and now there are threads on here about needing a big back. Mullen went into the season thinking we were going to throw the ball around for 400 hundred yards a game and didn't need a big bruiser so they wanted to move him to linebacker. Obviously, we are going to win by running the football and it took the fourth game of the season to realize that.

 

[patdog]

And I don't think we're really missing his 32 yards per game in JUCO football all that much.

 

[majors42]

[No message]

 

[paindonthurt_]

Do I understand that correctly?

 

[patdog]

Seriously, let it go. He was running 4th team behind the backs we have now. If he'd stayed, he'd have about the same number of carries for us as he does now. And I don't care how long he's been at Co-Lin, it's freaking Co-Lin JUCO. If he was worth a ****, he'd be making an immediate impact there.

 

[majors42]

I don't have to let **** go and I won't. I still feel like it was a mistake and you telling me to let it go won't change that. I didn't start this thread, I'm only saying that we had a big back that I do agree we need a big back. mullen is obviously not going to go in that direction though.

 

[Mr Meoff]

It all boils down to him being immature and not being willing to work hard. He thought he was going to be handed the starting job, and when he was told by the coaching staff he was going to have to earn it, he got pissy and left. He thought they would beg him to come back, but the staff told his dad 'call us when he's ready to work'.

He was headed down the path to the Donte/Dixon fork in the road - a superbly talented athlete with less than stellar work ethic, not 100% focused and committed to the team, potential offseason weight-gainer, etc., etc. Thankfully, Dixon got the picture between his junior and senior years, and it showed. Donte never got the picture, and was basically never forced to by the coaching staff, because he held some *ahem* cards... and we see where he went.

Montrell was being told to work hard, stay in shape, and play hard every down, but he wasn't mature enough to understand that yet. It's too bad, because if he had stuck it out I think he would've been a good one, but sometimes you have to let guys like that go so they don't negatively affect the rest of the team.

/deep philosophical thoughts